Ducks & Waterfowl [antikvár]

INTRODUCTION The migrations of geese and other waterfowl have been harbingers of the changing seasons for people throughout history. T "Míe hunter cupped a hand to his forehead, shielding his eyes from the bright sun. He gazed in awe as geese beyond his counting passed overhead, following the great river north on the early spring leg of their annual migration. The string of his bow seemed to bite into the skin of his shoulder, urging for the chance to lose an arrow at such abundance of game. The mindless weapon could not know that no shaft could reach far eiwugh into the heavens to bring down one of the great birds. But the watrior knew this was not an opportunity for meat for the lodge. Instead he stood on the bank of the river, above the churning waters of some rapids, and opened his ears to gather in the siren call of the geese. His heart jumped with the coming of another spring. Not far away, iwo travelers tilted back their heads, raising their separate sets of binoculars to their eyes. They gazed in awe as geese beyond counting filled the lenses of their instruments, coursing northward along the great river that generations of geese had followed. The cameras in the car seemed to call for their use, urging for the chance to capture this spectacle of nature. But the watchers accepted the moment for one of reflection rather than recording. They simply stood on the bank of the river, hearing the churning water of the rapids mix with the honking of the geese and savoring the coming of another spring. Waterfowl—ducks and geese, primarily—have long held the power to inspire in humans a reverence for things wild and massive.Their great numbers, their movement on a grand scale, and their response to the clock of nature appeal to us all. Generations have marked the change of season by the passing of the flocks.