Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-08
THE MARSH HAWK
HOW THE CARRIER" QUARTERS
THE COUNTRY WHEN HUNTlNG.
Description Of the Peculiar Methods OF
Courtship Which Captured
Bride.

Written for The Evening Star by Ernest Harold
Baynes.
One afternoon N early spring 1 was walk
ing across the low-lying land extending
along the borders of river. Before me lay
a wide expanse Of open country, chieny
grassy meadow. with here and there little
hillocks, which stood out somewhat higher
and greener than the surrounding soo.
Suddenly there swept past me, IN easy
graceful flight, a long-winged, ash-gray
bird, with large white patch upon It's
rump-a male marsh hawk. hunting quite
low he few, sometimes so close to the
ground that he famed the tall grass blades,
sometimes skimming lightly over clumps
of bushes, rising and falling as though he
rode upon the crest of a gentle ocean swell.
For half a mile. perhaps, he continued on
his course then, coming about with inf
mite grace, he bore down upon me again.
Back and forth he circled. "quartering'
the country in way which proved his title
to the name of barrier
Catching It's Prey.
All this time his bright hazel eye was
searching every clump of weeds. every hol-
low in the grass, every twig Of the leafless
bushes for a sign Of his living prey. Pres
emily he caught sight Of that which he
sought, for he checked his onward flight
and for an instant hung fluttering in the
air. Then lightly he droppeu Into the grass,
where lightning stroke laid low meadow
mouse. whose soft, fat, little body offered
scarcely any resistance to these talons of
rapier steel. The bird did not fly off with
its prey in it's claws, as a sharp-shinned
hawk would have done, nor did 1t stop to
devour the mouse on the spot. as I have
often seen marsh hawk DO; 1t picked up
the little rodent with its feet and by Sc
ries of long leaps through the grass it
reached a rather more secluded spot, where
it began to tear its victim to pieces with it's
hooked bill.
Making Love to His Mate.
About week later l was walking over
the same open country and again saw my
old acquaintance, the marsh hawk. This
time, however, he was not alone for in his
company there was a somewhat larger bird.
dark umber-brown on the back and with
reddish streaks on the head This was his
mate and, despite the difference in colora-
ton, she had the characteristic white patch
on her rump. 1t was the counting season,
and as ! was anxious to sec the manner in
which the marsh hawk courted his bride
hid myself in a ditch which drained the
meadows and waited. For an hour, per-
haps. nothing unusual happened and 1 had
be rewarded that day, when suddenly the
male bird floated into view and began
series Of evolutions such as had heard of.
but never witnessed before. After circling
about as usual he arose in the air,
STOPPED almost to the ground, rose again,
tumbled somewhat after the manner of q
tumbler pigeon, and in this way proceeded
for some distance, zigzagging up and down
as though bereft Of his senses. And per-
haps he was, for wiser creatures than
marsh hawks do funny things when they
are In love. After doing his acrobatic
turn" he sailed away with the same grace
and Hghtness which at other times charac-
terizes his fight.
Presently his feelings overcame him again.
and again he sawed the air above the marsh
land. breaking into a graceful sail at the
end. Whether the female bird was on the
wing while this performance was taking
place. or watching in silent rapture from
some hidinS-place on the ground. I could
not see from my rather cramped position in
the ditch. but she evidently took the efforts
of the male in good part. for soon after
they were mated. as I discovered later.
The Nest and Young.
The nest, which found in May, was made
chiefly Of coarse grass and twigs. on the
ground near the river. There were four
eggs in it, dull white. about an inch and
three-quarters in length and we'll rounded.
The next time I visited the nest the young
birds were hatched-beautiful, bright-eyed
little fellows. covered with white down, and
with black bills and yellow legs. At first
they knew no fear. but soon 1t came to
them, as 1t does to most wild things. and
one day. when their pin feathers had start
ed. they greeted me by throwing themselves
on their backs and striking at me savagely
with their little talons. Their slender legs
few out as though propelled by springs and
their little black claws. as sharp as fish
hooks, cut through my skin at every stroke
Sometimes I would take them some beetles
or crickets. or frog from the neighborins
marsh. and after had retired to distance
they would squabble for the food, squeaking
petulantly as they swallowed mouthful
after mouthful.
Soon Independent.
They grew very fast. and as the down fell
out and chung to the sides of the nest, 1t
was replaced by trim-looking feathers and
they quickly developed into slender bodied
birds. with the graceful forms of their
parents. They somewhat resembled their
mother in coloring, but their upper parts
were darker, and the under parts. instead
of being buff like hers, were reddish.
The last time visited the nest the young
hawks. instead of waiting to fight me when
l approached. leaped from their home into
the surrounding grass and hoped away
rapidly in every direction with their long
wings raised high in the air to steady them
as they bounced along. 1 left them to re-
gain their cOmposure. When l next saw
them they were able to Shift for themsel YES
Sometimes they might be seen alighting
upon stakes near the water, but usually
they were Swimming over the open country,
other small creatures which inhabit the
marshes.
SWAMP WATER