The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1894-08-11
FISH HAWKS ANo THEA NESTS
A curious study In Natural History
Along thr Jersry Coast.

Peepie who visit the northern coast
counties of New Jersey In summer are
struck with the curious. bulky nests OF
the fish hawks, which are so common
In that locality. These nests are about
three feet ncross and about two feet
deep, and are nothing more or less
than big heap of brush or dead
branches. The hawks are protected
in these counties by the impression
that they bring good luck, so that no
one would think of even so nuch as
throwing q stone at one OF the Dig
birds, much less shoot at one.
There Is 10 sign of spring so salts
factory to farmers along the coast aS
the coming of the fish hawks. The
coming and going of these birds are
peculiar. You get up some morning
in April and they are here. AFTER
their young are hatched and grown up
ii is October. and YOU get up some
morning and find them gone. The same
birds come back year after year. ana
they occupy the same most, when al
ways needs a bit of rebuilding ana oc-
cupics the birds for few weeks.
1t is generally believed that there Is
a law protecting fish hawks, but II Is
a mistake. There Is an unwrttcn law,
boy Is told that he must not disturb
the birds. and he does not. The good
| treatment that the hawks have recelv-
| ed has made them so tame that their
nests arc built in dooryards and by
| the roadsides, and the naturally tim.d
| birds have no fear of mankind. The
| fish hawk Is found along many of the
inland waters of the State, but 1t Is
| impossible to get near thcm, and 1t Is
| n rare thing to find nest. They are
| the shyest Of birds IN these places
| Years ago the fisher folk along the
cost used to think that Il fish hawk
| built Its nest on ones land 1T was an
omen of good luck. and that success
would certainly follow him in what
ever pursuit he should undertake, ana
although there is less of such feeling
now, those who own property on which
the hawks build welcome them in the
spring as an old acquaintance and look
| anXiously for their coming as soon as
the winter breaks.
Fish hawks get their entire fc sup
| ply from the water. Their eyes are
| so constructed that even at great
! heights they can see fish that swim
| near the surface. and then dive with
| lightning speed. The fish is caught In
the claws. and is taken to the nest OF
tile bird before being eaten. The writer
| has seen a hawk make u mistake and
catch hard crab. and when the crab
| got both his big claws fairly at work
| on the tender part of the birds legs
there was somewhat of shaking and
| diving in the air to get rid of the crab,
but it is not often they get fooled. 1t
| Is generally all IN their favor. A hawk
| will fly away with big eel wriggling
in its claws that 4 man could not hold
thirty seconds with both hands. The
hawks sometimes. however, Will dive
| at things they do not want. and
thing occurred few years ago which
is worth telling.
A steamer was passing Seahri-ht. 1t
was a big coaster from Savannah to
| New York, and lady on board lost
| overheard Il handsome and valuable
| lace shawl. which floated away after
! striking the water. The passengers,
being interested. watched the shawl
MS far as they could see It, and finally
| saw fish hawk dive at 1t. get it fast
in his claws, and fly inland with it.
The lady was very much put out at
losing the article and advertised re-
| ward for the same. A linelnan took q
notion he could get the shawl after
hearing the circumstances. and with
his spurs he started to pay a visit to
every fish hawks nest in the county
Immediately back of Seabright. The
shawl was found hanging on the side
Of nest on the Lewis White farm,
near Little Silver. What the hawk
wanted wifi, tile shawl is hard to tell,
for hawks use no such thing in build
ing their nests.
The top of fish hawks nest is as
rough as tho sides. and without any
depression: the eggs would roll off but
that the top Of the nest is too rough
for them to move. The tameness of
the hawks has in many eases made
them nuisance. They build on tele-
phonc poles. on chimneys and cupolas
Of houses. and 1t Is sometimes neces.
; gary to construct cupolas so they can
not get any landing place. for the
hawks do not mind in tle least having
their nests torn up. They build again
right away.
A story is told of pair Of hawks
tina. built nest one year in small
apple tree on tho Hance property or
Ieumson Neck. The nest was built or
a part of the tree which could no,
stand the weight. and it broke down
| Inc naWKS nuilL III aHOIHeT paTt uuC
n high Wind came and entirely up
rooted the tree. The birds then, fol
the third time. built their nest in the
hole where rhe tree has been, ani
when they had Matched ont Their youns
weasel killed them all. and they ha(
to give up raising family that sea
son.
1t is erroneously stated that tn
trees in which fish hawks build di
soon afterward The truth is the tree
more often improve. The hawks Sc
lpct an old scraggy tree, and, bein
about dead. 1t does die. but more oftel
tle trees improve from the fertillza
: tion given by the particles Of fis
drorped by the hawks about the trees
!, Within radius of five miles frOI
Long Branch inland there are no les
than 800 of these great. scraggy, awl
ward nests. hut they form part Of th
n picturesuueness of the scenery and ar
!, part OF its -up.-Philadelph
u Times.