Evening star., 1901-07-05
FISH HAWKS BEFRiENDED.
\H
NO RHODE 1afgER's HAND RAISED
Interesting H"'3tF of the Bird.-Re-
spect shown Them is Almost
Religious I'm It's Character.
From the Providence Journal.


From the Providence Journal
The fish hawk or OSPREY. one of the most
interesting Of the migratory birds that in
habit the shores of the lower bay during
the summer months, has again arrived in
his old haunts to remain until next Sep
tember, when he takes up his winged
course for climates far to the south. As
rule these large birds arrive in this state
| anywhere from March % to April 1 of each
year. and, although the young broods
Matched out in the summer are many.
| there is little variation in, the number of
| fish hawks retur4aing here each spring
! Why there are nut moreT Of the birds to
return the following year Is a question
that no one seems able to, solve so far
| OF all the New England states, Rhode
Island is the only one that protects fish
hawks bylaw The protection afforded the
Fish hawk in the way of heavy fines for
| killing the birds or disturbing their nests
is aided to a great extent by the residents
| Of the state where are situated the sum
mer haunts of the bird There is a unani-
| nous desire on the part Of Rhode Island
| residents to secure the bird from all harm
while it Is making Its stay among them.
| and, furthermore, the: person who deigns,
from any motive. to disturb fish hawks
! earns the ill-wiil Of every one living near
the stamping ground Of this bird.
| by Bristol people. is almost religious and
| If fish hawk Is. shot which rarely oc-
ours. or a nest Is pilfered, It IS soon known
| and the people become aroused, not resting
until the miscreant is arrested or all ef-.
| forts have proved futile to Secure his being
| taken into custody. This respect for the
| hawks Is Of long standing. and seems to
| have been in vogue among the early settlers
| from all that can be learned in regard to
| the matter
] It Is not for any particular material ben
| eft that the presence of the birds Is court
| ed where they abound during the summer
| months; for, although they are harmless,
not interfering with. anything in the way
of provender on the land, they have a
| habit of Invariably killing the tree In which
| they build their nests This Is believed to
| be brought about by the continual satura-
| tion of the bark with oil from the fish that
they bring from the bay to their nests, to
| share with their young.
| The owners Of trees killed in this manner
are not at all displeased because of the de-
struction; instead. they take pains to hold
out special inducements to the fish hawks
to remain even erecting poles for them to
replace the decayed trees that often sue
cumb to the winter gales. This hawk Is
knowing bird. and readily adapts itself to
the change when springtime comes, begin
ming the erection of a nest top of a
ffty-foot pole, as if the pole just the
thing needed.
Big Colony in Bristol.
The fish hawk colony in Bristol is dis
tinctve feature of the town, and a COM
mon sight on IT'S. oatskirts Is the many
fish hawks nests surmounting decayed
trees and on the top of special poles, with
the birds flying about with steady motion
of wing uttering their peculiar shrill,
sharp cries. If the hawks should desert
their haunts In Bristol there would be deep
regret on the part of people whose farms
and lands they frequent. In fact, there is
a deeper regard for the. fish hawk in Bistol
n
some localities of South Carolina. Some
persons contend that the presence Of these
hawks keeps away! hen hawks; yet there is
no substantial proof offered that such Is
the fact 1t is known that the bird. when
its young are being cared for, manifests
much uneasiness WHEREVER a strange bird
comes in sight, uttering piercing shrieks
until the intr,iding htrdsis out Of sight, but
never attacking 1t. H..
Although 1t is difficult to distinguish the
hawks one from anet her. there is a belief
that pair of osftreys will occupy the same
nest for many successive years, departing
| In the autumn. and coming back to the
same rooss the following spring as long as
they live. Edward Anthony of Bristol has
noted a popularity in a fish hawk that has
visited his. land yearly for a long time.
The bird was once shot. 1t was cared for
until its wing healed and returned to free
dom by Mr.. Anthony, who ever since has
noticed that one of it's wings is stiffer
than the other, probably from the wound.
true fisher and very fearless in secur-
secure its food on land, subsisting solely
from fish caught with it's claws in many a
violent tussle in the harbors and bays The
fishermen in the lower bay and even those
plying their trade on the rocky shores on
the seacoast outside of Newport anxiously
watch for the first appearance of the fish
hawk each spring, believing that the Incl
dent is a harbinger of fish in plenty
AS a rule the male OSPREY Is the first to
arrive on this coast :, eaah spring the female
bird makes her appearance generally
week later, when both begin building new
nests or repairing the old ones. 1t is inter-
estlnS to watch the proceedings. The
highest point Of large tree Is selected for
the nest, FOR the reason, it is supposed, that
no intervening branches of the tree may
| int erfere with the widespread wings Of the
bird when alighttng on or leaving the nest
me nests are very large, and noticeable
miles distant in the tops Of trees AS a
rule they are large enough to All good
sized cart, making ordinary load for
horse Viewed from short distance they
are picturesque sight. closely woven with
decayed sticks. seaweed and cornstaIks.
Both male and female carry on the con-
struction of the nest.
How They Build Their Nests.
Nest building or repairing is carried on
by the hawks with deliberation, the mate
rial being carried In their claws, and fre-
quently in Bristol the birds are seen carry
Ing sticks four or five feet In length and
OF good diameter. These they weave in
the fabric very neatly. and with mechanical
| precision. The birds dislike to pick IN rot
| ten sticks from the ground when fixing up
their nests. resorttng to the plan of break
| ing off the, projecting ends of decayed
branches from tree. In this work they
| display considerable mechanical ability
| causing people who are not accustomed to
| their habits to look on with amazement.
| A f1sh hawk, circling about on wing in
| mid-air, selects particular branch that it
| attacks by charging upon 1t while flyins.
! and with great dexterity and a display Of
| Judgment that Is unique in the character
| ot BIRDS fastens Its formidable claws
around the stick while in notion breaks II
| Off by sheer force of the charge and car
ries it or to the~nest: Although the first