. The birds of Virginia . reeds probably throughout its range. This is the next bird to become extinct on our Virginiacoast, for it is truly a scarce bird now. Formerly it wasfairly plentiful all along the coastal, and island sandybeaches, but of late years it has become so scarce that noneof our islands can boast of over one or two pair of breed-mg birds, some not that. This large, showy bird fell aneasy mark to the spring gunners, breeding as it did duringthe height of the spring migration of beach birds, fromMay 10th to 25th. ISTesting among the sand dunes orflat beaches back from the ocean
. The birds of Virginia . reeds probably throughout its range. This is the next bird to become extinct on our Virginiacoast, for it is truly a scarce bird now. Formerly it wasfairly plentiful all along the coastal, and island sandybeaches, but of late years it has become so scarce that noneof our islands can boast of over one or two pair of breed-mg birds, some not that. This large, showy bird fell aneasy mark to the spring gunners, breeding as it did duringthe height of the spring migration of beach birds, fromMay 10th to 25th. ISTesting among the sand dunes orflat beaches back from the ocean, over which the springgunners tramped daily, these birds were right in the lineof travel, so to speak, and were either killed, or their nestsbroken up. As they laid only from two to three eggs asetting, the increase has been less than decrease, and theyhave become fewer and fewer year after year. It was mygood fortime to find on Fishermans Island on June 22nd,1900, a set of four eggs of this species, the only set of this. mo < O H o OF VIRGINIA 81 size I have ever heard of. They an-ive about April 18thand depart early in September. The nest is only a slighthollow in the sandy beach or sand dune, around which isgenerally gathered a few bits of beach shell. The birdsmake large footprints, and many well-trodden paths leadto their nests, making them rather easily located, especi-ally after incubation has commenced. The eggs are abeautiful shade of creamy buff, blotched and spotted withdark brown and faint lines of lavender. Size, one setting a season. Its food consists of mussels,manoes, snails, worms, shrimps and small crabs, whilemany insects are also eaten by them. 82 THE BIRDS
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1913
