THE MUSEUM. 



41 



abundant and prolitic breeders, but 

 nosv only three or four pairs can find 

 a suitable nesting place. The Ameri- 

 can Bittern used to stake out his 

 claims early in May althouf^h they did 

 not breed here, but 1 ha\e (ound them 

 breeding in Potter swamp a few miles 

 north of here. 



Least Hitterns were abundant breed- 

 ers and sometimes I have found six or 

 eight nests in a small area; a sort of 

 colony. Their platform like nests 

 were fastened to cattails six to twenty 

 inches above the water and always 

 hidden in the densest tangle of cat- 

 tails. I took one set on May 2Jnd 

 but seldom were sets complete before 

 the tirst week in June. 



A few pairs of Black Ducks used to 

 breed here and it was not an unusual 

 sight to see a family of Wood Duck 

 each season, but they were persistent- 

 ly hunted before the young ducks 

 were half grown so they were driven 

 to seek more secluded places long be- 

 fore their nesting sites were gone. 

 However as bird life diminished in the 

 swamp which was exposed by the re- 

 ceding water, became the scene of 

 animation as hosts of shore-birds 

 stopped here to feed and rest when on 

 their mysterious semi-annual pilgrim- 

 age. These muddy flats abound with 

 insects and moluscous life so that 

 many shore birds remain here until 

 the mud becomes frozen or until Nov. 

 1st. 



During the last week of May 185 a 

 large flock of Least Sandpipers ar- 

 rived accompanied by a few Sander- 

 lings and about a dozen Black-bellied 

 Plovers. On May 29 six Hudsonian 

 Curlews joined the company and the 

 rear guard of about fifty Turnstones 

 arrived on June ist. For about one 

 week the sand-bar and mud-flats pre- 

 sented a scene of unwonted activity 

 but by June 4th all had passed on to 

 their northern breeding grounds, their 

 departure probable being hastened be- 

 cause the news that "snipe" were 

 plenty was a signal for every pot- 

 hunter to sally forth with his gun, and 



many of these harmless and innocent 

 birds were killed for eating purposes. 



The fall movement begins early, 

 even when many common birds are 

 yet rearing their second brood and 

 Goldfinches are just beginning to keep 

 house. On the evening of July 28, 

 1897, I was considerably surprised to 

 hear the tell- tale notes of a pair of 

 Yellow-legged Plovers {Totanus Jlavi- 

 pi-s) and an immediate visit to the 

 mud-flats revealed a small flock of 

 Least Sandpipers and Semi-palmatcd 

 Plovers. Two Pectoral Sandpipers ar- 

 rived on August 4th. 



In 1898 the autumnal movement 

 began even earlier. I began to visit 

 the mud -flats by the middle of July so 

 as to get the exact date of their arrival 

 and I extract the following from my 

 note book. 



July 28. I heard the cries of Lesser 

 Yellow legs. On the 26th, as I 

 strolled along the shore this morning 

 at sunrise I saw half a dozen Leasts 

 and a Solitary Sandpiper. The latter 

 was daintily feeding along the bank of 

 the creek. I also saw a Lesser Yel- 

 low leg. Green Herons sneaked along 

 out in the boggy and grassy water, 

 some with folded necks and others 

 with necks extended and ready to fly 

 if I showed the least sign of being 

 dangerous. Killdeers were there too, 

 noisy and shy, keeping all the other 

 birds posted on my movements. A 

 few Spotted Sandpipers flew out in 

 semi-circles as I approached. 



July 31. With spy-glass I sat upon 

 the sand-bar and watched the shore- 

 birds digging in their Klondike after 

 golden nuggets in the shape of molusca 

 worms and insects. Three Lesser 

 Yellow legs spent most of their time 

 where the water was about two inches 

 deep and upon the muddy shore, oc- 

 casionally driving their bills full length 

 into the oozy mud. Two stately Great 

 Blue Herons promenaded back and 

 forth. More Least Sandpipers are 

 here and I saw several Solitary Sand- 

 pipers. Killdeers were busy and 

 seemed to be guards for all the others. 



