Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1913-05-09
THE WINGED TEAL

water DlroS are July as Interesting
to study as land birds, though. OF
course, the conditions for study are not
as pleasant. Either high topped rubber
boots or else a perfect disregard for
wet feet n soaking clothing is one of
the first prerequisites.
The blue-winged teal is perhas the
best know Of all the ducks that nest OF.
migrate in this locality. They arrive
here about March IS from their winter
quarters to the south. They fly in
small 1Ocks, densely massed. The pin
tails and fnallards reach us first, but
they belong to a larger variety. The
blue-winged teal is among the first
of the smaller one to reach US.
The nests are nothing more han a
hollow In the ground. in h center of
a ciump Of weeds, generally on the
shore Of a lake or slough. but some
the nests are frequently destroyed
when the farmer plows up the meadow.
The lining of the nest consists. first
of a layer of grass and weeds. and, in
side this, a lining Of light grayish down
from the breast of the mother bird.
about the LIST of June. The female is
a close sitter and does not fly until
the intruder Is very near.
The o Of this specs is very SIM
liar to that of all ducks, consisting of
aquatic plants and small g~astropods
80 a. ~SAAS - = 4ASCp y ~ y
available. There are few school boys
who LAY not see these ducks in some
wayside pond securing the dinner by
tipping up" h u standing on their
heads in the water.
We canno claim for the ducks tina
they are Of any great economic value
as far az their food habits are on
cerned. Their function seems to be
that of furnishing an object of sport
for hunters. and l am not n who
would deprive them Of the joy Of the
hunt under proper restraint Of law. But
spring hunting cannot be condemned too
severely, for h reason that many birds
are frightened away from nesting In
the vicinity and many that would lay
the golden eggs" n produce large
broods are destroyed. Spring shoot
Ing is q very short sighted policy, even
from the hunters viewpoint.
NioHTHAwk.
During your summer vacation when
you were visiting at grandfather's
evening o have heard q "b-b-ur-
zzer' sound and observed q bird shoot
ing downwards with set wings. only
to turn when q few feet from the earth
and fly away. No, he is not trying to
commit suicide but only trying to get
his p
The bird you observed was the
Nighthawk. h noise vas by the rush
Of the air through his wings as. after
flying to some height. he descended to-
ward the earth again, with wings set
and mouth wide open. drawing in any
unlucky insect that might chance to be
in it's way. This is only one method
he has. however, of catching his food.
As you see him darling hither and
thither through the twilight he is still
at work.
His habits are almost purely nostur-
nal. SO much does ne resemble the bat
in thie particular that he 10, in some
parts Of the country called the b u
bat" though Of course he has no re-
lationship whatever with the r bat
He IL often mistaken for the Whip
poor-will. to whom he 10 closely re-
lated. but may be distinguished by tn.
;larse. white spot on his wing. which CHI !.
10 light enough. Although he !ove'
darkness rather than light. he will n!
occasionally in the daytime, II dis
turbed or tf the day Is cloudy. Another
interesting habit he has Is that OF rest
ing lengthwise instead Of crosswise OF
the limb OF o tree.
The nest ~ really no nest at all bu