Cayman Islands Bluebill Decoy

We've been on vacation on Grand Cayman since Saturday, and it's been glorious.  The weather is perfect - highs in the mid 80's, sunny, humid, but with a big north wind to keep you comfortable.  It could not get any better.  

I've been running every morning, and what a joy to be running outside again.  It's tough going - the humidity really saps you, likewise half of my daily run takes me into a really stiff wind.  Despite the crappy results, I won't complain.  I'd craw if I could do it in this weather.

I was out for my daily yesterday morning, and enjoying my route which boarders the sea for most of it.  It's an incredible view.  Anyway, as I was slaving away, something caught my eye.  I stopped to verify, as I couldn't believe it.

There, bobbing in the rough seas, still attached to its string and weight, was a bluebill decoy:

What is that doing down here?  There's only teal hunting in the Caymans, Bluebills don't migrate here in any kind of numbers, and this wasn't something that was placed there - the waves were too big, and it will be on shore by the end of the day.

It had to come from some gulf coast duck hunter.  But what a trip!  Consider the map:

What a journey that thing has been on!  Over 1,000 miles, especially since it had to navigate its way around Cuba.  

When I was a kid, I was enthralled with a move called Paddle to the Sea, about a carving a guy made of a native American chief in a canoe.  He dropped it in a winter stream, and we followed its journey to the sea.  This bluebill decoy is a lot like that, and I can't imagine the adventures it has had.