. The birds of California : a complete, scientific and popular account of the 580 species and subspecies of birds found in the state. Birds; Birds. The Snowy Plover tide, and the unheeding step. The last-named operates by the laws of chance, with dangers ever increasing in proportion as humans throng the beaches. A pitiful remnant of a once flourishing colony still main- tains itself within the city limits of Santa Barbara, at a point where thousands of people pass daily. The tide, acting in conjunction with the wind, visits a colony with sudden devastation almost every season, and sometimes o
. The birds of California : a complete, scientific and popular account of the 580 species and subspecies of birds found in the state. Birds; Birds. The Snowy Plover tide, and the unheeding step. The last-named operates by the laws of chance, with dangers ever increasing in proportion as humans throng the beaches. A pitiful remnant of a once flourishing colony still main- tains itself within the city limits of Santa Barbara, at a point where thousands of people pass daily. The tide, acting in conjunction with the wind, visits a colony with sudden devastation almost every season, and sometimes overwhelms it in implacable succession. The wind is a more constant enemy, but with this the bird is probably able to cope. I once found a nest containing three eggs, of which only one, and that one for the space of only a fingernail's breadth, was visible. Taken in Santa Barbara Photo by the Author DUTY HALF DONE THE BIRD IS STILL TOO FEARFUL OF THE CAMERA TO COVER HER EGGS PROPERLY above the drifted sand. Leaving them undisturbed and returning two days later, I found the eggs fully exposed and the clam-shell flagging completely restored. How did the bird accomplish this? By prying up the buried treasures? or by removing the unwelcome accumulation beakful by beakful? I could not tell; but a more favorable opportunity offering elsewhere, I first assisted nature by lifting sand into the air by handfuls and letting the wind almost bury the eggs, and then retired to cover to watch the outcome. The female had evidently been sitting all day, for she was glad of a respite and made no feints at returning. She summoned her mate and played with him along the placid margin of the bottled Beale lagoon, then took a bath in its shallows. After this they pattered, as by a preconcerted movement, to the shelter of a sand hummock, where they "wiped" vigorously and elaborately. The return was so delayed 1320. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may
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Photo credit: © Library Book Collection / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1923
