. Wild wings; adventures of a camera-hunter among the larger wild birds of North America on sea and land . gs. I was so busy photo-grajihing during mv short stav that I could not take time towatch protractedlv anv given nests and learn the full sequenceof events, but I should have enjoyed remaining there withthe warden throughout the season, watching the life and pro-gress of the colony. The climate of these sea-girt. Southern keys is not uncom-fortably hot, even in summer, just a delightful, equable con-dition that makes living and sleeping outdoors a constantdelight. The rainy season was app
. Wild wings; adventures of a camera-hunter among the larger wild birds of North America on sea and land . gs. I was so busy photo-grajihing during mv short stav that I could not take time towatch protractedlv anv given nests and learn the full sequenceof events, but I should have enjoyed remaining there withthe warden throughout the season, watching the life and pro-gress of the colony. The climate of these sea-girt. Southern keys is not uncom-fortably hot, even in summer, just a delightful, equable con-dition that makes living and sleeping outdoors a constantdelight. The rainy season was approaching, as occasionalsudden showers had begun to show. But who would mindalternate showers and sunshine under such conditions ! Howa congenial company of lovers of nature could enjoy them-selves upon such an island, studying the birds, watching at ON LONELY BIRD KEY 93 night for the crawHng of the great turtles, bathing in theHmpid waters of the Gulf, upon the warm sandy beach gather-ing curious sea-weeds, bright shells, sponges, and corals,reading, forsooth, — as did my companion aloud to me from. SOOTY TEKN OVER EGG the poems of Longfellow, as we sat at dusk looking out uponthe sea and watched the Man-o-War Birds soar and the ternscome back with edible tidings from afar, — and at night, freefrom insect annoyance, — for there are few mosquitoes onthe Dry Tortugas, — be lulled to slumber on the open porchby the weird cries of the birds ! This is living, indeed ! Had it not been for the Sooty Terns, this lone key wouldhave been a quiet spot. The great Man-o-War Birds, seem- 94 WILD WINGS ingly adapted by nature for stentorian vocal efforts, are prac-tically mutes; the Noddies, also, seem to have no note otherthan a weak little croak. But the Sooties make up for allother lacks with their clarion calls. Even when wholly undis-turbed, their natural nervousness makes it impossible forthem to be quiet. The great host is continually engaged insome alarm. By thousands they se
Size: 1518px × 1645px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookauthorjobh, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectbirds
