. Bird lore . ecoast country. General Notes.—In the office of the National Association of AudubonSocieties it had long been feared that the Reddish Egret had become extinctas a breeding bird within the borders of the United States. It was, therefore,a delightful surprise to the writer to discover on June 20, 191S, a colony of (306) Herons of the United States 307 these interesting birds on the Second Chain-of-Islands, lying between MesquiteBay and San Antonio Bay, Texas. This was at a spot about twenty milesnorth and east of Rockford. These islands were at that time twelve innumber and all sma
. Bird lore . ecoast country. General Notes.—In the office of the National Association of AudubonSocieties it had long been feared that the Reddish Egret had become extinctas a breeding bird within the borders of the United States. It was, therefore,a delightful surprise to the writer to discover on June 20, 191S, a colony of (306) Herons of the United States 307 these interesting birds on the Second Chain-of-Islands, lying between MesquiteBay and San Antonio Bay, Texas. This was at a spot about twenty milesnorth and east of Rockford. These islands were at that time twelve innumber and all small, the largest being not over two acres in of all the islands along that coast, they were composed of mud,sand, and oyster shells. They were covered more or less with stuntedmesquite, yucca, and prickly pear cactus. Nearly all were occupiedby breeding birds. Nests of the Reddish Egrets and various other Herons were scatteredeverywhere among the cactus and other bushes, at heights varying from. REDDISH EGRETS IN THE ROOKERY ON SECOND CHAIN-OF-ISLANDS, GULF COAST OF TEXAS. YOUNG LOUISIANA HERONS ON NEST IN LOWER LEFT-HAND CORNER Photographed by William L. and Irene Finley eight inches to seven feet from the ground. Of the Reddish Egrets, it wasestimated there were 1,250 pairs in the colony. Many nests contained fouror five blue eggs, and numerous young were running about in the bushes oralong the narrow beaches. Two years later, on June 21, 1920, I again visited this group of islands, thistime in company with Mr. and Mrs. William L. Finley. The heavy growth ofcactus and thorny bushes had largely disappeared, leaving only a few deadmesquites. Most of the nests, therefore, were built on the ground or on driftmatter carried in by the sea. On one island many were built on wild sunflowerplants at heights varying from one to three feet from the ground. The islandhad also been greatly reduced in size by the ravages of storm-tides. Onlysix of the islands were this year
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectbirds, booksubjectorn
