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00000177-ba84-d5f4-a5ff-bbfc9baa0000Ways of Life airs every second Monday at 8:40am and 5:45pm.Our series Ways of Life is A collection of stories about people who live down the street... our neighbors: Fishermen, scientists, craftspeople, recovering addicts, surgeons, dog rescuers, motorcycle gang members, nursing home residents, musicians, the homeless, kid athletes, social activists, and all the others who share this place.Each portrait becomes part of the surprising, interwoven tapestry of our lives together here on the Cape, Coast and Islands. Ways of Life is edited by Jay Allison and produced by our production partners at Atlantic Public Media Ways of Life is made possible by The Circle of Ten, ten local businesses and organizations committed to local programming on WCAI.

Flute Song is Dinner Bell for Ducks on Surf Drive

Hayley Fager

Mike Martin has been playing flute on Surf Drive beach for years. He's become a fixture for visitors and regulars, probably because he's usually surrounded by ducks. Mike has gotten to know the birds pretty well over time. But his favorite fans still haven't learned how to clap. 

Bird experts discourage feeding water fowl, mostly because it leads to overcrowding, which can cause water pollution from too much nitrogen. Mike says the ducks were showing up on Surf Drive long before he got there, and that the impacts won't be as bad because they aren't on an inland pond. The ducks bring people a lot of joy, and feeding them is his way of returning the favor.