Identifier: cu31924022528685 (find matches)
Title: The birds of Ohio; a complete scientific and popular description of the 320 species of birds found in the state
Year: 1903 (1900s)
Authors: Dawson, William Leon, 1873- Jones, Lynds, b. 1865
Subjects: Birds
Publisher: Columbus, The Wheaton Publishing Co.
Contributing Library: Cornell University Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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THE BLACK TERN. 569 at present. During the migrations, the birds may pause upon the OhioRiver, and are almost sure to look in upon the larger reservoirs for a fewdays, but are known elsewhere only casually and as birds of passage. The Terns arrive upon their breeding grounds during the first week inMay or even earlier, but they are not usually in haste to begin their nesting,since there is danger not only of high water and destructive storms, but ofcold snaps as well. Nesting is at its height during the last week in June,but fresh sets are often obtainable well into July. August is spent in leis-urely fashion, either by loiteringabout the more seclud-ed islands of the lake, or
Text Appearing After Image:
Taken nearSandusky Photo by the Aiitltoi. ON THE POINT OF DISCOVERY.the nest shown on tpie following pace lies cn the surface of the ooze a few feet in Front of mr. jones. remaining in the accustomed swamps. The return movement begins latein August, and continues in a desultory fashion through September, butmay be accelerated by early frosts. The food of the Black Tern consists almost exclusively of insects. Theseare obtained a-wing, and in securing them the bird exhibits great dexterity,—now towering to a lofty height, with a single stroke against the wind, tomake connections with a drifting moth; now following a bewildering zigzagthrough the reed-tops in pursuit of the agile dragon-fly. In the fall I haveseen-them busily engaged over the beds of pickerel weed at the Licking Reser- 570 THE BLACK TERN. voir. On these occasions they feed with a peculiar motion, by which theycull some tidbit from the surface of the weed-strewn water, and regain ahigher level after each stroke without

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