The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-10-06
SEA BIRDS IN GALES.
PANIC AMONG THE WILD FOWL AT
THE APPROACH OF A STORM.

Instinct Seems to Warn Them, and They
Soon Seek Places of Refuge-Soms-
times, However, They Are Too Far Out
at Sea to Get Back in Time.
The heavy storms of the sea trouble
not the ships which sail upon its waters,
but the many sea birds that live and
float upon the stormy Atlantic are
greatly disheartened and frightened by
the furious anger of old Neptune.
Along the rocky coasts Of New Eng
land or the sandy reefs of the southern
states, the fiocks of sea fowl denote the
approaching storm by wild and I'M
earthly cries, which latter mingle with
the roar of the surf and the wash of the
rain and spray.
Far out at sea the birds utter wild
cries of alarm when the ocean begins to
darken and the wind to moan across the
expansive waste of waters, and with all
The speed possible they fly toward some
point of land to escape the danger. The
few which are caught in the storm, far
from the land, make the wild screaming
of the storm more horrible by their
piteous cries and excited calls. Washed
hither and thither by the relentless
storm, they fly around in hopeless
search for some harbor of retreat
Should the light Of some passing vessel
or the flash light of some warning light
house attract their attention they are
lured on to danger far greater than
that experienced from the waves and
winds.
Storms do not always warn the birds
in time to permit them to reach the
shore. The terms, petrels, gulls, ducks
and other sea fowl may be far from
shore, skimming over the sea in graceful
sweeps when coast storm suddenly
comes out of the northwest. At the first
sign of such change in the weather,
the birds invariably seek some harbor Of
safety, but if the storm shuts them out
from the coast they are forced to fly
around in focks until accident leads
them to safe retreat. Sea fowl at such
times flock together, and a lost company
may number thousands of birds, repre-
senting a heterogeneous collection of all
the species of sea birds.
Such motley collections frequently
dash against the lighthouse Of some ex-
posed point, where hundreds Of their
number are killed by the collision.
Ocean steamers serve as an allurement
for them, and they follow the lightof the
vessels as moth does a candle light. If
not attracted by any light, the birds fly
around until exhausted by their exer-
tions, or until the storm abates. During
prolonged storms thousands of lost sea
fowl are destroyed upon the ocean
through their inability to reach land or
to outride the furious gales. While a
large proportion of the flock would
eventually succumb to the fury of the
wind and waves, there are many others
that would show their marvellous pow
ers in outriding the storm.
To fly against gale that is blowing
at the rate of forty or fifty miles an hour
would require bones of iron and muscles
of steel, and the lost birds very rarely
succeed in holding their own in such a
storm. They buffet with the gale
bravely, circling around and around to
make Roadway against it, but in time
they are swept far out to sea. The
waves offer no resting place for them
and they are forced to trust entirely to
their wings for safety. After heavy
storms of several days the terms and
petrels have been found q thousand
miles from the shore, weak and almost
dead from their exertions.
Others have been discovered floating
on the water dead, the black and blue
patches on their bodies telling the terri
BILE story Of strain and hopeless exertion.
They fought bravely against the adverse
elements and only succumbed after a
long battle. Incoming vessels have
brought solitary sea fowl that would
light upon the masts of the ships when
completely exhausted after fighting
against the storms. This welcome place
of rest Is secured despite all presence Of
danger from the passengers.
Floating spars and wrecks have been
the means Of saving the lives of such
lost birds. They would float on them
for hours or days until they became
thoroughly rested from their labors, and
then they would begin their long jour
ney toward some shore at the first favor
able opportunity. Their instinct at such
times is unerring, and they generally
make for the nearest point of land, al
though it may be hundreds of miles
away and they are completely turned
around. It may be, however, that they
take their bearings from the sun while
they are floating upon their temporary
restless buoys.
Nearly all of the sea birds like TO keep
out to sea, and in the north Of Ireland
there is an old rhyme current which in
dicates that the gulls only approach the
shore when driven in by storm or by
the warnings of a heavy gale. The
couplet reads:
Sea gull, sea gull, sit on the sand,
It's never fine weather when you come 80 land.
When the storm approaches the long,
sharp whistling of the curlews, the wild
cries Of the sea gulls and the sharp, pierre
ing screams of the terms announce that
danger is at hand. The sea grows rest
less and choppy. An occasional puff Of
wind will moan across the water and
force whitecaps into motion. The birds
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