Description

Time is of the essence. It is early
morning on the shore of Malpeque
Bay, the first week in October,
perhaps this year, perhaps last.
In front of the blind the outlines of
plastic decoys are dark spots on the
water; they bob gently in the slow swell
of the incoming tide. It is a quiet morning,
but now some wake-up calls start
among the marsh-dwellers. An early
rising Yellowlegs tries his harsh whistle
— loud enough to turn a sheepdog
at a mile. Jacksnipe are on the move to
their feeding places, banking and twisting
in flight like tiny fighting planes.
The birds seem noisier than usual; they
sense something different in their
shoreline life. It is a different day. In
fact, it is Opening Day of the waterfowl
season.