TUB OOLOGIST 



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Nesting of the Killdeer near Stam- 

 ford, Ct. 



June 11th, 1912, broke clear and hot, 

 a perfect day for a collecting trip. 

 Soon after day break I was on my 

 way and by 9 a. m. had reached the 

 wilder country back of Long Ridge, 

 some eight miles north of Stamford. 



The day's hunt was started along 

 the Mianus river, a beautiful stream 

 which winds its way for miles through 

 great virgin hemlocks which keep the 

 temperature down and at the same 

 time boost up the spirits of one who 

 enjoys the glories of nature. I first 

 visited a nest of the Louisiana water 

 thrush, from which I had taken a 

 fine set of five well incubated eggs 

 on May 24th. There was no second 

 set awaiting me however. This nest 

 was placed under the over-hanging 

 roots on the bank of a small brook 

 near the river and was well set in so 

 as to be completely protected from 

 rain or anything dropping from above. 

 Dead leaves served as a foundation, 

 the remainder of the nest being entire- 

 ly of fine grasses and roots. Placed 

 exactly one foot above the water and 

 about the same distance from the top 

 of bank. 



After examining this nest I started 

 through some thickets to the north 

 east of the river and had not gone 

 far before I came upon a huge Black 

 snake encircled around a Wood 

 thrush's nest. The snake was suck- 

 ing the life blood of the last nestling, 

 who was still weakly struggling for 

 its life; when a blow from my axe 

 put an end to the tragedy. The en- 

 tire morning was spent in these 

 thickets without finding anything of 

 note. 



About 1 p.m. I was greatly sur- 

 prised to see a Killdeer fly across the 

 road in front of me and settle close 

 by in a field of thin, stunted grain. 

 As I approached, the bird became 



very much excited and acted as 

 though there was a nest close by. 

 After two hours I succeeded in find- 

 ing the four badly incubated eggs. It 

 took me days to save them, but they 

 are the pride of my collection. The 

 nest was fully five hundred feet from 

 where the bird first attracted my at- 

 tention. This was probably the male 

 endeavoring to lead me away and I 

 admit that he succeeded for a con- 

 sidrable time. The nest was placed 

 upon a slight rise in the ground and 

 consisited of a collection of bulbous 

 roots, pieces of bone and small stones 

 raked into a two-inch hollow in the 

 sod. 



Both birds played the broken wing 

 trick and at the same time gave vent 

 to mournful screams and notes of 

 alarm. The female was by far the 

 bravest of the two birds, allowing me 

 to approach within fifteen feet of her. 

 The male never came closer than fifty 

 feet. 



I found the nest by allowing the 

 female to settle. Then I would walk 

 rapidly toward the spot where she 

 had disappeared into the grass. Each 

 time I came closer to the spot and 

 finally after a great many tries, I saw 

 the four beauties about ten feet to 

 my right. The eggs measure as fol- 

 lows: 1.51x1.10, 1.50x1.12, 1.49x1.12, 

 and 1.45x1.13. 



The Kildeer arrives here about 

 March 25th, when it may be seen 

 singly or in pairs, but I have never 

 observed it in flecks during the spring 

 migration. The birds probably arrive 

 mated, which would explain this fact. 

 What they eat in the early spring, 

 before the snow leaves the ground, 

 would indeed be interesting to know, 

 as it must be a far different diet from 

 their summer fare of grasshoppers and 

 earth worms. 



What records are there of the Kill- 

 deer breeding in Fairfield county? 



