Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-01-11
FLIES 10000, 1000 MILES A YEAR.
Niaht Hawk Goes From Patagonia to
Alaska and Returns.

passing through this country on his
way from Alaska to Patagonia. This
Is distance of 1000 miles and
the night hawk or bull bat
travels 1t twice a year to get
away from the cold of winter. When
winter begins in Patagonia. South
America, he flies away upon his long
Journey of 10000 miles to the Arctic
circle. When winter begins there he
returns again to the extreme south
ernmost land in South America. Thus
he travels 10000 miles each year In
search of a climate that suits him,
something that few human beings
ever do.
A few of the advance guard Of the
main army Of these migrating birds
have already been seen around Kan
sas City on their way south. They
may be seen any evening at twilight
from now until cold weather, fitting
around, catching insects. but they re-
main only one or two evenings and
then are off for their winter home.
What a vast panorama of scenery
must this great tourist of the air be-
hold! Looking down upon millions OF
people on towering mountains. beau
tiful valleys, dense forests, mighty
rivers and the blue waters Of the
ocean.
Nature has so constructed the wings
of this bird that 1t is capable of long
periods of flight. 1t scars through
space without any apparent motion Of
it's wings and moves with the swift
ness Of a speeding arrow.
Long Flight of the PIover.
The plover and snipe family, which
are known as shore birds, have an ex-
tensive flight. They pass through
here in the early spring on their way
north. These birds will generally stop
only for few days, feeding around the
shores Of our ponds and lakes; then
they are off for other feeding grounds.
They keep moving northward until
they reach their summer homes in
There upon the gravelly beach they
nest and rear their young. AS soon as
the young birds are ready to fly the
voyage southwark begins, the old
birds leading the way. These birds
perform extensive migrations.
They return to us on the southward
journey in September and October,
passing mostly with rapid flight and
principally at night. feeding during
the day In some instances with ia
vorable winds these birds have been
known to speed through the air at
the rate Of 100 to $50 miles an hour.
They go as far south as the pampass-
es of Uruguay and Paraguay and the
great marshes of southern South Af-
RIGA.
The barn swallow, which has been
with us all summer, is preparing to
leave for the southland. 1t is inter-
esting to watch this bird preparing
for its fall migration. For several
days, possibly a week before the swal-
lows depart southwark they will COL
lect in great numbers upon the roof
of some barn or on the fences and set
up a great chirping and twittering, as
If they were discussing plans for the
purposed southern trip.
Vanish For Five Months.
Finally, as If a resolution had been
unanimously adopted. the birds arise
amid a great chattering and sail
straight for the south. AS this feath-
cred host moves they gather recruits
from various points along the route,
and when they reach the southern
appear. to be gone for five months.
But where they go has puzzled the
closest bird observers. Did they drop
into the water and hibernate in the
mud, as was believed Of old, their OBJ
liberation could not be more complete,
in the last week In March a joyful
twittering overhead announces their
return to the Gulf coast on their way
north.
The Baltimore oriole. that brilliantly
colored little warbler whose sweet
notes can be heard with US during the
summer, Is now departing for its win
ter home i'm Mexico. There is a tra-
dition about the naming Of this gor-
geous bird which runs this way: When
George Calvert. the first Lord Balti-
more visited Virglnia-which then in
cluded Maryland-in 1928 he wrote
to his friends in England that nothing
in the Chesapeake country so delight
ed and cheered him as the color and
song of the oriole. Afterward the or
ange and black-the colors of this
bird-became the heraldic colors of
the noblemen who were landed pro-
prietors in Maryland and the name of
England's great peer was attached to
the bird
Goes 1000 Miles In Day.