I'm fortunate to have access to a cottage in a small community at the end of
Cultus Lake, about 100 km east of Vancouver in the Columbia Valley (not THE
Columbia Valley). The lake is about 5 miles long and half a mile across in
places with camp sites along most of the south-east shore. Its a favourite
boating destination for city folk so birding is not the greatest and at
weekends the area can be fairly packed with people.

When I started my vists there about five years ago it was unusual to see any
duck species at all during the spring and summer. Two years ago COME nested
in the area and I remember seeing a family of about eight young. Last year
a pair nested again and raised eight young. Earlier this year I noticed up
to five females and two males hanging around the boat docks and I assumed
that these were the young of the previous year as I observed no sign of
courtship display.

Four weeks ago, driving along the lake early one morning I came across nine
chicks crossing the road at about the most dangerous place for them to try
it. Checking around, I found mother down in the water calling but the
chicks were unable to jump the concrete walls. So, I gave them a helping hand.

This weekend, early Sunday morning before there was too much human
disturbance I found a female and eight young lying on our dock. The family
was happy enough to let me and my daughter come within about 20 feet. I
left them lazing there and continued my walk up to a shale bed where I found
four more females of adult size plus, incidently, a male Harlequin. As I
watch, the mother and the chicks left the dock and followed me down where
they were joined by the four other adult females. There seem to be an
acknowledgement between them; the heads were lifted high and the beaks
shaken as in a courtship display. There was no sign of the mother chasing
the other adults away.

Can anyone comment on this behaviour, is there known to be recognition by
adults of the young from prior years? Also, can anyone confirm my thought
that the males breed and then leave the female, there were no males to be
seen this weekend.

Eric Greenwood
Vancouver, B.C.
egreenw at helix.net