Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

The 1893 Migration of Charadrius dominicus and Numenius borealis in Massachusetts

1894; Oxford University Press; Volume: 11; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2307/4067643

1938-4254

Archaeology and Natural History

The 1893 Migration of Charadrius dominicus and Numenius borealis in Massachusetts.-Nantucket, August 20, 1893.Lowering sky and southeast wind.While driving over the western portion of the island, I saw in the distance eighteen birds which I thought were a flock of American Golden Plovers.I had been advised that such a flock had been seen in that neighborhood on the 18th inst.The wind was light southeast with severe rain in the night from nine o'clock p.m. until two A.M. August 21.I was out very early; raining hard; wind increasing and backing to northwest at four A.M., reaching a velocity of fifty to sixty miles an hour, the storm being very severe.I remained out until noon, seeing only two Golden Plovers and one Eskimo Curlew, and I shot one of each.These were the first birds shot here this season.This storm extended by actual reports two hundred miles south of Nantucket.It cleared at 10.30 P.M. in the evening with wind nearly west.August 22.Wind light southwest to west; no birds.August 23.Wind southeast, threatening; no birds.August 24.Up at four o'clock a.m.Rain commenced about five o'clock, and lasted until nine o'clock A. M., raining very hard at intervals; velocity of wind about 50 miles an hour.It then cleared, wind remaining east and east by south, still blowing very hard.No birds.August 26.Clear, good breeze, southwest and west; think it has been foggy at sea.I was out four hours driving over the plover ground but only saw one Golden Plover.I have heard from the islands of Tuckernuck and Muskeget and no birds have been seen.August 27.Foggy around the islands; light warm southeast wind during the early portion of the day; later south to south by west and very foggy; almost calm; no birds.August 28.Thick weather all last night; no change of wind.Drove over the ground; no birds; warm.August 28 and 29.Pleasant weather; full moon at night; wind west.Went all over the ground again but no birds.August 30 and 31.Clear and pleasant; no birds.September 1.A number of flocks of Plovers were reported to have been heard passing over the island last night; zone stopped.The only Plover here are a flock of thirty-five located in a certain preserved field, and a small flock of twelve; nine of these were shot on Sept. g.I drove over the western ground on the 9th and 1oth of September but did not see any birds.September 11 and 12. Pleasant weather; drove over the ground but no birds.September 13.While driving over the western ground saw nine Golden Plovers from the above preserved field; weather calm, wind light south by west and southwest.From the 13th to the 16th I drove out daily, but saw no birds.On the 16th I saw a flock of four Golden Plovers and shot two of them.They