74 



JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY^. 



very odd appearance to the flock. 



The gannet has also taken its place 

 among the flight, and one or more 

 together may be seen, their long 

 white narrow wings with primaries 

 black at once attracting the attention 

 of the observer. Usually and espe- 

 cially in a storm, they fly at but a few 

 feet or yards above the water, often 

 having to quickly rise as do the eider 

 ducks to avoid the crest of the foam- 

 ing waves. Sometimes they mount 

 in air and soar off quartering with the 

 wind as do the gulls, or when they 

 have discovered food, with awkward 

 movements of their wings, rise high 

 in air, and when the desired height 

 was reached, with pinions closed and 

 arrow speed descend, causing the 

 water to seethe and foam as it passed 

 from sight beneath the surface of the 

 sea to catch the fish for which it 

 plunged. I have heard fishermen 

 who have been to the Gulf of St. Law- 

 rence for fish say, that they had put 

 a mackerel on a piece of board or 

 plank, then with the current let it 

 drift away from the vessel, when the 

 gannets would plunge for the fish, 

 breaking their necks when they 

 struck the float upon which the food 

 was laid. 



April has almost come, the mellow 

 note of the orchard bluebird is heard 

 as it changes its perch from rock to 

 shrub, while an investigation of the 

 rattling among the weeds, reveals a 

 number of fox sparrows searching for 

 the seeds left there by a former year. 

 Well hidden among the branches of 

 the small fir trees, others pour forth 

 their liquid notes of song, and from 

 all directions on the ground white - 

 throated sparrows fly up to see who 

 the intruder may be. A turtle dove 

 glides out from among a patch of 



elder bushes {Sam/>iictts canadensis), Or 



a brown creeper may be seen zigzag- 

 ing up or down the trunk of some old 

 tree, or searching the side of some 

 lichen covered cliff. 



April comes, and the number of 

 birds increases. Hermit thrushes 

 from out among the trees or shrubs 

 start up to inquisitely watch you with 

 their large round eyes, and a water 

 thrush declares its species by the 

 wagging of its tail. 



Scores of golden-wing woodpeckers 

 or flickers better known, are search- 

 ing ant hills on the ground, while 

 from some elevated perch a pigeon 



hawk (FaUo co/iiwl>aru(s) soana the field 

 with ever watchful eye. The pigeon 

 hawks invariably accompany the 

 fiickers, but for what purpose I never 

 could determine. I have watched 

 them many times, when from their 

 perch the time seemed right to them, 

 dart at a fiicker on the ground which 

 is busily searching for its bill of fare. 

 The flicker then would start for the 

 nearest cover or higher ground, ut- 

 tering as it flew a series of shrieks 

 which always reminded me of a lady 

 fleeing from a mouse, but I never saw 

 a hawk injure the flicker in any way, 

 or pilfer any food to reward it for its 

 trouble. 



Then come days of balmy silence, 

 when "old Sol's" genial rays draws 

 from the withered herbs and cones of 

 trees frankinsence sweet upon the 

 morning air, and May has come again. 

 Many of the sea birds have nearly 

 finished their migratory flight, while 

 other species of a later fiight pass by 

 each day in numbers. The island 

 teems with bird life, especially those 

 of nocturnal flight. Warblers are 

 seeking from the opening buds of 

 trees the insects, eggs and larvae of 

 their choice, while the yanking notes 

 of the redbreasted nuthatch as it 

 searches for its food, resounds among 

 the trees. 



Then come nights of darkness when 

 few stars are to be seen, and only 

 gentle zephyrs stir the smoky bur- 

 dened air, and the beacon of the mar- 

 iner sends forth its friendly rays, to 

 pierce the realms of space. Faintly 

 away off in the air, comes to -the ear 

 the call note of a bird growing louder 

 and louder as the owner comes into 

 the outer rays of light. Others fol- 

 low slowly or in quick succession, 

 until the lighted space above seems 

 filled with meteoric forms. From all 

 directions in the air may be heard the 

 call notes of bewildered birds gyrat- 

 ing to and from the stronger rays of 

 light. Many nights during spring 

 and especially the fall migrations, 

 such exhibitions of bird phenomena 

 may be observed, sometimes repre- 

 sented by a single individual or again 

 the numbers rapidly increasing, until 

 hundreds representing many species 

 fill the air. 



Many times the scene can best be 

 described by likening it to a snow 

 storm as the large white flakes come 

 floating down, or whirl in chaotic 



