The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-09-24
THE WISCONSIN HERoNs.
How These Curious Birds Live Together in
the Northwest.

On the way over we had noticed a
further up the forks, and from the hard
wood ridge we could discern, now and
then,N a number coming and going
| from the North Fork and it's branches.
| The two lines apparently met over a
| half section of tall pine timber about
| two m lies to the south of east of our
camp, but as it was now dusk and
showery, we prepared supper and turned
in for the night. Four o'clock next
morning found us up, breakfast cooked,
and ready for the voyage of discovery.
and voyage it proved to be. with mud
at times ankles deep and every leaf sup
porting great drops of water. drenching
us to the skin in few moments.
Instead of keeping around to the right,
where the herons seemed to fly, we made
a short cut through the great pines
whose tops lowered fully a hundred feet
abovesour heads, with but little UNDER
brush beneath. AS we rested among
these grand columns, no wonder we ali
echoed the DOCTORS sentiment when he
remarked: "If / were a squirrel, this
is just the place l would live in, and
would like to stay here a month, any
way
Gradually working our way toward the
south edge of the pines. all at once a
harsh, grunting, croaking sound greeted
our ears and we stopped to listen. Then
louder combination still nearer, anoth-
er off to the left, then half dozen,
which from distance seemed not un-
like great many hogs fghing, grunt-
ing and squealing, confirmed our surmise
that the roost was at hand
We soon discovered that every pine for
a distance of perhaps two acres con-
spread out like the nests in the cypress
trees in Florida. but a huge round
affair, large and deep on the outside
as bushel basket, not on the fiat sur
face of spreading branches, but right in
the top. where the tree separaEes into
many parts.
In one case where tree formed into
two great forks thirty feet from the
ground, the top of each contained nest,
while.a third nest was placed glover
down on the side shoot. This tree and
one other, which spread out into
broad, fiat top, were the only ones con-
tanning three nests, although quite
three young to nest. and they stood up
right on the nest or on branches level
with it near by, and upon the arrival
of the parent would ali scramble into
the nest, setting up, meanwhile, great
squawking, grunting sound. in vol
ume hardly to be expected from three
birds.
The old bird usually alighted on the
smaller branches near the nest, proceed
ing Immediately to.it, thrusting her bill
well into the outstretched throat of the
nearest, the heads and necks of both
birds weaving back and forth during
the process, the other two keeping up |
an internal sqnalling all the while. AS
soon AS the bill was withdrawn another |
bird was served in the same manner,
whilesthe third made vain effort to get |
his bill down the throat of the one just |
fed, which would indicate that such |
thefts might be successfully made.
The old birds were constantly coming |
and going, and, therefore, the combina- |
tion of noises were almost constant from |
one part or other of the heronry, the |
noise coming only from nests where birds |
were being fed. In the tree with three |
nests, the birds in the nest being fed |
made the usual cutlery, but those in the |
remaining nests.snot ten feet away, paid |
no attention to,it.
The young birds were nearly full |
fedged and about ready to leave the |
nests, and when standing upon the |
branches were hardly distinguishable |
from the old birds, except by close ex- |
animation of the feathers of the breast, |
which did not have the dashes of as |
deep blacksas the old BIRDS
We attempted to secure a set of young |
to mount for the local High School |
Museum, bat when shot they invariably |
futtered and scram bled about, finally !
landing on the nest.-Forest and |
Stream.