Bruen (ix a Trip to Gardiner's Island 15 



The approach, of Mr. Ford and myself, to the island was 

 not in the romantic fashion described by Air. Chapman, but 

 in an intermittent gasoline boat from Saybrook Point, Conn. 



Beaching our boat we found what proved to be the best 

 camping spot on the island ; it was also richest in the number 

 of bird species. Although three o'clock in the afternoon when 

 we landed, nevertheless, thirty-four ( -'!4 ) species of birds were 

 noted in the immediate vicinity. 



Our stay from June 17th to "?lst was all too short to proper- 

 ly cover the isjand in detail, but still we felt that we had seen 

 a great deal. Most of the birds mentioned by Mr. Chapman 

 were seen ; all, I believe, excepting the Wood Duck. AYoodcock, 

 and Indigo Bunting; and in addition to his list were the Great 

 Blue Heron and Red-tailed Hawk. The latter was seen three 

 different days — an Ishmaelite among birds, for every feathered 

 creature was against him. When first seen our attention was 

 attracted by his "exhaust steam" scream as he went off, chased 

 by Purple Crackles. The next day at another part of the 

 island some Crackles and Ospreys were after him. and the third 

 day some Crows were after him. He kept in the virgin forests 

 as much as possible. It was a question in our minds whether 

 he was trying to live there or wished to leave the island but 

 could not owing to the vigilance of the Ospreys. 



The Osprey display was simply amazing to us who had never 

 seen them at such close quarters nor in such abundance. Most 

 of the nests examined had young birds from one to ten days 

 old as nearly as we could judge; a few had eggs only or 

 eggs and just hatched young. On the beach at one place were 

 four nests, placed on the ground, in a distance of 700 feet; 

 one nest had so little material in it that it compared closely, 

 except in size, with the most claboratc( ?) of the terns' nests. 

 "We noted 78 nests of the Osprey in use. but undoubtedly there 

 were as many more on the island. At one time 38 Ospreys 

 were in sight, counting those easily seen on their nests and 

 those in the air. 



In the two tern colonies 35 nests containing 89 eggs were 

 found ; without making an exhaustive search. The south col- 

 ony is really two. being divided by an inlet in which the water 

 was too deep to wade at the time of our visit, or more nests 

 would have been recorded. One nest had four eggs, but most 



