The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-11-16
nesting
M
" " was long a w a

V Y Barbara" was long a
mooted question along the
Southern California coast. The crab
fishermen who put out daily from
the port in their picturesque
craft, to sail northward along the
peaceful waterways of the channel
kelp, had said that the pipers reared
their young on the swinging submits
Of the wonderful sea hedges that
fringe the coast below Point Concep-
cion, and that the tiny birds spent the
first weeks of their lives upon these
fragile marine meadows above the
heaving Pacific. But townsfolk. and
among them naturalists, insisted that
the birds nested inland along the sandy
shadows of the creeks that wandered
down from the encircling mountains
to the sea-
20 one had ever seen a sandpiper's
hest, and the small birds, brownish-
black with the deep rusty-red disks on
side and back, swirling in fiocks Of
hundreds over the blue waters OF the
channel, never revealed the secret of
versitles once sent young man, stu
dent named Covillc. to inquire into
the sandpipers' habits, and not until
then did the people of Santa Barbara
discover that the tiny fellow and his
habitat were of the least interest to
the world.
The young student-naturalist deter
mined to explore the kelp beds. From
the mountains and high places along
the coast one can see the sea hedges,
stretching like ribbons of amber satin
along the blue water. with the tumult
o. the open sea beating on their outer
sides, and on the inner side the mir
rored shoals where dwell the sand
pipers and other fowl.
The channel kelp Is strong bulwark
that breaks the waves and tides from
the inner water, woven wall OF ca
ble-like vines and plants, braided with
sea grasses, weeds and parasitic algae,
through which the coast steamers,
when they wish to land. must keep
path cut to the wharves. Sometimes
the great storms tear away many acres
of the kelp and hurl it ashore in i'm
mense masses. with heavy stones and
boulders still grasped by the roots of
the sea plants, showing how strong Is
the anchorage of the marine meadows.
Coville went in quest Of the sand
pipers' homes below Point Conception,
where, with young man living near.
be made daily trips to the sea hedges.
They were out one afternoon as
usual. In Edward Potter's boat. and
had pushed far up a narrow channel
into the kelp. The naturalist was
watching on both sides, while his corr
panion slowly rowed through the l.
cent water. 1t was after the high
spring tides, when the crab fishermen
aid the pipers nest; the shore waters
were smooth as glass under the sun
shine. 1t was such delightfully."- lazy
work that the two young men had long
hours of waiting in which to become
warm friends, and they were both in
terested in all the swarming, wonder
fnl sea life about and below them.
But of the sandpipers' nests, nothing.
The small birds circled about them
with exasperating familiarity, perched
ON the water plants within oar length
with cries of "Weet! weet! and were
the most conspicuous tenants of the
sea fields. but they baffled all attempts
to discover their housemaking and
their young.
To-day the men went far from their
usual haunts into the kelp. pushing
the boat by main strength through
sinuous openings and over masses OF
floating weed until, at 5 O'CLOCK, they
were thoroughly tired.
They rested in the bottom Of the
boat and ate their lunch. Potter had
shotgun, and was waiting for shot
at one Of the hawks that circled above
and darted at times at the swift pipers
on the kelp. Coville scanned the I'M
dulating vegetation with his glass.
seeking the sandpipers' haunts.
Then he gave an exclamation: "rve
found them! There are young pipers
on the weeds toward the sea! I've
been watching them long time; there
ought to be nests IL there are young.
Tn sure there are young ones! Can't
you see them?"
Potter laughed at the naturalist's en-
thuslasm. but he pulled In among the
weeds. and when the rowing became
hard they both worked with oar and
pole until the craft was wedged in the
fbrous vines of heavier vegetation
than any they had yet encountered.
1t was on this that Coville discovered
his pipers. He was right; there were
very small, dark gray nestlings sour
rying about the undulating seq floor.
Coville was demonstrative In his
Joy. He clambered from the boat and
tried to walk on the mass of seaweeds,
but broke through at times to his
waist. and wherever he stood the
plants slowly settled beneath him.
Work the boat over here, Edp' he
shouted. 1--WE found them! Nests,
real nests of woven sea grasses, the
prettlest things you ever saw, swing
ing In the weeds! No wonder we
have never been able to see them be-
fore; they're too small!'
The baby sandpipcrs ran hither and
thithcr over their fragile meadows;
hundreds of them. feeding on the
f,ating insect larvae. fish roc, the
jellyflsh fragments and winged nauti-
lus on the small channels between the
kelp. They dlvcd freely in pursuit of
their food, but, like tie elder pipers,
could not swim.
The hunters had stumbled squarely
into the sea nursery; hundreds Of the
birds were about them, old and young.
Coville found nest after nest In the
dried, grassy tops above the water
where the babies and eggs swung in
delicate cradles over the deep. In