Evening journal., 1899-09-05
AUTUMN GAME BIRDS,
WHICH oUNNERs SEEK ON THE
MARSH AMI OCEAN SHORE.

OF INNER WATERS.
Church Creek, Nd, Sept. 5.-This ii
the gala month OF the shore bird shoot
ers on the water fronts Of Maryland
The birds thS during August have
been gathering on the marshes and
sandy coasts now begin the restless.
flights that bring them within the
reach OF decoys. Although the legal
opening of the season occurs on the
18th Of August, sportsmen welcome
September ] as the first day OF active
field shooting, and the marshes and
shores are receiving their annual in
fux OF sportsmen. Rumors OF good
shooting at Ocean City and other
points along the ssaboard during Au-
gust sent many sportsmen to their old
blinds. While many beach birds APP
pear exclusively on the ocean front, the
great majority swing in and along the
extensive feeding grounds throughout
the course OF the Chesapeake. and there
are few portions Of the bay where good
feeding facilities exist that do not re-
ceiye their share.
Many beautiful varieties comprise
the great order Of shore birds, and
their habits are even more interesting
than the varied coloration OF their
plumage. Two species of yellow-legs,
begin their erratic flights at this sea-
son, and every sportsman who has lis
tened to their musical calls and Wit
messed the graceful circles OF flocks de-
scending upon the stolid decoys can
appreciate ahe excellence of the sport
afforded by these long-biled birds.
Among the sandpipers, the dowicher.
stllt red-backed, knot, bartramian,
kildeer. willet, sanderiing. spotted, soli-
tary and least sandpipers afford good
shooting, both on the ocean front and
among the inland tidewater sections
Though not so large as the yellow-legs,
they make up for that by numbers.
The semipalnated plover also fire.
quently adds materially to the sport at
the beaches. There is another erratic
species belonging to the same family,
though differing in the fact OF its feed
ing exclusively in the fresh water
marshes and meadows, that is the most
elusive bird Of its kind. This is Will
sons snipe, which taxes the marks
mans skill to the utmost by reason Of
its swift and tortuous flight The mi
gratory movements OF Wilson's smpe
are notoriously erratic. and marshes
which are one day alive with the birds
may be deserted the next.
The rail shooting Of the state opens
on September /. Although the little
sora. or Carolina rail, affords the prin-
cipal shooting under this head, several
other and larger species Of the bird
visit the marshes at this season,
though from their secretive habits are
rarely obtained in large numbers. The
king rail, as its name implies, is the
largest and NEST noble representative
OF this curious family, and many now
stock the fresh water marshes. The
bird is skulker, and rarely flushes
when 1t can escape by hiding in the
dense grass. A salt water representa-.
tive OF the king rail is the clapper. On
the salt marshes OF the bay fronts anC
island the birds are hunted with som,
success when their haunts are partly
submerged by an unusually high tide
Reports OF the appearance Of many vir
ginia rail are occasionally heard.
Several species Of heron and bitter
afford diversity to the sport Of marsh
bird shooting, and as many Of IN
birds may, from their edibility an
large size, rank among the game birds
large numbers are each season shot
especially in the tide-water sections.
Bearing the many peculiar epithet
Of stake driver. bog bull. thunde
pump and shad bird, the American b!l
tern is bird well known to IN
sDortsmen OF Southern Maryland.
The popularity which gives rise /
.hese local names is a spasmodic seri,
OF booming notes uttered by the blr
while feeding.
The least bittern, a smaller bird.
found at this season in even create
numbers than its large relativ
biologists have found them breeding
great numbers among the reed-grow
ponds Of the Blackwater and Nant
coke, remaining in these haunts unit
the young are strong enough to be,
the strain Of the Southern migration
The stately form Of the great bll
heron IS familiar sight at twiligl
along the shores Of many sluggit
streams. He rarely misses plunge
his spearIike bill in the direction Of
fleeing fish or frog.
A nocturnal representative Of Il
great blue is the black-crowned mig
heron, or .squack." many OF which a
now being shot on the southern peni
o.,I, r4L~ hid f~~l ~-.l..~f..o4.-