. 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 Western Willet their divinity, and who by their very devotion lulled the fears of that sleepy genius, I got quite decently near, say, within thirty feet of my object- ive. The fog just then was rolling in inter- mittently off the ocean, although it was high noon, and at times birds and photographer nearly lost sight of each other. By dint of sacrificing a pair of trousers, the photographer managed to keep low on the local horizon, and although
. 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 Western Willet their divinity, and who by their very devotion lulled the fears of that sleepy genius, I got quite decently near, say, within thirty feet of my object- ive. The fog just then was rolling in inter- mittently off the ocean, although it was high noon, and at times birds and photographer nearly lost sight of each other. By dint of sacrificing a pair of trousers, the photographer managed to keep low on the local horizon, and although the Willet showed some concern, he was so-o-o sleepy that he deliberately took chances and napped — under fire, as it were. The shutter, however, got upon the bird's nerves, and by the time of the third offense he edged away in good earnest. Western Willets are of common occurrence during migrations along the coastal marshes of California, and they winter sparingly from Santa Barbara, or even Eureka, southward. At this season they consume worms, "sand fleas" and other crustaceans, and the smaller varieties of shell fish. Bradford Torrey reports having seen thou- sands together in False Bay, and that as recently as 1910; but the ranks of the Willet have been sadly depleted by gun fire and by reduction of breeding areas, so that small flocks, not over a dozen or so, and scattering individuals, are much more common. For the nesting season the Western Willets retire to the more secluded swamps of the interior. So far as reported, they nest nowadays only in Plumas, Modoc, and Lassen counties. I found them nesting very quietly in the swamps bordering Goose Lake in the summer of 1912. Like the Jack-snipe of the same section, the Willets mounted guard on fence-posts and observed the nester's operations with wary dignity. I was unsuccessful in the quest, owing chiefly to disturbed weather condi- tions that year. But Dr. Van Denburgh, more fortunate, has left us a recent acco
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1923
