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Birds, Vol. II, No 1, July 1897

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<h2>THE RING PLOVER.</h2> Plovers belong to a class of birds called Waders. They spend the winters down south, and early in the spring begin their journey north. By the beginning of summer they are in the cold north, where they lay their eggs and hatch their young. Here they remain until about the month of August, when they begin to journey southward. It is on their way back that we see most of them. While on their way north, they are in a hurry to reach their nesting places, so only stop here and there for food and rest. Coming back with their families, we often see them in ploughed fields. Here they find insects and seeds to eat. The Ring Plover is so called from the white ring around its neck. These birds are not particular about their nests. They do not build comfortable nests as most birds do. They find a place that is sheltered from the north winds, and where the sun will reach them. Here they make a rude nest of the mosses lying around. The eggs are somewhat pointed, and placed in the nest with the points toward the center. In this way the bird can more easily cover the eggs. We find, among most birds, that after the nest is made, the mother bird thinks it her duty to hatch the young. The father bird usually feeds her while she sits on the eggs. In some of the bird stories, you have read how the father and mother birds take turns in building the nest, sitting on the nest, and feeding the young. Some father birds do all the work in building the nest, and take care of the birds when hatched. Among plovers, the father bird usually hatches the young, and lets the wife do as she pleases. After the young are hatched they help each other take care of them. Plovers have long wings, and can fly very swiftly. The distance between their summer and winter homes is sometimes very great. <hr style="width: 65%;" /> [Pg 10] <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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