Corpus Christi Caller-Times from Corpus Christi, Texas • 8

Corpus Christ! Caller-Times Sun July 4 1934 ii 1 'v 1 V- 1 -'i-'i t' r--1 'r-- i 4 i 4 'i' 1 -'J i Ji 1 A birds The group above photographed by Allan Cruickshank are all adult pelicans identified by the yellow-tinged white heads and spectacular neck striping attained only when the brown pelican reaches breeding age BROWN PELICANS ON ISLAND ROOKERY Brown pelicans a common sight on the bayfront in fall and winter are seen there less often in the nesting season when they congregate in rookeries on bare off-shore islands Two or three eggs laid in shallow nests of sticks and grass are shielded from the hot sun by hovering parent ROSEATE SPOONBILLS MOVING SOUTHWARD A new colony of roseate spoonbills nesting this season on Hogg Island opposite Aransas Pass indicate a southward movement of the rosy-hued wading birds Main colonies are on islands further up the Gulf Coast These pictures were taken by Allan Cruickshank one of the nation's outstanding bird photographers Colony of Spoonbills Near Port Aransas Causeway By KAY BYNUM Discovery of a colony of roseate spoonbills nesting on Hog Island! Just north of the Port Aransas Causeway highlighted the recent annual visit of John Baker president of National Audubon So-defy Baker was on his routine nesting-season inspection of the six bird sanctuaries maintained By fiw Audubon Society on islands along the Texas coast including Green and South Bird Islands in the Laguna Madre Lydia Ann iq Aransas Bay Second-Chain-of-Is-' lands in San Antonio Bay West Bay Bird Island San Luis Pass and Island in Galveston Bay Federal State Protertlon Hie new colony of roseate spoorv- bills had been observed earlier by Vernon Johns of Port Aransas Audubon Society warden Lydia Aim Island who had been "keeping an on them Hog Island la not under Audubon caret hut spoonbills are under federal and state protection' and there has been no Indication that their nesting was being disturbed by predators John said The Audubon president estimated SO adults in the colony The rosy-hued long-legged wading birds often mistaken for flamingos looked like enormous pink flowers (dooming in the dark green brush covering the reef tip Although nan-breeding spoonbills range for down into Laguna Madrer none has been known to nest fills for south on the Texas coast before Baker said The two main spoonbill nesting sites in the Found Black Skimmers suddenly appeared to be crippled fluttering brokenly away over the an age-old trick of parent birds to draw attention of intruders away from their nests and young Also seen on Lydia Ann but probably not nesting were four white-faced glossy ibis a white ibi' while V0CrtI' cur' lews and ringed-bill gulls Mexican cormorants and herons had preempted nearby duck blinds A magnificent frigate bird flew another rare s'jht Wiped Out Nests 1 An unusually high tide about six weeks ago wiped out thousands of egg-filled nests on Lydia Ann but undaunted the birds started over at one and will have a successful breeding season Green Island southmost of the on Green Island in Laguna Above the alert yellow is dittoed in the youngster llnited States are on two of the other Texas sanctuaries Vingt'un and Second -Chain-of-lsland That ia one of the main reasons the Audubon Society sought protection rights over them Have Treat On Lydia Ann Island Baker ob- served unestimated thousands ofi Laughing Gulls nesting also 3000 Royal terns 1000 Cabot's terns Black Skimmers Forster's terns willets snowy and reddish egrets Louisiana and Great Blue herons and a pair of an unexpected treat for they are rare here and not abundant anywhere The nesters keep up a constant din of raucous cries competing for space and food on the small bare island As the Inspecting par- ty approached the whole flock of 5f centration in the country is Madre opposite Harlingen eye of the watchful parents on the nest snow white with black bill and legs and yellow feet the Snowy is identified by its The Eair above were photographed on a cactus clump in aguna Madre THEIR SLIPPERS MATCH TIIE CACTUS BLOSSOMS Once threatened with extinction because of the demand for their beautiful aigrettes in the millinery trade the Snowy egret is recovering its former status under protection Smallest of the family and On all sanctuaries Raker ssid this is an improvement nver 1953 when drought affected hirdlife as well as alb other Green Island particularly which was "brown" last ypar Is looking better Protected (nr Years "Birds nest on many reefs and islands along the roast" the Ando- bon president pointed out "but the Society has not sufficient funds to protect 11 so only those sites that have proved outstanding and are more or less 'ancestral' homes were chosen and have been under protection for many years" year the other two were recently renewed Vingt'un in Galveston Bay was established as a state wildlife sanctuary hy the Legislature in 1937 under the administration of the Texas Game and Fish Commission which in turn 1(rKapd Protwion to Audu bon Society "Due to the cooperation of Land Commissioner Ba scorn Giles and of Howard Dodgcn director of TGFC the program has worked splendidly thus for" Baker said "But it should be assured of per- of drilling and oil explorations (which now may come as close as 300 feet in some cases) forbid entry on the islands in the nesting season (Feh 15 to August 15) and prevent disturbance of the vegetation at any time of the year Garages AddMwis A Repairs Nothin! Ilnwn M-Mna to Pay Koipf Jcr rn 131 4 Monthly all with ro-infnrcoit mmrrfir flnorn 1M atna irtlna nnptialt tnicrlnchtn nMnaloa nfiv liimlnum covered overhead doora amt 2 ale of paint LUIS MARMION Mill -IMS MS M- 4-MaS 1 the show piece of your home" 32 tuba performance Joe IfJeSI HARDWARE 412 Maipuita Ph 4-9942 Ws Servics fr laitall OuimIvm Further and more permanent jmanency by uniform laws regulat-and uniform protection for these ing it" sanctuaries will be sought in a The plan is to amend the Act bill to come before the state legis- of 1933 to include all sanctuaries lature next year also to provide uniform regulation sanctuaries has probably the largest breeding colony of reddish cgrrls in the United Slates Bakin' said It is a 30-acre track densely covered with trees and high brush mesquite ebony shrub cat-rlaw and "granjena" Undisturbed for centuries leaves have fallen and decomposed to form rich humus making the island unlike any other in the group It attracts land birds too cardinal! threshers and whiteeye vireos American and snowy egrets ibis least and Forster's terns herons nest there It Is in charge of John Larson of Harlingen head warden and Bill Newcome a fisherman who visits daily White pelicans on South Bird Island one of the two important breeding colonies in the nation are having a good nesting season Baker said Louis Rawalt of Corpus Christi is warden Second-Chain opposite the Wildlife Service Aransas Refuge jhas the second largest coastal colony of roseate spoonbills iVingt Whs the largest) Nesting also are black crowned night herons while ibis brown pelicans Louis Inna herons American snowy and reddish egrets The largest flock ahoul 400 of brown pelicans nest on Best Bay Rird Island snH there Inn am jura island aim inere inn arr found about 300 white laced gins- JtJ JKylrap Green and South Bird Islands were leased to the Society by the Legislature in 1923 for 50 years but Lydia Ann Second Chain and West Bird Bay Islands are held only under five-year grazing leases for nominal rentals from Die Texas General I-and Office Tlu nn ldjft An irr wxl feii lllf llltlllf UTf lU Ur hIvIIIJ II worrit Uy ua Irraumt hurnlna ar ilchlns urlnallaa Ouilns Up Nlahta srtrii ervinur owr sinnifr airwn riMiitv i-rinv rim la rmamnn Klrinf anil niaasvr lrriunnn iryovantx far a-iira f'ailfvtna wmforim hvlp ana anljl-in cr8TRXlltt pak prm-arnvail jurr Art aruyyutlw 1 CYSTS undvr ainnry-liark (inraniif hivM Mnak hallaa aaii fall I MiMnafflM 1 haw much bellrr yiu In! inmorrow JMJMJlSlf EUElti CHOOSE THORNY Reddish egrets bluish waders with rusty neck feathers who romp clown-like as they feed nest all along the coast where tall growth preferably thorny provides suitable protection for young The largest con- 1 iHsfiO 4 MOsl4lW9MRWM.