>  JW> Smart ducks.
> It's a learning process for the young ones.  I talked about the racket that's
> made when one of the eagles flys by and the duck do their emergency diving

The penalty for flunking is very high.

> exercises.  I've also seen the loons do something simular, but out of my
> hearing range as they tend to stay a couple of hundred yards away as a rule. 

Good thing, as loons sound terrible. I originally
wrote smell, and I guess that may be true too. Roger
Tory Peterson quotes Audubon as saying loon meat was 
"tough, rank, and dark-colored."

> Nothing interesting, foodwise, over my way I guess.  I do hear them calling
> though.

You're too big to carry away, and there aren't any 
cats around any more.

>  JW> too polite to turn down a present. After they thawed I dropped them
>  JW> in a roasting bag along with salt, pepper, some fresh herbs and the
> En Papillote, so to speak.

Exactly to speak, though there are all kinds of bags 
these days, including ready-made Reynolds roasting 
ones. The following is a simplification of poularde 
en vessie, a dish invented or elaborated by Fernand 
Point in the early 20th century of chicken cooked in 
an airtight vessel, in that case a pig bladder.
Apparently the newer materials allow the food to
actually get brown.

Bresse chicken roasted in a bag
categories: French, main, poultry, slightly surreal and full of itself
yield: 1

1 Poulet de Bresse
garlic
onions
thyme
clear cooking film (Carta Fata)

Poulet de Bresse roti en papillote: Une audacieuse 
et moderniste declinaison du rotissage - "A bold
and modernist take [declension, everyday academic
word, fatuous culinary term] on roasting" [M's
note - neither bold nor modernist, see above]

Inspect your chicken - the feet are black, the
carcass complete with official badge and ring
[M's note - no wonder the French hate bureaucracy 
- it's everywhere].

Spread the cooking film on your work surface and
arrange the chicken and its seasonings on it.
[M's note - make sure there's enough film to
enclose the bird and so that you can tie it up
securely.]

Tie the papillote with string, protecting the 
protruding feet from burning by wrapping them in 
foil. Place this package in an ovenproof pan.

Bake 1 hr at 335F/170C and then 15 min at 355-375F/
180/190C to brown.

Remove and open the package. Note the chicken fat
and the melted onions and garlic. Save this treasure
to serve with the bird or use in another preparation.

The chicken is not dry; the flesh is tender. Remember
to keep the carcass for stock (giving a second life
to the bird).

Carve the chicken and serve hot.

Bresse chicken would not accept being eaten with bad 
music. Accompany with the album In Through The Out 
Door, especially the first cut In The Evening, and 
don't forget to thank Led Zeppelin!

chefsimon.com; most of the baloney is his.