30 



Bulletin of the Michigan Ornithological Club. 



ft Trip to Grassy Island. 



B. H. SWALES 



For several years past I have been in 

 the habit of patting in a few days collect- 

 ing each year, among the marshes border- 

 ing the lower Detroit River. Several of 

 the small islands below the city of Detroit 

 are the summer haunts of a number of 

 wild fowl, and a day among them is to be 

 remembered. Perhaps my most product- 

 ive trips have been to Grassy Island, a 

 long, narrow, half -submerged island lying 

 on the Canadian side of the river. This 



the horizon. The morning carols of the 

 Robin and Oriole were wafted to me from 

 the land, while the sweet, rather plaintive 

 note of the Spotted Sandpiper, and the in- 

 cessant twitter of the Bank Swallows filled 

 one^ heart with quiet joy. ; After a de- 

 lightful sail of about ten miles we reached 

 the north end of the Island, and now our 

 privations began Thousands of alert 

 Black Terns rose in flocks from the sub- 

 merged flags, and showed their extreme 

 disapprobation of our invasion of their 

 sanctum. Now and then one of their 

 white brothers, the Common Tern, would 



Nest of the Prairie Hen. (Photoby t. l. Hankinson.; 



island we usually reached from Wyandotte, 

 or by sail from Detroit. 



Some of my days there I will never for- 

 get, and only those who have had like 

 experience can appreciate the beauties of 

 a lovely June day on the water. Starting 

 as early as we could get our sadly indis- 

 posed eyes to wake, and putting out in our 

 snug little cat boat, we left the reedy 

 recesses of the Rouge. The sun had not 

 yet risen, and the air was so fresh and 

 verdant. The fluttering reeds glistened 

 with dew, and the deep blue of the rapidly 



flowing river drew a thousand reflections 

 from the sun, which began to peep over 

 go by, or alight, and form a land-mark on 

 the distant spiles. The noisy laughter of 

 the Florida Gallinules and Coots gave us 

 due notice that they were present, and 

 that we would not go back unrewarded. 

 Accoidingly we disrobed and stepped into 

 the cold, oozy water, arrayed in about the 

 same unique costume of the style set by 

 Adam. The pain caused by the dry, 

 merciless-cutting flags which cut our bare 

 feet and limbs, greatly impeded our pro- 



