HUDSONIAlSr CURLEW 121 



come in August and September, but young birds often linger well 

 into October; my latest date is October 20, They reach the Caro- 

 linas in July; Mr. Wayne (1910) says that he has seen them as 

 early as July 5 and not later than October 2. They are reported 

 as migrating over the Bermudas in August and September, but the 

 last of the birds do not leave the West Indies until November. 



Pacific coast flights occur on corresponding dates. Early in Au- 

 gust, when the blueberries and crowberries are ripening, large flocks 

 of this and bristle-thighed curlews come down to the Bering Sea 

 coast of Alaska, where large numbers are brought into the markets 

 at Nome all through August and early September. From there the 

 migration is southward along the Pacific coast. D. E. Brown's 

 dates for Pierce County, Wash., run from August 6 to October 2, but 

 probably there are earlier dates. The earliest birds reach southern 

 California about the first week in July and the latest birds linger 

 through October. Meantime some of the birds have appeared in 

 Peru early in August and in Chile by the middle of that month. 



Game. — The Hudsonian, or " jack," curlew is a gamey bird, which 

 will test the skill and try the patience of the most experienced sports- 

 man. It is so shy and vigilant that it is difficult to outwit. It is 

 almost impossible to stalk an old bird, but I have, on rare occasions, 

 been able to creep up on a young bird. Most of my chances have 

 been at single birds flying over, when several gunners have been 

 spread over ground where scattered birds 'were feeding. Once a 

 flock of 15 birds swung by my blind within range, but they did not 

 alight to my decoj^s. Referring to the " good old days," Mr. Mackay 

 (1892&) writes: 



They were apparently as shy then as now, for even then it was considered 

 essential in order to take them to mortise a hole in the ground for concealment 

 in the locality which they frequented or passed over, care being taken to remove 

 the soil taken out to some distance in a wagon in order that the place might 

 appear perfectly natural. Stands were dug in the center of a clump of bushes, 

 as being less noticeable. In times past, on Cape Cod, I have used a hogs- 

 head, sunken level with the marsh, from which to shoot them, but even under 

 such conditions I never secured more than nine in one day, and that only once. 

 The Hudsonian curlew is a very observing bird and perceives at once anything 

 strange and out of harmony with the natural surroundings of any locality 

 which it has been in the habit of frequenting, and in order to get a flock up 

 to the decoys considerable care must be exercised. Single birds or pairs will, 

 however, decoy fairly well if they have not been harassed. These birds have 

 a way of setting their wings stationary and sailing, when headed for the decoys, 

 at a distance of 100 yards or more, the flock separating out so that there are 

 scarcely any two birds together, and then hanging, as it were, in the air. 

 During tliis time they are most carefully listening and scanning the decoys and 

 surroundings. A movement causes them to spring up in the air several feet, 

 and as this is generally when aim is being taken they are apt to be missed by 

 being undershot. In order to get them as near as possible I have frequently 



