. Birds of Massachusetts and other New England states. Birds; Birds. 124 BIRDS OF MASSACHUSETTS This is, in fact, the outer beach, for it lies open to the mighty seas of southeaster that drive in from six thousand miles of ocean. Here the Least Tern nests usually on the wide, open, sandy beach, on a neck of land or point between the ocean and some stream, bay or pond, in situations exposed to the full fury of the gale. This beach is composed entirely of shifting sand and small pebbles held along its low ridge by beach-grass and other sparse vegetation. Very high storm-tides break clear over it
. Birds of Massachusetts and other New England states. Birds; Birds. 124 BIRDS OF MASSACHUSETTS This is, in fact, the outer beach, for it lies open to the mighty seas of southeaster that drive in from six thousand miles of ocean. Here the Least Tern nests usually on the wide, open, sandy beach, on a neck of land or point between the ocean and some stream, bay or pond, in situations exposed to the full fury of the gale. This beach is composed entirely of shifting sand and small pebbles held along its low ridge by beach-grass and other sparse vegetation. Very high storm-tides break clear over it. Here, on the bar- ren, seaward sands, in the blinding glare of the sun, without the least cover and exposed to every enemy, this graceful little bird, about the size of a robin, lays its eggs on the sand and rears its tender young. As we landed that day, a few of the little terns began to fly about, thirty or forty feet above our heads, "cheeping" complainingly; and by the time we had reached a wide, high, open part of the outer beach, bare of vegetation, fully thirty birds were fly- ing overhead. With angry cries some of them shot down almost to our heads fearful that their eggs and young were in imminent danger. Menaced indeed they were unless we used the utmost care as we walked, for the color of both eggs and young so closely resembled the sandy beach or the scattered pebbles that it was exceedingly difficult to see them. For this reason they are ever in danger of being stepped on when people walk upon the beach. Usually there were but one or two eggs in each hollow, but occa- jy^ £= sionally three. The tiny young squatted or lay so flat on the sand that they hardly cast a shadow. Some were yellowish or about the color of the sand, while others were gray and mottled like a beach pebble. This is the simplest form of protective coloration, and as the young ones lie motionless on the least alarm, they are likely Half-grown Least Tern ^ be overlooked by hawks
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Keywords: ., bookauthorforb, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, booksubjectbirds
