202
Falco sparverius, Strepsilas interpres
1875.
Monday
Sept. 27 [September 27, 1875] Clear with very high wind from the
S.W. [Southwest]. Off after breakfast in the wagon
driving up to Smith's point.
On the way saw three small
hawks playing about together in
the air like so many swallows,
circling about, diving down and
chasing one another as if in sport.
One of them came so near that
I distinctly identified the peculiar
markings of Falco sparverius;
the other two may have been
of the same species but they
looked more like F. columbarius [Falco columbarius].
At the point shot three Sterna
hirundo, and a Strepsilas interpres.
The latter bird was feeding in
a large flock of sandlings [sanderlings].
Started a beetlehead and a golden
plover off the mud flats both
of which were too shy to allow
us to get within shot. The view
off Smith's point was grand
in the extreme. As far as the
eye could reach the white combing
crests of huge surges were breaking,
[delete]and[/delete] the position of the numerous
sand bars being marked by a
more than usual commotion of
the waters. On Smith's island
were literally thousands of terns
sitting along the waters edge
and every now and then the
whole vast throng would rise
and after a few whirls settle again