My S Duckpecial

It’s On My Desk Earl Plato

Finally! On the last day of July wife, Elaine, accomplished it. For several years I have looked for a carving of the Old Squaw duck now called Long-Tail. More than once at Log Cabin Antiques in Fonthill I looked. Yes, we finally saw one. Too much money for the unique carving? I guess so for I didn’t buy it. I returned three days later. You know the scenario - ‘Old Squaw’ had been sold. We have asked local woodcarvers about the duck. “Too risky to do with the extremely long tail.” No luck here at Niagara Falls with would-be carvers or up in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. Years passed. However, each year in January and February we saw and heard the Old Squaws during their mating time at Niagara-on-the-Lake. There up to 200 of these high Arctic ducks gathered on the Niagara River across from Fort Niagara. This year we counted only about sixty. I set up my bird scope and viewed these good-looking ducks. I never tire of seeing these Long-Taileds.
Now thanks to Elaine I can view my beautiful carving on this August 1st day. At a Niagara-on-the Lake store Elaine and two of my daughters spied the carving. Elaine asked, “Is that an Old Squaw?” The owner unlocked the cabinet. Inscribed on the base - “Old Squaw.” “I’ll take it!” It’s a beautiful limited edition and I am happy.
Like most other ducks Long-tails have distinctive male and female plumages. Of course my carving is that of the male with winter plumage. In my Ducks of Canada reference book I read the following about this duck: “The result is one of the most complex series of plumage patterns to be found in any bird.” Just another reason to love Old Squaw.
My carving captures this nicely proportioned duck with its neatly rounded head. It has a small bill and a short neck. My male model has the long extended tail feathers hence the name, Long-tail. Sorry, no grandchildren will handle Earl’s prize. Look but not touch, eh.
Collectors - never give up looking. You never know.