. Pictures of bird life : on woodland meadow, mountain and marsh . there keep Aery nuicli to the neighbourhood of theparticular part selected by tliem. any intrusion into wliiclicauses a great commotion and excitement. Tlie Spoonbillsand Herons fly off at once, and when sitting liard leavetheir nests Avith some reluctance : but tlie (tuIIs and Terns,Avitli harsh cries and angry protests, flock round the tres-passer as soon as he approaches tlieir nesting-place ; nor dothev cease tlieir scolding for a moment as loim as he is made to understand immistakably that he has nobusiness ther
. Pictures of bird life : on woodland meadow, mountain and marsh . there keep Aery nuicli to the neighbourhood of theparticular part selected by tliem. any intrusion into wliiclicauses a great commotion and excitement. Tlie Spoonbillsand Herons fly off at once, and when sitting liard leavetheir nests Avith some reluctance : but tlie (tuIIs and Terns,Avitli harsh cries and angry protests, flock round the tres-passer as soon as he approaches tlieir nesting-place ; nor dothev cease tlieir scolding for a moment as loim as he is made to understand immistakably that he has nobusiness there, and that his presence is deeply haAe been sometimes fairly mobbed by ]51ack Terns in Bird Life in Dutch Marshes their mioTy excitement at my presence so near tlieir freslilyhatched yoiino-. Sometimes their nests are substantiallyl)uilt in shahow water, similar to those seen in thesouth of Spain. Hut in the deeper waters which generallypre^■ail tliey adoi)t other methods, and lay their verydark, pointed eggs, without any attempt at a nest, on. Isesi or AvocKT {Rccurvirtstra avucetta). the Boating masses of reed-stems, scum, and rubbish ofall kinds whicli accimiulates, and gradually forms a kindof floating island, in which seeds of various marsh plantsand flowers s})ring up and grow luxuriantly. In suchplaces perhaps a dozen nests may be seen, sometimesalone, but often in company with Connnon Terns. At 2o4< Pictures of Bird Life other times they will lay on tlie heaps of cut reeds at theedffes of the channels. On returning to their nests, wliich they will do whensitting while you are watching them from a \ery shortdistance, they have a pretty way of remaining for a secondor two witli their fully expanded wings in an uprightposition before finally closing them. In this attitude theyhave a particularly dainty and fascinating appearance. Theyappear to feed their young on dragon-flies, which naturally,in sucli an expanse of marsh, are exceedingly abundant. Bla
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectbirdspi, bookyear1903
