The Young Voyageurs: Boy Hunters in the North Page 22

  CHAPTER TWENTY TWO.

  THE FISH-HAWK.

  A few days after, another incident occurred to our voyageurs, whichillustrated the habits of a very interesting bird, the "osprey," orfish-hawk, as it is more familiarly known in America.

  The osprey (_Falco halicetus_) is a bird of the falcon tribe, and one ofthe largest of the genus--measuring two feet from bill to tail, with animmense spread of wing in proportion, being nearly six feet from tip totip. It is of a dark-brown colour above, that colour peculiar to mostof the hawk tribe, while its lower parts are ashy white. Its legs andbill are blue, and its eyes of a yellow orange. It is found in nearlyall parts of America, where there are waters containing fish, for onthese it exclusively feeds. It is more common on the sea-coast than inthe interior, although it also frequents the large lakes, and lives inthe central parts of the continent during summer, when these are nolonger frozen over. It is not often seen upon muddy rivers, as there itwould stand no chance of espying its victims in the water. It is amigratory bird, seeking the South in winter, and especially the shoresof the Great Mexican Gulf, where large numbers are often seen fishingtogether. In the spring season these birds move to the northward, andmake their appearance along the Atlantic coast of the continent, wherethey diffuse joy into the hearts of the fishermen--because the latterknow, on seeing them, that they may soon expect the large shoals ofherring, shad, and other fish, for which they have been anxiouslylooking out. So great favourites are they with the fishermen, that theywould not knowingly kill an osprey for a boat-load of fish, but regardthese bold fishing birds in the light of "professional brethren." Inthis case the old adage that "two of a trade never agree" is clearlycontradicted. The farmer often takes up his gun to fire at the osprey--mistaking it for the red-tailed buzzard (_Buteo borealis_) or some otherhawk, several species of which at a distance it resembles--but, ondiscovering his mistake, brings down his piece without pulling trigger,and lets the osprey fly off unharmed. This singular conduct on the partof the farmer arises from his knowledge of the fact, that the ospreywill not only _not_ kill any of his ducks or hens, but that where hemakes a settlement he will drive off from the premises all the hawks,buzzards, and kites, that would otherwise prey upon the poultry. Withsuch protection, therefore, the osprey is one of the securest birds inAmerica. He may breed in a tree over the farmer's or fisherman's doorwithout the slightest danger of being disturbed in his incubation. Isay _his_ incubation; but the male takes no part in this domestic duty,further than to supply his loved mate with plenty of fish while she doesthe hatching business. Of course, thus protected, the osprey is not arare bird. On the contrary, fish-hawks are more numerous than perhapsany other species of the hawk tribe. Twenty or thirty nests may be seennear each other in the same piece of woods, and as many as three hundredhave been counted on one little island. The nests are built upon largetrees--not always at the tops, as those of rooks, but often in forkswithin twenty feet of the ground. They are composed of large sticks,with stalks of corn, weeds, pieces of wet turf, and then linedplentifully with dry sea-grass, or any other grass that may be mostconvenient. The whole nest is big enough to make a load for a cart, andwould be heavy enough to give any horse a good pull. It can be seen,when the woods are open, to an immense distance, and the more easily, asthe tree upon which it is built is always a "dead wood," and thereforewithout leaves to conceal it. Some say that the birds select a dead ordecaying tree for their nest. It is more probable such is the effect,and not the cause, of their building upon a particular tree. It is morelikely that the tree is killed partly by the mass of rubbish thus piledupon it, and partly by the nature of the substances, such as sea-weed inthe nest, the oil of the fish, the excrement of the birds themselves,and the dead fish that have been dropped about the root, and suffered toremain there; for when the osprey lets fall his finny prey, which heoften does, he never condescends to pick it up again, but goes in searchof another. Boys "a-nesting" might easily discover the nest of theosprey; but were they inclined to despoil it of its three or four eggs(which are about the size of a duck's, and blotched with Spanish brown),they would find that a less easy task, for the owners would be verylikely to claw their eyes out, or else scratch the tender skin fromtheir beardless cheeks: so that boys do not often trouble the nest ofthe osprey. A very curious anecdote is related of a negro havingclimbed up to plunder a nest of these birds. The negro's head wascovered with a close nap of his own black wool, which is supposed by acertain stretch of fancy to have the peculiarity of "growing in at bothends." The negro, having no other protection than that which his thickfur afforded him, was assailed by both the owners of the nest, one ofwhich, making a dash at the "darkie's" head, struck his talons so firmlyinto the wool, that he was unable to extricate them, and there stuckfast, until the astonished plunderer had reached the foot of the tree.We shall not answer for the truthfulness of this anecdote, althoughthere is nothing improbable about it; for certain it is that these birdsdefend their nests with courage and fury, and we know of more than oneinstance of persons being severely wounded who made the attempt to robthem.

  The ospreys, as already stated, feed exclusively on fish. They are notknown to prey upon birds or quadrupeds of any kind, even when deprivedof their customary food, as they sometimes are for days, on account ofthe lakes and rivers, in which they expected to find it, being frozenover to a later season than usual. Other birds, as the purple grakles,often build among the sticks of the osprey's nest, and rear their youngwithout being meddled with by this generous bird. This is an importantpoint of difference between the osprey and other kinds of hawks; andthere is a peculiarity of structure about the feet and legs of theosprey, that points to the nature of his food and his mode of procuringit. His legs are disproportionately long and strong. They are withoutfeathers nearly to the knees. The feet and toes are also very long, andthe soles are covered with thick, hard scales, like the teeth of a rasp,which enable the bird to hold securely his slippery prey. The claws,too, are long, and curved into semicircles, with points upon them almostas sharp as needles.

  I have stated that an incident occurred to our party that illustratedsome of the habits of this interesting bird. It was upon the afternoonof a Saturday, after they had fixed their camp to remain for thefollowing day. They had landed upon a point or promontory that ran outinto the river, and from which they commanded a view of a fine stretchof water. Near where they had placed their tent was the nest of anosprey, in the forks of a large poplar. The tree, as usual, was dead,and the young were plainly visible over the edge of the nest. Theyappeared to be full-grown and feathered; but it is a peculiarity of theyoung ospreys that they will remain in the nest, and be fed by theparent birds, until long after they might be considered able to shiftfor themselves. It is even asserted that the latter become impatient atlength, and drive the young ones out of the nest by beating them withtheir wings; but that for a considerable time afterwards they continueto feed them--most likely until the young birds learn to capture theirfinny prey for themselves.

  This Lucien gave as a popular statement, but did not vouch for itstruth. It was not long, however, before both he and his companionswitnessed its complete verification.

  The old birds, after the arrival of the voyageurs upon the promontory,had remained for some time around the nest, and at intervals had shotdown to where the party was, uttering loud screams, and making the airwhizz with the strokes of their wings. Seeing that there was nointention of disturbing them, they at length desisted from thesedemonstrations, and sat for a good while quietly upon the edge of theirnest. Then first one, and shortly after the other, flew out, andcommenced sailing in circles, at the height of an hundred feet or soabove the water. Nothing could be more graceful than their flight. Nowthey would poise themselves a moment in the air, then turn their bodiesas if on a pivot, and glide off in another direction. All these motionswere carried on with the most perfect ease, and as if without theslightest aid from the wings. Again they would come to a
pause, holdingthemselves fixed in mid-air by a gentle flapping, and appearing toscrutinise some object below. Perhaps it was a fish; but it was eithertoo large a one, or not the species most relished, or maybe it had sunkto too great a depth to be easily taken. Again they sail around; one ofthem suddenly arrests its flight, and, like a stone projected from asling, shoots down to the water. Before reaching the surface, however,the fish, whose quick eye has detected the coming enemy, has gone to thedark bottom, and concealed himself; and the osprey, suddenly checkinghimself by his wings and the spread of his full tail, mounts again, andre-commences his curvilinear flight.

  After this had gone on for some time, one of the birds--the larger one,and therefore the female--was seen to leave off hunting, and return tothe nest. There she sat only for a few seconds, when, to theastonishment of the boys, she began to strike her wings against theyoung ones, as if she was endeavouring to force them from the nest.This was just what she designed doing. Perhaps her late unsuccessfulattempt to get them a fish had led her to a train of reflections, andsharpened her determination to make them shift for themselves. Howeverthat may be, in a few moments she succeeded in driving them up to theedge, and then, by half pushing, and half beating them with her wings,one after the other--two of them there were--was seen to take wing, andsoar away out over the lake.

  At this moment, the male shot down upon the water, and then rose againinto the air, bearing a fish, head-foremost, in his talons. He flewdirectly towards one of the young, and meeting it as it hovered in theair, turned suddenly over, and held out the fish to it. The latterclutched it with as much ease as if it had been accustomed to the thingfor years, and then turning away, carried the fish to a neighbouringtree, and commenced devouring it. The action had been perceived by theother youngster, who followed after, and alighted upon the same branch,with the intention of sharing in the meal. In a few minutes, the bestpart of the fish was eaten up, and both, rising from the branch, flewback to their nest. There they were met by the parents, and welcomedwith a loud squeaking, that was intended, no doubt, to congratulate themupon the success of their first "fly."