The Specialist Loses Control 315 



marsh. If our specialist could have held out for a few more 

 days it would have been safe. 



I went to the little trickle that had remained unfrozen, 

 and although I looked the whole space over and returned to 

 it twice in the course of my jaunt, the second bird was not 

 there. It was not until I passed the canoehouse that I saw a 

 bittern walking along the banks which, when they had been 

 frozen, had treated the former resident so inhospitably. But 

 now much open water was about and the remaining ice was 

 soft and rapidly melting. The rushes and grasses were free. 

 There were many places where an enterprising bittern could 

 take food, for in normal times there was no more productive 

 area in the marsh. I had never seen a time when a bittern did 

 not occupy this spot. There must have been much strife over 

 its possession. Perhaps the dead bird had often defended it 

 against the very bird which had moved from the creek and 

 occupied the territory as soon as it could be done without 

 opposition. The new occupant would have no difficulty from 

 now on. 



The old tenant had been eliminated but a new bird was 

 now in control. For though there was much snow present, 

 spring rushed irresistibly on. I noticed that the willow tips 

 were turning a yellow-green and that the buds were fat. I 

 knew that the Indian plum would be blooming within two 

 weeks and that swallows would be seen on the bay in March. 

 Then in the weeks which followed our bittern would be 

 seeking a companion from the returning migrants and again 

 the marsh would be full of the "stake-driving" chant of the 

 mated birds. 



END 



