. Birds of America;. Birds -- North America. 62 BIRDS OF AMERICA sometimes builds a substantial nest of sticks, seaweed, and grasses, placing it just above higb- water mark along the beach. At times it nests in thick grass on high islands, and on the Magda- len Islands Maynard found it breeding on the tops of grass-topped rocks 200 feet above the sea. The eggs are commonly laid in May or June but many are deposited as late as July. In New England, however, most of the young are able to fly early in August; and then the families join in flocks, leave their breeding places and forage over the co
. Birds of America;. Birds -- North America. 62 BIRDS OF AMERICA sometimes builds a substantial nest of sticks, seaweed, and grasses, placing it just above higb- water mark along the beach. At times it nests in thick grass on high islands, and on the Magda- len Islands Maynard found it breeding on the tops of grass-topped rocks 200 feet above the sea. The eggs are commonly laid in May or June but many are deposited as late as July. In New England, however, most of the young are able to fly early in August; and then the families join in flocks, leave their breeding places and forage over the country. At this sea- son and in September some of them frequently go up the rivers and sometimes to inland ponds, where they probably find small fry in the warm waters. In fishing they usually fly with the bill pointing downward, and, when they observe their i)rey, dive like a flash to the surface, often immersing the head but seldom going entirely under water. Several naturalists have followed the lead of Giraud in asserting that this liird. though web- footed, never dives and rarely swims, appearing to avoid the water, except as it is obliged to descend to the surface to procure food. It is true that it does not, like Gulls, rest often on the surface but in hot weather near its breeding grounds small parties may be seen floating on the waves bathing and throwing the spray about with the abandon and enjoyment of the true waterfowl â and they swim exceedingly well. These birds are useful to the fishermen as they serve to mark the presence of schools of edible fish. These fish drive the small fry to the sur- face, the telescopic eyes of the Terns mark the disturbance from afar and when the fishermen see the gathering, plunging flocks they put of? i^'0Z^^^^<^^^?^;. 1 C> riiMin (I. ]â ;. ,,ra .,y ,,i N,,i A ,.., .\i,a, EGGS OF COMMON TERN A hollow in the sand, a few bits of grass and dry seaweed, and the nest is ready for the three eggs in their buiits
Size: 1664px × 1501px
Photo credit: © Library Book Collection / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookauthorpearsont, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, bookyear1923
