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A King Eider
- To: carolinabirds@duke.edu
- Subject: A King Eider
- From: Ernest Snavely <ka4slq@juno.com>
- Date: Thu, 25 Nov 1999 09:37:57 -0500
- Sender: carolinabirds-owner@acpub.duke.edu
This was our week at a time share on 4th Ave N. in North Myrtle Beach.
Monday was a beautiful day so we decided to bird the salt march beginning
at 33rd Ave N. After viewing the usual shore birds from the overlook we
went to about 40th Ave. and saw an unusual duck in the distance. We
watched it for about 5 minutes until a motor boat spooked it on up the
marsh. Then we went to 53rd Ave. and began looking. Here came the bird
toward us and the boat dock. It swam right up to the dock feeding, then
to the otherside and waddled up on the bank less than 30 feet away. Talk
about leggs being placed at the rear of a duck's body. This bird could
hardly walk.
We knew it was an unusual bird for the area and began to take notes as
the bird did not quite fit any descriptions in the books we had with us.
Lois found it later in the Collins "Birds of Britain and Europe". It
was a first year male King Eider.
During our watch we noted among other birds several Greater Black-backed
Gulls, and Herring Gulls. Also a comorant flying around with a double 4
ft. long cord attached near the neck. This we saw at both 33rd and 53rd
locations.
The tide was going down and we saw some action out on one of the flats.
A 10"fish could not make it to the water and the shore birds flocked
around to see it but not a one took a peck at the fish. After a few
minutes' struggle it lay motionless.
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