. The birds of Virginia . and Peru; casual in Xewfoundland, Paraguay, and Chile;accidental in Great Britain. There was a time some fifteen or eighteen years agowhen this shore bird was one of the common breeding birdsall over Virginia, but of late years it has becomemore scarce each season, until it has entirely disappearedon the James River Peninsula as a breeder, and but fewjjair still breed on the Eastern Shore, and in PrincessAnne County. During the migrations a few pair are nowseen in the plowed fields and pasture land, while now andthen a small flock on the beaches and flats, a remnant o
. The birds of Virginia . and Peru; casual in Xewfoundland, Paraguay, and Chile;accidental in Great Britain. There was a time some fifteen or eighteen years agowhen this shore bird was one of the common breeding birdsall over Virginia, but of late years it has becomemore scarce each season, until it has entirely disappearedon the James River Peninsula as a breeder, and but fewjjair still breed on the Eastern Shore, and in PrincessAnne County. During the migrations a few pair are nowseen in the plowed fields and pasture land, while now andthen a small flock on the beaches and flats, a remnant ofa once plentiful bird with us. The farmers tell me,Many years ago one could find two or three pair nestingin e-^ery field on their farms, but nowadays they seldomeven hear one the year round. They do, however,migrate in greater numbers, and breed sparingly furtherinland. They are a pleasing, though noisy, bird to havearound the farm, and they do a great deal of good bygathering worms and insects from the fields. They are. .w .nf^ u.^^^- PIPING PLOVER OF VIRGINIA 75 exceptionally active birds on their legs, and one can followan unstartled bird all over a field many times, the birdrunning ahead some thirty to fifty feet, all the whilegathering up insects at each interval of stopping. The nest is placed in some open field, pasture or cornfield, a slight depression in the ground, with a few strawsor blades of grass as a lining. The eggs number three tofour, and are pyriform in shape. The ground color whenfresh a beautiful light olive buff, heavily blotched andspotted with black. Size, The birds winteringwith us are presumably northern birds, while our breedingbirds migrate further southward. Only one brood aseason, the young, like all the shore birds, leaving the nestalmost as soon as being hatched. Fresh eggs- May 20thto June 1st. The great amount of grasshoppers, locusts,beetles, earthworms, caterpillars and other insects, eaten bythese birds should jjlace them at the
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1913
