SAOT3 DUNES AND SALT MARSHES 



has similar habits and song, but can be dis- 

 tingmshed by its slightly larger size and by 

 its buffy and faintly striped breast. 



The Savannah sparrow, already described 

 in the chapter on dune birds, is a common 

 frequenter of the marsh and one that breeds 

 in the same situations chosen by the sharp- 

 tail. Its famous cousin, the Ipswich sparrow, 

 very rarely strays marshward, and when it 

 does its gray, sandy-colored plinnage is very 

 noticeable. 



Besides those already mentioned the list of 

 land birds that visit the salt marshes is like 

 that of the plants, somewhat limited. The 

 marsh hawk, with its long tail and flashing 

 white rump, frequently sails close to the sur- 

 face, and rarely the short-eared owl may be 

 seen there. The kingfisher— almost a water 

 bird— is often there, and, in the absence of 

 dead trees or of masts of boats, watches for 

 its prey from the marsh bank. The crow and 

 all the swallow tribe are very fond of the salt 

 marshes, while the meadowlark, bobolink, 

 red-winged blackbirds and grackles are as 

 much at home there as in the upland meadows. 

 The kingbird, robin, and song sparrow, the 

 pipit, horned lark and, rarely, the snow bun- 



250 



