The Fish Hawks of Gardiner's Island 



i55 





FISH HAWK RETURNING TO NEST 



to build a new nest on the 



nearly horizontal trunk of the 



tree at its junction with the 



stump, to which it was still 



slightly attached ; but as fast as 



the sticks were brought they fell 



to the ground a few feet below 



where a pile of them bore testi- 

 mony to the birds' failure to 



comprehend the new conditions 



by which they were confronted. 

 Eggs are not laid until seven 



or eight weeks after the birds' 



arrival from the south ; a delay 



which, in view of the abundant 



(formerly, at least) food supply it 



is difficult to explain. The pe- 

 riod of incubation is said to be 



four weeks, June 2, being the 



earliest date on which I have 



found young. 



The young are in the nest about six weeks. So far as I have observed, 



they are under the immediate care of the female who is almost constantly with 



them while the male occupies 

 a perch near by. While both 

 birds whistle shrilly when one 

 is near the nest, it is excep- 

 tional for them to make any 

 show of defending their young 

 by actual attack. I have 

 never been threatened by the 

 beach-nesting birds, but one 

 which occupied a tree dove 

 at me repeatedly when I 

 climbed to the nest, coming 

 uncomfortably near at each 

 swoop. 



The young are reared on 

 the restricted diet of their par- 

 ent-, and so far as my obser- 

 vations go the fish is captured 

 and brought to the nest by 

 fish hawk RETURNING to xest the male, usually after he has 



