The Semipalmated Plover 
on their own account. One such I saw, a Semipalmated Plover, at 
Sandyland on the 29th day of August, 1911. 'Phis bird suddenly detached 
himself from the company of his fellows and went whistling and cork¬ 
screwing through the air like a paper in a cyclone. The presence of the 
birdman may have been the innocent cause of all this excitement, for as 
often as this mad prophet repassed the main flock, he shrieked at them to 
avoid the wrath to come—but the other birds paid no attention whatever 
to him. 
Semipalmated Plovers are common, but never abundant visitants 
during the fall migrations. Their movement at this season is leisurely, 
and they occupy about two months in passing, from August 15th to 
October 15th, with exceptions of a month or so on either side of these 
dates. There are early accounts of the species wintering at San Diego, 
but none have been seen at that season in a good many years. The 
return movement of spring is much more condensed and purposeful. The 
bulk of the species passes through our borders during the first week in 
May, but again there are exceptions on either side, and a few stragglers, 
as always, linger into June, or else abandon the northern journey outright. 
On a magic day in May, camera-laden, I visited Cavaletto’s Point, 
west of Santa Barbara, and straightway became engrossed with a little 
flock of Semipalmated Plovers. Old hand that I am at the game, I shall 
not soon forget the arduous and delightful hour spent in the company of 
these confiding little gleaners. A thin fog kept rolling up over the scene 
of operations, only to be burnt off again by a sturdy sun. The alternating 
moments of enshrouded mystery and stark revelation would have been 
romantic enough in themselves, but when the chance of a lifted curtain 
might bring one face to face with a gentleman from Peru, the occasion 
was thrilling. The birds fed over the exposed rocks inhabited by the 
near Santa Barbara 
“SUCCEEDED IN WINNING THEIR CONFIDENCE” 
Photo by the A ulhor 
