I used to think the beautiful, exquisite pintail duck was a western breed contained only to the midlands of the United States, and in particular, Texas.
As an Army flight instructor serving there after my tour in Vietnam, I exulted in chopping throttle in my small military helicopter and dropping down in their midst whenever I discovered flocks on numerous farm ponds found throughout that area of very poor ranching exploits. I just had to see these ducks up close, knowing they did not frequent New England, and that this was my only chance to observe them closely.
kAm~7 4@FCD6[ E96C6 H2D 2=H2JD D@>6 @E96C H:D6\8FJ x! :? >J 7=:89E @G6C9625[ @3D6CG:?8 E96D6 6A:D@56D[ 2?5 ;@J@FD=J BF6DE:@?:?8[ “w6=:4@AE6C >2<:?8 2? 2AAC@249 E@ 5F4< A@?5[ D2J xsP”k^Am
kAmv66K[ D@>6 @7 E96D6 8FJD H6C6 =@@<:?8 7@C >J 9625 2D 2 DFA6C:@C C2?<:?8 @77:46C 4@>A2C65 E@ E96:C H2CC2?E @77:46C ?@>6?4=2EFC6] x>28:?6 E92E]k^Am
kAmx 7:?5 E96 }@CE96C? A:?E2:= 92D 366? 56D4C:365 2D Q?@>25D @7 E96 D<:6DQ 5F6 E@ H:56\C2?8:?8 >:8C2E:@?D 24C@DD E96 62CE9] !:?E2:=D 2C6 ?2>65 7@C E96:C 6=@?82E65 46?EC2= E2:= 762E96CD[ H9:49 24EF2==J 4@?DE:EFE6 @?6\7@FCE9 @7 E96 5C2<6VD 3@5J =6?8E9] }@CE96C? A:?E2:=D 2C6 =@?8[ D=6?56C 5F4<D H:E9 G6CJ ?2CC@H H:?8D[ 62C?:?8 E96> E96 ?:4<?2>6 Q8C6J9@F?5 @7 E96 2:C]Qk^Am
kAm%9:D 5233=:?8 5F4< 3C665D 24C@DD ?@CE96C? 2C62D @7 tFC2D:2 D@FE9 E@ !@=2?5 2?5 |@?8@=:2j }@CE96C? A:?E2:=D 92G6 2 4:C4F>A@=2C 3C665:?8 A2EE6C?] x? }@CE9 p>6C:42[ E96J 3C665 7C@> p=2D<2[ E96 46?EC2= r2?25:2? pC4E:4[ 2?5 H6DE6C? vC66?=2?5 D@FE9 E@ E96 H6DE6C? 2?5 46?EC2= &?:E65 $E2E6D]k^Am
kAm%96J H:?E6C >2:?=J D@FE9 @7 E96:C 3C665:?8 C2?86[ C6249:?8 2=>@DE E@ E96 6BF2E@C :? !2?2>2[ ?@CE96C? DF3\$292C2? p7C:42 2?5 EC@A:42= $@FE9 pD:2] $>2== ?F>36CD >:8C2E6 E@ G2C:@FD !24:7:4 :D=2?5D[ A2CE:4F=2C=J w2H2::[ H96C6 2 76H 9F?5C65 3:C5D H:?E6C @? E96 >2:? :D=2?5D :? D92==@H H6E=2?5D 2?5 7=@@565 28C:4F=EFC2= 923:E2ED]k^Am
kAm%C2?D@462?:4 ;@FC?6JD 2=D@ 2AA2C6?E=J @44FCj 2 3:C5 E92E H2D 42F89E 2?5 “C:?865” W3:C5\32?565nX :? {23C25@C[ r2?252[ H2D D9@E 3J 2 9F?E6C :? t?8=2?5 ?:?6 52JD =2E6C] y2A2?6D6\C:?865 3:C5D 92G6 366? C64@G6C65 7C@> D:I DE2E6D 62DE E@ &E29 2?5 |:DD:DD:AA:]k^Am
kAmx? A2CED @7 E96 C2?86[ DF49 2D vC62E qC:E2:? 2?5 E96 ?@CE9H6DE6C? &?:E65 $E2E6D[ A:?E2:=D >2J 36 AC6D6?E 2== J62C] %9FD[ E96 }@CE96C? A:?E2:= 92D 2 8=@32= A@AF=2E:@? 6DE:>2E65 2E d >:==:@? :?5:G:5F2=D] x? E96 !2=62C4E:4[ 3C665:?8 A@AF=2E:@?D 2C6 564=:?:?8 :? >F49 @7 E96 C2?86 9@H6G6C[ :?4=F5:?8 :ED DEC@?89@=5 :? #FDD:2]k^Am
kAmpC@F?5 E9C66\BF2CE6CD @7 A:?E2:= 49:4<D =:G6 =@?8 6?@F89 E@ 7=6586[ 3FE ?@E >@C6 E92? 92=7 @7 E9@D6 DFCG:G6 =@?8 6?@F89 E@ C6AC@5F46] %96 >2I:>F> C64@C565 286 :D af J62CD 2?5 d >@?E9D 7@C @?6 sFE49 A:?E2:=[ 3FE E96 2G6C286 =:76 DA2? 7@C >@DE H:== 36 >F49 D9@CE6C[ 2?5 =:<6=J D:>:=2C E@ E92E @7 @E96C H:=5 5F4<D @7 23@FE EH@ J62CD]k^Am
kAm%96 }@CE96C? A:?E2:=VD 3C665:?8 923:E2E :D @A6? H6E=2?5D[ DF49 2D H6E 8C2DD=2?5[ =2<6D:56D @C EF?5C2 A@?5D] x? H:?E6C[ :E H:== FE:=:K6 2 H:56C C2?86 @7 @A6? DA246 923:E2ED[ DF49 2D D96=E6C65 6DEF2C:6D[ 3C24<:D9 >2CD96D 2?5 4@2DE2= =28@@?D] xE :D 9:89=J 8C682C:@FD @FED:56 E96 3C665:?8 D62D@? 2?5 7@C>D G6CJ =2C86 >:I65 7=@4<D H:E9 @E96C 5F4<D]k^Am
kAm*@F >:89E H2?E E@ D66 D@>6 G:56@ @? *@F%F36[ H96C6 :E :D @3G:@FD=J ?@E 2 ?:46 8FJ 2>@?8 @E96C 5F4<D[ H96? :E :D 4@>A6E:E:G6=J 8@:?8 27E6C @776C65 7@556C] $@[ E9:D 6=682?E 5F4< :D ?@E 2=H2JD 2 86?E=6>2? 56DA:E6 7:?6 =@@<D]k^Am
kAm%96 A:?E2:= 7665D >2:?=J :? E96 6G6?:?8 @C 2E ?:89E[ 2?5 E96C67@C6 DA6?5D >F49 @7 E96 52J C6DE:?8] xED =@?8 ?64< 6?23=6D :E E@ E2<6 7@@5 :E6>D 7C@> E96 3@EE@> @7 H2E6C 3@5:6D FA E@ `\7@@E 566A[ H9:49 2C6 36J@?5 E96 C6249 @7 @E96C 5233=:?8 5F4<D =:<6 >2==2C5D] !:?E2:=D 2C6 @>?:G@C@FD[ 62E:?8 3@E9 A=2?E 2?5 2?:>2= >2EE6C]k^Am
kAm(6 >2J D66 E96> 96C6 s646>36C E9C@F89 |2C49 @? E96 r@??64E:4FE @C |6CC:>24< #:G6CD[ 2?5 282:? H96? >:8C2E:?8 D@FE96C=J :? $6AE6>36C @? E96 }6H w2>AD9:C6 D624@2DE[ 6G6? @FE E@ $E2C xD=2?5]k^Am
kAmqC665:?8 E2<6D A=246 :? ?@CE96C? 2C62D 36EH66? pAC:= 2?5 yF?6[ H:E9 E96 ?6DE 36:?8 4@?DECF4E65 @? E96 8C@F?5 2?5 9:556? 2>@?8 G686E2E:@? :? 2 5CJ =@42E:@?[ @7E6? D@>6 5:DE2?46 7C@> H2E6C]k^Am
kAm}@CE96C? A:?E2:=D ?6DE ?62C D62D@?2= 2?5 D6>:\A6C>2?6?E H6E=2?5D E92E 2C6 =@42E65 :? AC2:C:6 2?5 EF?5C2 923:E2ED] u6>2=6D EJA:42==J ?6DE @? E96 8C@F?5 :? =@H @C DA2CD6 G686E2E:@?[ @7E6? 72C 7C@> H2E6C]k^Am
kAmxE :D 2 D92==@H D4C2A6 @? E96 8C@F?5 2?5 =:?65 H:E9 A=2?E >2E6C:2= 2?5 5@H?] %96 76>2=6 =2JD D6G6? E@ ?:?6 4C62>\4@=@C65 688D 2E E96 C2E6 @7 @?6 A6C 52J] %96 96? 2=@?6 :?4F32E6D E96 688D 7@C aa E@ ac 52JD 367@C6 E96J 92E49] x7 AC652E@CD 56DEC@J E96 7:CDE 4=FE49[ E96 76>2=6 42? AC@5F46 2 C6A=246>6?E 4=FE49 2D =2E6 2D E96 6?5 @7 yF=J]k^Am
kAm!:?E2:= ?6DED 2?5 49:4<D 2C6 GF=?6C23=6 E@ AC652E:@? 3J >2>>2=D[ DF49 2D 7@I6D 2?5 32586CD[ 2?5 3:C5D =:<6 8F==D[ 4C@HD 2?5 >28A:6D] %96 25F=ED 42? E2<6 7=:89E E@ 6D42A6 E6CC6DEC:2= AC652E@CD[ 3FE ?6DE:?8 76>2=6D :? A2CE:4F=2C >2J 36 DFCAC:D65 3J =2C86 42C?:G@C6D DF49 2D 3@342ED]k^Am
kAmk6>ms2G6 t2DE>2? 2=D@ 3C@2542DED U=5BF@jr@F?ECJ t4@=@8JUC5BF@j 7@FC E:>6D H66<=J @G6C (|(' hb]d u|] pD G:46 AC6D:56?E @7 E96 {2<6D #68:@? r92AE6C^p$}w[ 96 H6=4@>6D J@F E@ >@?E9=J AC@8C2>D 2E E96 {@@? r6?E6C :? |@F=E@?3@C@F89] w6 :D 2G2:=23=6 2Ei k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i463:C5>2?oJ29@@]4@>Qm463:C5>2?oJ29@@]4@>k^2m W@CX k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^4@F?ECJ64@=@8J]4@>Qm4@F?ECJ64@=@8J]4@>k^2m 7@C 4@?DF=E2E:@?]k^6>mk^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.