It’s finally that time of year when winter gets serious here on the Cape. Water actually starts to freeze, even salt water, and the place finally feels shut down for the season. Despite this, it’s also the time of year when birdsong noticeably increases and a few foolish migrants trickle back early, a time when hope and hormones trump the cold. But it’s a different hidden benefit of the deep cold that I’d like to discuss this time – it’s the shuffling of the ducks.