Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1911-05-18

horse flies. Adults and larvae Of
these flies have been found in the
stomachs of the dowitcher, the pee
toral sandpiper, the hudsonian godwit
and the killdeer.. Two species of
~shorebirds, the killdeer and upland
plover, still further befriend cattle by
devouring the North American fever
tick. Among other fly larvae con-
sumed are those of the crane flies
(leatherjackets).
Another group of insects of which
the ~shorebirds are very fond is grass
hoppers. Severe local infestations of
grasshoppers, frequently involving the
destruction of many acres of corn, cot
ton and other crops, are by no means
exceptional. Aughey found % species
OF shorebirds feeding on Rocky Noun
tain locusts in Nebraska, some Of
them consuming large numbers. Even
under ordinary conditions grasshop-
pers are a staple food of many mem
bers of the shorebird family.
Shorebirds are fond of other insect
pests of forage and grain crops, in
Guiding the army worm, which is
known to be eaten by the killdeer and
spotted sandpiper; also cutworms,
among whose enemies are the avocet,
woodcock, pectoral and Baird sand
pipers, upland plover and killdeer.
Two caterpillar enemies of cotton, the
cotton worm and the cotton cutworm,
are eaten by the upland plover and
k1Hdeer. The latter bird feeds also
on caterpillars of the genus Phlege-
thontius, which includes the tobacco,
and tomato worms. I
The principal farm crops have many
destructive beetle enemies also, and
some of these are eagerly eaten by
~shorebirds. The boil weevil and clover
leaf weevil are eaten by the upland
plover and killdeer, the rice weevil by
the killdeer, the cowpea weevil by
the upland plover, and the clover
root curculio by several species Of
shorebirds.
Bill bugs, which often do considera-
BILE damage to corn, seem to be favor
lite food of some of the ~shorebirds.
They are eaten by the Wilson phala-
rope, avocet, black-necked silt. pee
toral sandpiper, killdeer and upland
plover. They are an important ele-
ment Of the latter birds diet, and no
fewer-than eight species of them have
been found in it's food.
Wireworms and their adult forms,
click beetles, are devoured by the
northern ~phalarope, woodcock, jack
snipe,. pectoral sandipper, killdeer and
upland plover. The last three feed
also on. the southern corn l~eaf-beetle,
and the last two upon the grapevine
colapsis. Other shorebirds that eat
leaf.beetles are the Wilson phalarope
and dowitcher.
Crayfshes, which are a pest in rice
and corn fields in the south and which
injure levees, are favorite food of the
black-necked silt, and several other
shorebirds feed upon them, notably
the jacksnipe, robin snipe, spotted
sandpiper, upland plover and killdeer.
Thus 1t is evident that %shorebirds
important aid by devouring the
enemies Of farm crops and in other
ways, and their services are appreci-
ated by those who have observed the
birds in the field. Thus, w. A. Clark
OF Corpus Christi, Tex, reports that
plovers are Industrious in fol-
the plow and in eating the
grubs that destroy garden stuff, corn,
and cotton crops. H. w. Tinkham of
a River, Mass, says of the spotted
sandpiper: Three pairs nestled in a
young orchard behind my house and
adjacent to my garden. l did not see
them once go to the shore for food
(shore about 1900 feet away, but I
did see them many times make faith
search of my garden for cutworms,
spotted squash bugs, and green flies.
and cabbage worms were
their especial prey. After the young
could fly, they still kept at work in my
garden, and showed no inclination to
go to the shore until about August Is.
They and a flock of quails just over
the wall helped me wonderfully"
To summarize: Shorebirds have
been hunted until only a remnant of
their once vast numbers is left. Their
limited powers of reproduction, coupled
with the natural vicissitudes of the
breeding period, make their increase
slow, and peculiarly expose them to
danger of determination. :.
In the way of protection a begin
ming has been made, and a continuous
close season until 1915 has been es.
tablished for the following birds:
The killdeer, in Massachusetts and
the upland plover, in Mas
sachusetts and Vermont; and the pi.
ping plover. in Massachusetts,. But,
considering the needs and value of
these birds, this modicura Of proteo.
ton Is small indeed.