Chris checked in on the Flannery-Velvet chick today. The chick, whom lake residents call “Houdini” because of his ability to escape certain death, continues to inhabit this odd world where it is necessary to hide under piers and avoid adults — rather than fraternize with two parents who feed him to satiation. When his mom is not bonding with a new male up on Flannery so that she can prepare herself for future breeding attempts, she spends time with him down on Velvet. Today Houdini begged from his mom repeatedly, but he also foraged for himself during a considerable period.

The photo above, generously supplied by Hugh Jones who lives on Velvet, is notable for two features. First, it shows a chick that is in full adult-like feather. That is, it has outgrown its chicklike, downy plumage and assumed adult attire. This fact, of course, is comforting, as it shows that the chick is getting the nutrients it requires to mature and prep itself for independence and migration to the wintering ground. Second, however, the chick continues its retiring ways. It has learned to avoid adults, because of the occasional beatings it had received from its stepdad. So it seeks protection, using whatever piers and pontoon boats will give it cover.

We have never witnessed a situation like this one. In all other cases, chicks that lost their fathers were either: 1) several weeks old and recipients of abundant feedings from their mothers, or 2) summarily ignored by their stepfathers and permitted to grow and mature without interference. Since we are in uncharted waters, we can only be cautiously optimistic. All we can say is that Houdini — whom LP personnel know attactionately as “white over white, pink over silver”, from his leg bands — continues to pass developmental milestones despite daunting obstacles.