ALONG THE BEACH 129 



when one would look up and the easily 

 distinguishable notes would continually be 

 heard above those of the other species. 

 On that stretch of sand three piping plover 

 roamed and whistled their pleading notes. 



A wood thrush could not sing against 

 the roar of waves, but such delicious notes 

 as the piping plover calls seem to blend 

 perfectly with the uproar. Here on this 

 tide-worn beach we saw our first flock of 

 ringnecks flying in a compact mass along 

 the pond's edge. Against the roofs and 

 steeples of Tisbury, far back among the 

 distant trees, a long line of black ducks 

 swept past us while a few of the braver 

 ones dived and scattered in Chilmark Pond. 



We found a single egg in its sandy nest, 

 but as there were both least tern and pip- 

 ing plover in the air absolute identification 

 was impossible. 



Where the cliffs first begin to rise from 

 the dunes they are composed of the varied 

 colored clays which give Gay Head its 

 name and fame. Great flocks of sheep 

 roamed the uplands ; robins took the 

 place of sandpipers, while white-breasted 

 bank swallows and red-wing blackbirds 

 were in the air instead of terns. Just be- 

 9 



