Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-08-29
WAYSOF FISHHAWKS

tator.
WAYS OF FISHHAWKS
AsTUDY IN NATURAL HISTORY ALONG
THE JERSEY COAST.
Winged Messengers of Good Luck Who
Make Themselves at Home and Are Incl
For Fish and Getting Them.
People who visit the northern coast
counties of New Jersey in summer are
struck with the curious, bulky nests of
the fishhawks, which are so common in
that locality. These nests are about 8
feet across and about 2 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 i'm
preston that they bring good luck, so
that no one would think of even so
much as throwing a stone at one of the
big birds, much less shoot at one
There is no sign of spring so satisfac-
tory to farmers along the coast as the
coming of the fshhawks. The coming
and going of these birds are peculiar.
You get up some morning in April, and
they are here. After their young are
Matched and grown up it is October, and
you get up some morning and find them
gone. The same birds come back year
after year, and they occupy the same
nest, which always needs bit of re-
building and occupies the birds for
few weeks.
1t is generally believed that there is
law protecting fishhawks, but it is a
mistake. There is an unwritten law,
and well obeyed one, of custom. A
boy is told that he must not disturb the
birds, and he does not. The good treat
ment that the hawks have received has
made them SO tame that their nests are
built i'll dooryards and by the roadsides,
and the naturally timid birds have no
fear of mankind The fshhawk is found
along many of the inland waters of the
state, but it is impossible to get near
them, and it is rare thing to find
nest. They are the shyest Of birds in
these places.
Years ago the fisher folk along the
coast used to think that if a fishhawk
built its nest ON ones land it was an
omen of good luck, and that success
would certainly follow him in whatever
pursuit he should undertake, and al
though there is less of such feeling now
those who own property on which the
hawks build welcome them III the spring
as old acquaintances and look anxiously
for their coming as soon as the winter
breaks.
Fishhawks get their entire food sup
ply from the water Their eyes are so
constructed that even at great heights
they can see fish that swim near the sur
face, and then dive with lightning speed.
The fish is caught in the claws and is
taken to the nest Of the bird before be-
ing eaten. The writer has seen hawk
make a 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 a big
eel wriggling in its claws that a man
could not hold 80 seconds with both
hands. The hawks sometimes, however,
will dive at things they do not want,
and thing occurred a few years ago
which is worth telling.
A steamer was passing Seabright. 1t
was big coaster from Savannah to
New York, and lady on board lost
overheard handsome and valuable lace
shawl, which foated away after strik-
ing the water. The passengers, being
interested, watched the shawl as far as
they could see it, and finally saw fish
hawk dive at it, get it fast in his claws
and fly inland with it. The lady was
very much put out at losing the article
and advertised reward for the same.
A ineman took notion he could get
the shawl after hearing the circum-
stances, and with his spurs he started to
pay visit to every fishhawk's nest in
the county Immediately back of Sea-
bright. The shawl was found hanging
On the side of anest on the Lewis White
farm, near Little Silver. What the
hawk wanted with the shawl is hard to
tell, for hawks use no such thing in
building their nests.
The top of fishhawk's nest is as
rough as the sides, and without any de-
preston. 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 cases made them a
nuisance They build on telephone
poles, on chimneys and cupolas of houses,
and it is sometimes necessary to con-
struct cupolas so they cannot get any
landing place. for the hawks do not
mind in the least having their nests torn
up. They build again right away.
A story is told of pair of hawks
that built a nest one year in a small
apple tree on the Hance property, on
Rumson neck. The nest was built on
part of the tree which could not stand
the weight, and it broke down. The
hawks built in another part, and high
wind came and entirely uprooted the
tree. The birds then, for the third time,
built their nest in the hole where the
tree had been, and when they had
Matched out their young weasel killed
them all, and they had to give up rails
Ing family that season.
1t is enormously stated that the trees
in which fshhawks build die soon aft
erward The truth is the trees more
often improve. The hawks select an old
scraggy tree, and, being about dead, it
does die, but oftener the trees i'm
prove from the fertilization given by
the particles of fish dropped by the
hawks about the trees. Within a radius
of five miles from Long Branch inland
there are no less than 500 of these great
scraggy. awkward nests, but they form
part of the picturesqueness Of the
scenery and are part of its makeup
Philadelphia Times.
One of the most fantastic of birds is
the laughing owl of Florida and some
other southern parts. He sits well up
in tree at night and emits a series of
loud, strange ha-has that sound like
half human laughter The sound is
sufficiently terrifying to a nervous