The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1901-09-13
Observation-Disclosures
5 WHERE The SANDPIPERS nest.
By Charles Tenney Jackson.
Nask.EsaKaN:E;E E;E.k.;kkSkH:,K;k;;s3;Eas.;
THERE IL the nesting place

fishermen who put out daily IRON
the port in their picturesque
craft. to sail northward along tn
peaceful waterways of the channe
kelp, had said that the pipers reared
their young on the swinging summit'
OF the wonderful sea hedges tina
fringe the coast below Point Concep
cion, and that the tiny birds spent th'
first weeks OF their lives upon these
fragile marine meadows above tho
heaying Pacific. But townsfolk, and
among them naturallsts, insisted tha'
the birds nested inland along the sandy
shadows of the creeks that wandered
down from the encircling mountains
90 the sea.
No one had ever seen a sandpipers y
nest s1d the small birds, brownish-
black with the deep rusty-red disks on
side and back, swlrling In Hooks OF
hundreds over the blue waters or the
channel, never revealed the secret or
their birth. One OF the Western uni
versities once sent young man, stu
dent named COville, 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
C. the open sea beating on their outer
sides, and on the inner side the mir
rored shoals where dwell the sand
pipcrs 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
sc1 grasses, weeds and parasitic algae,
through which the coast steamers,
when they wish 10 land. must keep n
path cut to the wharvcs. Sometimes
the great storms tear away many acres
OF the kelp and hurl IL ashore In I'm
mense masses, with heavy stones and
bOulders still graspcd 10y the roots OF
the sea plants, showing how strong Is
dhe anchorage of the marine meadows.
Coville went in quest Of the sand.
plpers' homes below Point Conception,
where, with young man living near,
he 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 com
panion slowly rowed through the lu-
cent water IL 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. IL was such delightfully."- lazy
work that the two young men had long
hours of waiting in which to become
warm friends, and they were boil In
terested In all the swarming, wonder
full sea life about and below them.
But Of the sandpipers' nests nothing.
The small birds crcled about them
with exasperating familiarity, perchcd
on the water plants within oar length
with cries of "Weet! weetr' and were
the most conspicuous tenants of the
sea fields, but they bafIled all attempts
to discover their houscmaking 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 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 ut times ut the swift pipers
on the kelp. Coville scanned the uu-
dulating vegetation with his glass,
seeking the sandpipers' haunts.
Then he gave an exclamation: "Ivc
found them! There are young pipcrs
on the weeds toward the sea! I've
been watching them long time; there
ought to be nests if there are young.
I'm sure there are young ones! Can't
you see them"
Potter laughed at the naturalist's on
thusasm but he pulled In among the
weeds. aud when the rowing became
hard they both worked with oar and
pole until the craft was wcdged i'm 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 uudulating sea floor.
Coville was demonstrative in his
Joy. He clambered from the boat and
tried to walk on the mass OF scawceds
but broke through at times To his
waist, and wherever he stood the
plants slowly settled beneath him.
Work the boat over here Ed"' he
r.outed. 1--WE found them Nests,
real nests OF woven sea grasses, the
prettiest 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 sandpipers ran hither and
thIther over their fragile meadows,
hundreds of them, feeding on the
n )ating insect larvae. fish roe, the
jellyfish fragments and winged naut!.
lus on the small channels between the
kolp. They dlved freely in pursui; of
their food. but like the elder pipegs
could not swim.
The hunters had stumbled squagcly
Into the sea nursery; hundreds OF tn,
birds were about them, old and young
Coville found nest after nest i'm III,