The Hudsonian Curlew 





Taken near Sanla Barbara 



Left to themselves, the 

 Curlews will often while away 

 a month or so at a given 

 station, even though they 

 have hailed from Alaska and 

 are bound for Ecuador. At 

 such times they seem to be 

 really resting up after the 

 ardors of intense domestic 

 experience, crowded at times 

 into a period of six weeks, 

 in the high North, and the 

 labors incident to a journey 

 the first leg of which has 



, , , .. ALARM 



already measured 2000 miles. 



The Curlews deploy, then, upon the dry sands of the upper beach and 

 either potter about on listless lookout for passing insects, or else squat 

 upon the sand, tuck bill under wing, and lose themselves in dreams. 

 There is always at least one wary fellow on guard, however, and let but 

 the smallest appearance of motion, be it only a khaki hat, break the purity 

 of the sky line among the attendant sand dunes, and a quaver of warning 

 puts the scattered flock on guard. Sleepy heads are stealthily withdrawn ; 

 the birds rise slowly and begin to creep toward their leader, their neutral- 

 colored bodies scarcely distinguishable against the background of sand ; 

 and all meanwhile scanning the horizon for the danger sign. If the 

 alarm spreads, all run down the beach slope for a quick take-off, pass over 

 the surf line, and then parallel the shore with moderate, firm wing-strokes 

 until a safe distance has been reached. 



The major portion of the Curlews' fare is also served on the beaches. 

 Although they do sometimes glean at the water's edge, they are fonder of 

 following the drift line where the Talicrid amphipods have burrowed in 

 the sand. These sand-fleas are secured not alone on the surface by agile 

 pursuit, but they are haled from their sandy lairs. The Curlew does not 

 bolt his prey on faith, but he flings it down upon the beach for a glance 

 of inspection. The crustacean promptly attempts to decamp, and the 

 bird plays cat-and-mouse with it until it is subdued, or possibly until it is 

 shaken free of sand, before he will condescend to swallow it. The general 

 scene of these spirited operations bears witness after the birds have fled, 

 for the sand is stippled by the proddings of a thousand beak-strokes. 

 Other food — seeds, berries, grasshoppers and other insects — is secured 

 about the brackish lagoons; and in the alternation of these pursuits there 

 is never wanting variety in the Curlew day. 



Photo by the A ulhor 



1287 



