The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1911-05-19

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
killdeer. The latter bird feeds also
on caterpillars of the genus Phlege-
thontius, which includes the tobacco
and tomato worms.
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
ite 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 its 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 leaf-beetle,
and the last two upon the grapevine
colapsis. Other shorebirds that eat
leaf-beetles are the Wilson phalarope
and dowitcher.
Crayfishes, which are 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 it is evident that shorebirds
render 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
INLAND blowers are industrious In fol-
lowing the pillow and in eating the
grubs that destroy garden stun, corn.
and cotton crops. H. w. Ttnkham OF
Fall River, Mass, says OF the spotted
sandpiper: Three pairs nested In
young orchard behind ray house and
adjacent to my garden. l did not see
them once 20 to the shore for food
(shore about 1900 feet away, but
did see them many times mako faith
full search of my garden for cutworms.
spotted squash bugs, and green Mes
Cutworms and cabbage worms were
their especial prey. After the young
could fly, they still kept at work N my
garden. and showed no inclination TO
go to the shore until about August Id.
They and flock of quails just over
the wall helped me wonderfully.
In the uncultivated parts OF their
range also, shorebirds search out ana
destroy many creatures that are detri.
mental to mans interest. Several
species prey upon the predaceous div
ing beetles (Dytiscidae), which are
nuisance in fish hatcheries and which
destroy many insects, the natural 1000
of fishes.
Large numbers Of marine worms OF
the genus Nereis. which prey upon
oysters. are eaten by shorebirds. These
worms are common on both the AT
iantic and gulf coasts and are easen
nv shorebirds wherever they occur. II
Il not uncommon TO find that from loo
IN os0 of them have been eaten at one
meal.
To summarize: Shorebirds have
been hunted until only remnant OF
their once vast numbers is left Their
limited powers of reproduction, coupled
with the natural ~scissitudes OF the
breeding period, make their Sncrease
slow. and peculiarly expose them 70
danger of determination.
In the way OF protection begin
ming has been made, and continuous
close season until 1915 has been ss'
tablished for the following birds:
The killdeer, In Massachusetts ana
Louisiana; 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 modicum OF protec
ton is small indeed.
The above-named species are not
the only ones that should be exempt
from persecution, for all the shore
birds Of the United States are in great
need of better protection. They should
be protected, first, to save them from
the danger of determination, and, SEQ
ond, because of their economic i'm
portance. So great, indeed, is their
economic value, that their retention
on the game list and their destruction
by sportsmen is serious loss to agrf
culture.