Southwest-sentinel., 1895-03-19
AYsOF TIsHHAWKs
a A5TunYlN NATURAL HISTORY ALONG
THE JERSEY COAST

Tor Vish and Getting Them.
People who visit tho northern coast
counties Of Now Jersey IN summer are
struck with tine curious, bulky nests of
the fshhawks, which are so common IN
that locality. Those nests are about
feet across aud about feet deep and are
nothing moro OF less than big heap Of
brush or dead branches. Tho hawks are
protected in these counties by the inn
preston that they bring good luck, 80
that no ono would think Of even 70
much as throwing n stone at ono Of tho
big birds, much less shoot nc one.
There is no sign Ct spring so sahsfac-
cory to farmers along the coast as the
coming Of the fifhhawks. The coming
and going Of those birds are peculiar
You got mp some morning in April, and
they arc hero After their young arc
hatchcd and grown up it IS October, and
you got up some morning and find them
gono, Tho same birds como back year
after year, and they occupy the same
nest, which always needs bit OF re-
building and occupies tho birds for
few weeks.
It ia generally believed that there is
q law protecting flshhawks but it IS
mistake. There is an unwntten law,
aud q well obeyed one. Of custom. A
boy il told that he must not disturb tho
birds, and he does not The good treat
ment that the hawks have received has
made them so tame that their nests are
built in dooryards and by the roadsides,
aud the naturally timid birds have no
fear Of mankind. The fishhawk is found
along many Of the inland waters Of the
state but it is impossible to get near
them, and it is q 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 fishhawk
built its nest OH one's land il was an
omon Of good luck, and that success
would certainly follow him in whatever
pursuit ho should undertake, and al
though there is less OF such feeling now
those who own property on which the
hawks build welcome thom in the spring
ns old acquaintance and look anxiously
for their coming as soon as the winter
breaks
Fishhawks get their entire food sup
ply from tho water. Their eyes are so
constructed that even at great heights
they can see lsh 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 a hawk
4.
and when the crab got both his big
claws fairly at work on the tender part
of tho birds legs there was somewhat
OF shaking and diving in tho 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
Gel wriggling in its claws that man
could not hold 30 seconds with both
hands. The hawks sometimes, however,
will dive at things they do not want,
and a thing occurred a few years ago
which is worth telling
A steamer was passing Seabright. II
was n big coaster from Savannah to
New York, and a lady on board lost
overheard a handsome and valuable lace
shawl, which hoated 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 ont at losing the article
and advertised reward for the same.
A hneman took notion he could got
the shawl after hearing the circum-
stances, and with his spurs ho started tc
pay a visit to every flshhawk's rest in
the county Immediately back of Sea-
bright. The shawl was found hanging
on the side Of a nest ON the Lewis White
farm, near Little Silver What the
hawk wanted with the shawl is hard to
tell, for hawks uso no such thing in
building their nests.
Tho top Of a fishhawI'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-
eNA NSe NAfSA.No ~ bAaNJ NaAAbh btt tAA1
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 a pair Of hawks
that built a nest ono year in q small
apple troo on the Hance property, ON
RumsOn neck. The nest was built on q
part of tho tree which could not stand
the weight, and il broke down. The
hawks built in another part, and a high
wind came and entirely uprooted the
tree. The birds then, for tho third time,
built their nest in the hole where tho
tree had been, and when they had
Matched out their young a weasel killed
them oil, and they had to give up rails
ing a family that season.
II Is errOneously stated that the trees
in which flshhawks build die soon aft
erward The truth is the trees more
often improve. The hawks select an old
Ecraggy tree, and, being about dead, IL
does die. but oftenor tho trees inn
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 800 Of these great
Ecraggy. awkward nests. but they form
part Of tho picturcsquoness Of tho
scenery and arc a part Of its makeup
Philadelphia Times.
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