CHAPTER XX.
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 is a bird of the falcon tribe, and one of the largest of thegenus--measuring two feet from bill to tail, with an immense spread ofwing in proportion, being nearly six feet from tip to tip. It is of adark brown colour above, that colour peculiar to most of the hawk tribe,while its lower parts are ashy white. Its legs and bill are blue, andits eyes of a yellow orange. It is found in nearly all parts of America,where there are waters containing fish, for on these it exclusivelyfeeds. It is more common on the sea-coast than in the interior, althoughit also frequents the large lakes, and lives in the central parts of thecontinent during summer, when these are no longer frozen over. It is notoften seen upon muddy rivers, as there it would stand no chance ofespying its victims in the water. It is a migratory bird, seeking theSouth in winter, and especially the shores of the Great Mexican Gulf,where large numbers are often seen fishing together.
In the spring season these birds move to the northward, and make theirappearance along the Atlantic coast of the continent, where they diffusejoy into the hearts of the fishermen--because the latter know, on seeingthem, that they may soon expect the large shoals of herring, shad, andother fish, for which they have been anxiously looking out. So greatfavourites are they with the fisherman, that they would not knowinglykill an osprey for a boat-load of fish, but regard these bold fishingbirds in the light of "professional brethren." In this case the oldadage that "two of a trade never agree" is clearly contradicted.
The farmer often takes up his gun to fire at the osprey--mistaking itfor the red-tailed buzzard or some other hawk, several species of whichat a distance it resembles--but, on discovering his mistake, brings downhis piece without pulling trigger, and lets the osprey fly off unharmed.This singular conduct on the part of the farmer arises from hisknowledge of the fact, that the osprey will not only _not_ kill any ofhis ducks or hens, but that where he makes a settlement he will driveoff from the premises all the hawks, buzzards, and kites, that wouldotherwise prey upon the poultry. With such protection, therefore, theosprey is one of the securest birds in America. He may breed in a treeover the farmer's or fisherman's door without the slightest danger ofbeing disturbed in his incubation.
I say _his_ incubation; but the male takes no part in this domesticduty, further than to supply his loved mate with plenty of fish whileshe does the hatching business. Of course, thus protected, the osprey isnot a rare bird. On the contrary, fish-hawks are more numerous thanperhaps any other species of the hawk tribe. Twenty or thirty nests maybe seen near each other in the same piece of woods, and as many as threehundred have been counted on one little island. The nests are built uponlarge trees--not always at the tops, as those of rooks, but often inforks within twenty feet of the ground. They are composed of largesticks, 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, and would beheavy enough to give any horse a good pull. It can be seen, when thewoods are open, to an immense distance, and the more easily, as the treeupon which it is built is always a "dead wood," and therefore withoutleaves to conceal it. Some say that the birds select a dead or decayingtree for their nest. It is more probable such is the effect and not thecause, of their building upon a particular tree. It is more likely thatthe tree is killed partly by the mass of rubbish thus piled upon it, andpartly by the nature of the substances, such as sea-weed in the nest,the oil of the fish, the excrement of the birds themselves, and the deadfish that have been dropped about the root, and suffered to remainthere; for when the osprey lets fall his finny prey, which he oftendoes, he never condescends to pick it up again, but goes in search ofanother.
Boys "a-nesting" might easily discover the nest of the osprey; but werethey inclined to despoil it of its three or four eggs (which are aboutthe size of a duck's, and blotched with Spanish brown), they would findthat a less easy task, for the owners would be very likely to claw theireyes out, or else scratch the tender skin from their beardless cheeks:so that boys do not often trouble the nest of the osprey.
A very curious anecdote is related of a negro having climbed up toplunder a nest of these birds. The negro's head was covered with a closenap of his own black wool, which is supposed by a certain stretch offancy to have the peculiarity of "growing in at both ends." The negro,having no other protection than that which his thick fur afforded him,was assailed by both the owners of the nest, one of which, making a dashat the "darkie's" head, struck his talons so firmly into the wool, thathe was unable to extricate them, and there stuck fast, until theastonished plunderer had reached the foot of the tree. We shall notanswer for the truthfulness of this anecdote, although there is nothingimprobable about it; for certain it is that these birds defend theirnests with courage and fury, and we know of more than one instance ofpersons being severely wounded who made the attempt to rob them.
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 motions were carried on with the most perfect ease, and as ifwithout the slightest aid fr
om the wings. Again they would come to apause, holding themselves fixed in mid-air by a gentle flapping, andappearing to scrutinise some object below. Perhaps it was a fish; but itwas either too large a one, or not the species most relished, or maybeit had sunk to too great a depth to be easily taken. Again they sailaround; one of them suddenly arrests its flight, and, like a stoneprojected from a sling, shoots down to the water. Before reaching thesurface, however, the fish, whose quick eye has detected the comingenemy, has gone to the dark bottom and concealed himself; and theosprey, suddenly checking himself by his wings and the spread of hisfull tail, mounts again, and re-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. Thiswas just what she designed doing. Perhaps her late unsuccessful attemptto get them a fish had led her to a train of reflections, and sharpenedher determination to make them shift for themselves. However that maybe, in a few moments she succeeded in driving them up to the edge, andthen, by half pushing, and half beating them with her wings, one afterthe other--two of them there were--was seen to take wing, and soar awayout 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 as it hovered in the air,turned suddenly over and held out the fish to it. The latter clutched itwith as much ease as if it had been accustomed to the thing for years,and then turning away, carried the fish to a neighbouring tree, andcommenced devouring it.
The action had been perceived by the other youngster, who followedafter, and alighted upon the same branch, with the intention of sharingin the meal. In a few minutes the best part of the fish was eaten up,and both, rising from the branch, flew back to their nest. There theywere met by the parents, and welcomed with a loud squeaking, that wasintended, no doubt, to congratulate them upon the success of their first"fly."