The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1879-05-23
Many Birds Of Many Kinds.
Cape May Cor. Phil. Times

When frost is about disappearing the fish
hawk Osprey comes among US, the hsr.
binger of good weather and fish for our
tables, but as the bird loves comfort and
dislikes the cold the fish arrive before him.
This hawk secures his food by sailing over
the sea at an elevation of 200 or 300 feet,
until he describes fish beneath hlm, when
he darts like an arrow from that height be-
meath the waves, grasplng his prey in his
talons and rising slowly from the water
with the struggling fish and bearing it away
to his nest on some lone, tall tree in the
pines or fields; there devours it at leisure
or feeds the young. The nests are made
of large tVigs, sticks and branches, and are
80 huge they would fill the bed Of a cart,
and beneath them are large quantities of
fish bones, the remnants from many meals
for the birds occupy the same nests for
years, and are never shot or disturbed by
residents or visiting gunners. The bald
eagle abides among us, but are few in nnm-
ber, while the fsh-hawks are plentiful.
The eagle cannot dive for food, and SO robs
the hawk of its prey. Their mode is to
watch the hawk when fishing, wait until
he arises and then flying at him with
scream cause him to drop his fish, which
the eagle swoops down and seizes, invaria-
bly, before it reaches the water. We have
never witnessed this feat, but have con-
versed with many here who have, and Phil.
Koenig has an eagle in his saloon, shot by
him after it had robbed the hawk and
caught the falling fish.
A BATTLE IN MID AIR.
Standing at the corner of Ocean and
Washington streets one spring, four years
ago, with William Townsend, referred to
above, we saw several eagles and fish-hawks
hawks soaring above near an eagle sudden
ly descend and strike the eagle with its |
beak, repeating the blow many times. The
eagle bore the assault calmly, but was all |
the time gradually ascending in circles.
while suffering these attacks at short inter-
walls. Watching the, to us, novel scene with |
great interest, Mr.. Townsend, to whom it
was nothing new, Informed US that present |
ly the eagle would be SO high that the fish
hawk could not keep above him, as there is |
a limit to their ability in soaring upward it |
seems, and when that point was reached,
and the eagle was above the hawk, then lie
would punish him for his attacks severely. |
We watched them until they had foated
away off towards Sea Grove and the bay
shore and had become mere specks to hu-
man vision, but for want of glasses we did
not see the end of the assault, for it could
hardly be called battle. As long as we
could discern them the eagle was "the un-
der dog in the fight" and the osprey wore
the champion belt" We have witnessed
very small birds, seemingly linnets, attack
md drive crow forward for miles, and
were astonished at their success, and we
read this week of several small birds chas-
ng hawk whose beak and talons, if used,
would have torn the birds to pieces.
Another curious sight here is to see the
arge winter sea-gulls, nearly as large as
domestic geese which they closely resemble
IN the beach, dig up clans from the sand,
bear them 80 to 100 feet in the air, drop
hem on the hard shore at the waters edge
md break the shell and descend and eat
hem leisurely. This we have often viewed;
md if the first fall fails to break, the act is
epeated until fracture takes place. These
,irds are web-footed, but have powerful,
,ointed, slightly-hooked bills.