Shore and Other Birds 



godwit ; and over on the laguna side, Wilson's snipe 

 and the long-billed dowitcher. The great flock that 

 comes whirling along between the breakers and the 

 shore, gleaming like silver, disappearing as it turns, is 

 the western sandpiper. As they drop down, each bird 

 runs along the beach a few steps, with wings lifted, as 

 though posing for its picture reflected in the water. 

 Here are the sanderling and the marbled godwit, stand- 

 ing by a mass of dead kelp ; the western willet goes 

 whirling by ; and among others you may recognise the 

 tattler, spotted sandpiper, black turnstone,and several fine 

 plovers ; not all seen in one day, perhaps, but adding to 

 the attractions of some wandering trip along-shore. 



At San Clemente, Santa Catalina, and other islands 

 you may see a variety of sea birds, attractive if not 

 game, those which affect the island rocks and have no 

 interest in the sands. 



The best places for shore birds are where there are 

 long stretches of beach and sand, behind which are 

 pools and sea swamps, which afford mud flats for such 

 birds to feed upon. Here one may see the great blue 

 heron, the least bittern, and at times, farther in, the 

 wood ibis, that has a penchant for barley fields and roll- 

 ing mesas near the sea. 



The caftons that reach away from the ocean afford 

 fascinating nooks and corners for birds of many kinds, as 

 here the valley quail comes almost to the beach ; and 

 around Santa Monica and the Malibu I have seen the 

 great California vulture or condor, that nests in this 



