The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-04-11
Nature Notes
From WoLc0tt
(By Nellie Thomas Badger

Wolcott, April 11-Situated as
We are, adjacent to meadowland,
woodland and water we have an
opportunity of witnessing many
interesting happenings in animal
and bird life. This past week our
interest has been centered on the
little pond and the water birds
which have visited there. First
there were the two pair of Great
Snow Geese which we had the
rare opportunity of seeing early
Friday morning. last year one
single Snow Goose appeared
with a small flock of Canada
geese. These Snow geese are about
the size of the Canada goose. The
drake is snow white with the ex-
ception of black at the tip of the
wings and a small black crown
spot. They are a native of North
America, breeding far north, east
of the Mackenzie basin in the
Arctic Circle. They migrate south
in the winter. along the Atlantic
coast, reaching as far south as
Cuba.
Frank NJ. Chapman, all early
writer, stated in his Handbook
of Birds Of Eastern North Amer
ica," "The Snow Goose does not
appear to be common bird in
any part Ct the Atlantic coast. 1t
migrates both by night and by
day, and when on the wing its
white plumage and black tipped
primaries render it indentifiable."
At the time of Mr.. Chapman's
writing its nest and eggs were I'M
known.
Saturday morning our Grebe
made it's first appearance of the
season. This Grebe, or at least
we have reason to believe it is the
same one has made its home on
this pond for several summers. At
first there were a pair who made
their appearance regularly each
spring and stayed on the pond
throughout the season. Then I'M
fortunately, about five years ago,
one of the pair was shot. The fol-
lowing spring a single Grebe was
seen OF the pond and each year
since a lone Grebe has made it's
rome there. Never two.
The Pied-Bill Grebe also known
as Water witch, HelI-diver and
Dipper- duck, is small, its body
being only Is inches in length. Its
neck is long in proportion to its
body. Its til is invisible and it is
sometimes called a tailIess bird. 1t
floats gracefully on the surface
of the water until disturbed when
it dives and swims under water
for distance of from ten to
twenty feet, coming to the sur
face in an entirely unexpected
place. he Grebe on this little
pond is tame to the extent that
it will swim along within a few
feet Of the highway where cars
are frequently passing.
Another bird visitor we had Sat-
urday morning was one who lives
on the land but procures his food
from the water 1t was an Amer
lean Osprey or Fishhawk. For the
past .hree years pair of these
Osprey have made their nest in
a tree In the woods at the edge
of the ponc. The Osprey is large
bird about 2 feet in length, with
a wing spread over twice that in
width. 1t is brown on it's back and
upper side of its wings. Its breast
and throat and the under side of
its wings nearest its body are
snowy white. When perched fac
ing you it looks like a broken
stub of tree branch, bleached
white. This bird is much disliked
by a fisherman as its food con-
sists entirely of live fish. But to
others it is magnificent looking
bird. SloWl,' it circles high above
the water. Then it hangs poised
in the Fir: This it appears to do
by holding its wings rigid from
the shoulder to the elbow Joint
while the forearm part of the
wing, Slightly curved, moves rap
idly up and down, the long pri-
mary feathers fluttering like pen
nants in the air. Suddenly it
dives straight and swift into the
water. If its aim was true it
energies from the water with a
fish in its long sharp talons, if
lot it repeats the maneuver.
The snOwdrops are in bloom