ORNITHOLOGIST 



—AND — 



OOLOGIST. 



SI. on per 

 Annum. 



PUBLISHED BY FRANK B. WEBSTER. 



Established, March, 1875. 



Single Copy 

 10 cents. 



Vol. XVI. 



HYDE PARK, MASS., SEPTEMBER, 1891. 



No. 9. 



Buzzards' Roost. 



" Wo came, we saw, we coiiqiieied." Three 

 times we had essayed and three times failed, 

 but at last success crowned our efforls. 



1 was not aware that the Turkey Vulture 

 {Cathartes aura) or Turkey Buzzard mine 

 commonly called, was still found in this 

 State, until we accidentally discovered one of 

 their favorite resorts and nesting sites last 

 spring. Four of us out for a hunt during May, 

 ISiiO, camped on the Des Moine.s River for a 

 couple of days, about twelve or fifteen miles 

 above the city, and while there saw as many 

 as fifteen sailing overhead out of gun shot. 

 They rested on the opposite side of the river 

 iu the woods where we could not reach them. 

 About two weeks later we drove out again but 

 witliout success, and again in May this year. 



I made up my mind now that I must have a 

 specimen lu- "bust," so .Seager, who had been 

 one of us, an<l I made our plans to row up the 

 river, and reaching the spot, which we had 

 christened " Buzzards' Roost," to stay there 

 vintil the spoil was obtained. 



.luly :!, IS'.M, we packed our provision.';, 

 blankets, guns, aminunition, etc., in the boat, 

 and at (i.:!) p.m. we left the dock. The sky was 

 clear, the air warm, and before dark we had 

 gone some eight miles, about a third of our 

 journey. Landing on a sand-bar a well-earned 

 lunch was eaten, when we rolled up in the 

 blankets on the sand and were soon asleep. 

 Xext morning our covers were wet with dew, 

 but a little <lainpuess was preferable to being 

 eaten up by mosquitoes, which swarmed by 

 thousands in the groves and meadows along 

 the river Ijut were singularly absent from the 

 sand-bars. 



Rising early, after a draught of hot coffee 

 with luucli. we W' re on our way again by (!.:!0 

 A.M., and traversed the remainder of the 

 journey in three hours. The sceneiy is beauti- 



ful, ever changing. Broad, deep meadows 

 running to the bluffs, grown with corn and 

 other grains or simply sown to grass, beautiful 

 groves, grand old growth of sycamore and fine 

 wooded hills, dotted with occasional farm 

 houses, made a charming panorama of which 

 the eyes never tired. Usually the river is too 

 shallow for even a skiff to run up more than 

 eightor ten miles at the farthest, but this year 

 the water has been unusually high all spring. 



We were beginning to look out for the 

 "Roost" when suddenly the stream became 

 narrow and very swift. For about a mile we 

 were both compelled to pull with all our 

 strength to make any headway, although we 

 had been making good time all morning. We 

 were getting somewhat fagged out when we 

 saw two Buzzards light on the top of a dead 

 tree near the river bank. 



Landing with some difficulty we pushed 

 through the heavy underbrush only to find 

 them gone. We were rewarded, however, by 

 plenty of mosquito bites and by finding a large 

 puff adder flattened out in the road, which but 

 for its bright beady eyes looked as if dead. 



Embarking once more the current soon 

 became less rapid, and passing a bend we saw 

 at last our destination. As we drew near we 

 saw a large number of Buzzards roosting in 

 their favorite tree, but nearer still in the top 

 of a tree by our old camp jierched two others. 

 Landed without much trouble, and creeping 

 along the fence to the base of a tree, Seager 

 brought down a fine specimen. This was the 

 first I had ever obtained and the bald red head 

 and gallinaceous legs were surprisingly like 

 those of the turkey for a bird whose bill, shape 

 and flight so much resembled the large Hawk's. 



We now turned our attention to those in the 

 large tree, but just as we were cautiously ap- 

 proaching, a young farmer came along seining 

 and alarmed the birds, which all took flight. 

 As they did not light again the remainder of 



Copyright, 18)1, l>y Fk.vnk B. Webster. 



