The Fish Hawks of Gardiner's Island 



155 



'•-^^ A^*"' V-'«?"'^'*«^ 



FISH HAWK RETURXI.\(; TO XEST 



to build a new ik'>i (ni the 



nearly horizontal trunk of the 



tree at its junction with the 



stump, to which it was still 



slightly attached ; but as fast as 



the sticks were brought they fell 



to the ground a few feet below 



where a pile of them bore testi- 



mon_\- to the birds' failure to 



comprehend the new conditions 



by which they were confronted. 

 Eggs are not laid until seven 



or eight weeks after the birds' 



arrival from the south ; a delay 



which, in view of the abundant 



(formerly, at least) food supply it 



is difficult to explain. The y)e- 



riod of incubation is said to be 



four weeks, June 2, being the 



earliest date on which I ha\-e 



found young. 



The young are in the nest about six weeks. So far as I have observed, 



they are under the immediate care of the female who is almost constantly with 



them while the male occupies 

 a perch near by. While both 

 birds whistle shrilly when one 

 is near the nest, it is excep- 

 tional for them to make any 

 show of defending their voung 

 by actual attack. I have 

 never been threatened by the 

 beach-nesting birds, but one 

 which occupied a tree dove 

 at me repeatedly when I 

 climbed to the nest, coming 

 uncomfortably near at each 

 swoop. 



The young are reared on 

 the restricted diet of their par- 

 ents, and so far as my obser- 

 vations go the fish is captured 

 and brought to the nest by 

 the male, usuallv after he has 



FISH H.\WK RETURNING TO NEST 



