MLBob Furia
Well-known member
[size 4]Been getting out regularly with the Scooter and thankful for every day on the water.
This week, two quick morning hunts saw us visited by a group of sprig that, for whatever reason, are frequenting a slough I hunt . Although we do see them from time to time, the pintail is not a puddler that usually shows up in any numbers.
On Wednesday morning a flock of nine - all drakes - buzzed us cautiously for 7 or 8 passes before finally locking up and coming in. Took a beautifully plumaged bird that morning, and the picture of Scooter bringing it back through the decoys was worth the trip.
Two days later, when we were set up in a different part of the slough, the pintails were back. Group of six came to us this time - all drakes again ( remnants of the same group as earlier in the week?). Took another single bird from this group that had heavy "rust staining" on its breast & belly.
I'd never seen that before - but, as I said, not a species we see a lot of here in SW Ohio.
As a result, I did some looking on the internet when I got home to 'edumacate' myself about what might cause this (... I thought it might be some sort of juvenile plumage thing); it turns out that it's caused by iron content in water they have been in, being absorbed into feather tips. There's even a name for it - 'ferruginous staining.'
I even came across an illustration by Maynard Reese depicting a "rust stained pintail drake." Also saw a lot of advice posted on taxidermy sites about how to 'bleach' it out. Don't think I'd want to do that if I were having a pintail showing that coloration mounted. Posted about this on my Facebook site and a lot of folks from Louisiana responded by saying it's a pretty common thing where they hunt. Goes to show: you learn something new every day.
View attachment IMGP7336 (3).JPG
View attachment IMGP7340 (2).JPG
Day two, 'rust stained' pintail:
View attachment IMGP7360 (2).JPG
This week, two quick morning hunts saw us visited by a group of sprig that, for whatever reason, are frequenting a slough I hunt . Although we do see them from time to time, the pintail is not a puddler that usually shows up in any numbers.
On Wednesday morning a flock of nine - all drakes - buzzed us cautiously for 7 or 8 passes before finally locking up and coming in. Took a beautifully plumaged bird that morning, and the picture of Scooter bringing it back through the decoys was worth the trip.
Two days later, when we were set up in a different part of the slough, the pintails were back. Group of six came to us this time - all drakes again ( remnants of the same group as earlier in the week?). Took another single bird from this group that had heavy "rust staining" on its breast & belly.
I'd never seen that before - but, as I said, not a species we see a lot of here in SW Ohio.
As a result, I did some looking on the internet when I got home to 'edumacate' myself about what might cause this (... I thought it might be some sort of juvenile plumage thing); it turns out that it's caused by iron content in water they have been in, being absorbed into feather tips. There's even a name for it - 'ferruginous staining.'
I even came across an illustration by Maynard Reese depicting a "rust stained pintail drake." Also saw a lot of advice posted on taxidermy sites about how to 'bleach' it out. Don't think I'd want to do that if I were having a pintail showing that coloration mounted. Posted about this on my Facebook site and a lot of folks from Louisiana responded by saying it's a pretty common thing where they hunt. Goes to show: you learn something new every day.
View attachment IMGP7336 (3).JPG
View attachment IMGP7340 (2).JPG
Day two, 'rust stained' pintail:
View attachment IMGP7360 (2).JPG
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