Smyrna times., 1929-12-04
MARSHES OF STATE MECCA
FOR MANY SPECIES OF BIRDS
YEARS OF STUDY DEVOTED
TO BIRDS IN DELAWARE
OrnithOlogist Finds Delaware City
and Milford Most Prolific in
Bird Life and Study


Charles J. Marshall, of Kennett
Square, Pa, ornithologist, has de-
voted years to the study of the
subject of Birds in Delaware, es-
pecially the marsh wren which in
habits the low lands and along the
waterways of the State. He found
Delaware City and Milford most
prolific in bird life. An extract of
a recent address made by Mr..
Marshall follows: AS far back as
1870, friend of his in Wilmington
who was interest in birds, invited
him as a companion to invade the
reedy section below that city, in a
search of the marsh wren. This
bird was found at that time among
the ''cat-tails' and reeds that lined
the streams near where the Elev-
enth Street bridge in Wilmington
has since been erected. The next
trip to this territory, was made in
1886, and the prime object in view
was the study of the same bird,
the long-billed marsh wren, al
though many other things of equal
interest were encountered, among
which was his first finding of the
least bittern. Later, the marshes
adjacent to New Castle were in
while this section may not be
quite as prolific in number of spec
les as some further to the east,
they are more accessible by auto
mobile than most of the others.
Perhaps the best place to locate
the rarer birds in the winter sea-
son is in the vicinity of Delaware
City, already familiar to many of
the members. Here he has found
the rather scarce Lapland long
spurs, shore larks and snow bunt-
lngS, the latter only in mid-Winter
and the former usually on the
higher ground. Near that quaint
old town, he has also found the
migrant shrike, and the very inter
esting and rare ipswich sparrow,
which frequently visits there in the
cold months after its long journey
from the islands in the st. Law
renee river, where it breeds. This
light colored species was at first
confounded with Baird's sparrow
of the west, but has since been list
ed as a distinct sub-species of the
Savannah strain. 1t is more apt
to be seen on the sand dunes than
in the marshes and the specimen
exhibited by Mr.. Pennock was
taken near Rehoboth. Near the
shore line, the sharp-tailed, seaside
and Henslow's sparrow may also
be identified, in addition to a great
number of gulls, terms and other
water birds. The marsh lands
around Milford, like many other of
these low lands, were once the
head of tide-warer, and these are
always prolific in bird life, and in
centuries gone, were invaded annu-
ally by thousands of migrants,
many of which now appear in re-
duced numbers. The little blue
heron has been found nesting there
and the laughing gull is still quite
abundant. If all goes well, the
American agret will soon be breed
ing again in this section, as rec
emily, he saw there, the largest
number he had ever witnessed, out
side of Florida. Ducks of various
kinds are plentiful Gallinulies
and coots are frequently seen, the
least terms nest there in numbers,
and the purple gallinu1e has been
found there. The duck hawk,
which nest only in the mountain
Gus regions, has been killel east of
Odessa; the brown-headed nut
hatch, the smallest of its family.
has been found nesting there, and
in a general way. The marshes,
and nearby higher grounds have
always proved veritable mecca
for the field ornithologist