| Show A STUDY IN BIRD LIFE on friday morning last through the courtesy of sanitary inspector peter knudson the writer in company with several other gentlemen had the pleasure ot of visiting the knudson bros shooting grounds west of this city I 1 about tour four miles and ot of wading about among among the and rushes and seeing how the wild water fowl as well as almost every other kind of bird known to this section hatches its young it was necessary at times to wade in wa water f er up to the thighs but clad as wo we we were re la in a pair of old trousers and an old od pair of shoes the experience I 1 of paddling about in the water was most delightful elight ful and the sight beheld I in ili t the h e rookery rob kery was something that every lover of animal life or things thai that hasure nature does should experience just once in their lives it seems that the great field of and bull rushes which cover the marshes down there have been appropriated by the various fowl for a nesting ground that is to say the I 1 i ducks are by themselves but black j snipe white crane grey crane bittern A are re good enough comrades to mingle together and make their nests in a urge large section away some distance 1 from the ducks nesting grounds the ithe rb rookery okery as mr air knudson termed the oace place where the various birds have established their spring homes I 1 in common can easily be located from j a distance by the mass of snipe crane and other birds that constantly hover lover over ii it I 1 the exploration party embarked in one odthe firms boats and paddled gaily down through the marshes I 1 following theolen the open winding water way thru the heavy growth of and rushes every member of the party alert tor for the lazy carp which eh inhabit those waters in great numbers at this time of the year and when one of thosa big fellows was espied lying with his back all but showing above hisae of aize arif tr imme al 4 there was a great splash as each man leaped into the water and made tor for the fish with a pitchfork lucky indeed was the slothful carp that saved his neck from the onslaught for lu the great majority of cases the first thing he knew he was wriggling and twisting on the tines of the fork finally the rookery roo kery was reached pushing the boat well up into the rushes to prevent it straying off we dis embarked and made our w way ay thru the tangled mass of water growth to the place where the birds circled overhead so tall are the I 1 I 1 rushes at this time of the year that I 1 idith with a man standing in water up to his hips he is just about half as high as the rushes which made it impossible to see ahead but the swarming mass of birds overhead served ats aa guide to the spot when we got into the edge of the rookery hundreds there may have been thousands of members of the feathery tribe rose into the air with wild scree screeches chis frightened at the approach of the enemy and doing all that lay in their power to make the invader understand that he was treading on forbidden precincts A glance about in the rushes revealed the reason nets ev ery where some with eggs not yet hatched others with two or three little bird babies just out of the shell with more eggs yet to hatch and the writer happened on one where all the eggs were whole except one which had a tiny piece of the shell broken away and a little beak was industriously triou sly breaking away more of 0 the shell while the faint peep peep told of a young that was anxious to get out of its close quarters and survey the world from a more extensive alane lane it was indeed a sight and so thick were the nests that one had to watch carefully where he plants his feet for tear fear of treading upon them As we stood there watching the myriad of mothers in the air shrieking at us ug in an endeavor to drive us away somebody asked how each mother could tell her nest A glance about the myriad of nests some of them close to the water others ers in the tops of the rushes here there and everywhere in bewildering profusion the crowd simply let echo answer how howa a nest of younglings young lings newly hatched was approached pro ached immediately there was a craning of necks and an opening of mouths in anticipation of a teed feed at the rookery as stated many variety of water fowl have a sore of community nesting place and in looking up at the flock in the air one edu I 1 cation in natural history got a very I 1 good brushing up by to on pace bac A stray ah continued from page pace ono no bpck out and name the various species again it was interesting to place the species by looking at the agg a job that came mighty near ov er taxing the knowledge of 0 all members of oc the party the most interesting feature of the hatching aching li grounds was the young groy grey cranes which stumble oft off on their long legs hardly yet strong enough to bear them up but the natural instinct to lee flee from man impelled them to make an attempt at getting away no matter how bow rul the attempt might be the little wren was very much in evidence though the hatching season Is practically over tor for that bird their nests are fastened to the tall dry rushes and in casually glancing at them one would be led to believe that it was waa just a bunch of grass feathers and moss fastened on to the rush stock lor for apparently there was no opening of any kind to the interior of the conglomerated mass of nest material but a more careful elaml examination re regaled ree aled a tiny aperture on the lee side aide from the wind thru which the little korbler enters the nest and when once inside Is practically shut out from the rest of 0 the world protected from wind and weather there to sit in peace and perform the function of developing life in the little eggs the ducks nests are creations of art and comfort carefully lined inside with feathers and down the eggs are deposited in artistic symmetry and the nest Is so constructed that while the mother duck Is away seeking food the eggs are exposed to the warm rays ot of the sun in order that they will not become cool and the ducklings duc klings within die one proud mother with a hustling brood of eleven babies went skimming along the smoothed surface of the water like so many small motor boats convoyed conveyed by a stauncher staunches sta craft for the mother made her babies paddle vigorously ahead of her while she came along in the rear with head erect and nervously thrusting from side to side in order to watch the enemy from all points it was a great experience and the only re gettable thing about it all was waa that not one in the party had had tor for thought enough to bring a camera along there were hundreds ot of subjects for excellent shots an and th the e pictures would have been worth hav ing there Is one of the greatest pro fusions of bird life in those swamps out there that can be found anywhere and it Is a veritable paradise tor for the naturalist incidentally some exciting experience was furnished in spearing carp to feel one of those big fellows allows smash ahead on against your legs down tn in the water gives one a thrill that makes him jump almost out ot of the water it has to be experienced to be appreciated |
