218 THE CONDOR Vol. XV Sandhill Crane (Grus ?nexicana), few. Mudhen or Coot (Fulica a?zericana), few. Northern Phalarope ( Lobipes lobatus ). Black-necked Stilt (Hi?nantop,ts ?zexicanus), many at first, but became scarcer. Avocet ( Recurvirosira americana), few. Killdeer (O.B.echus vocifcrus), few. Sandpiper, several species. Turkey Vulture ( Cathartcs aura septentrionalis), few. The food supply for water birds around Lake Tulare was not the best. The cranes, pelicans, and cormorants had nearly all emigrated from this lake as there were no more fish for them to feed upon, the fish having, as previously stated, died some months before. But the ducks and smaller water birds were getting a fairly . Fig. 69. iBLACK-NECKED STILTS ON THE WING AT TULARE LAKE, SEPTEMBER 19, 1913 abundant food supply from the insects and worms in the lake. Several stomachs of well ducks showed that these birds had been feeding on aquatic insects and small worms. However, the ducks in this l?cality feed principally at night, in regions quite remote' from the lake, and return to the lake for safety during the day. About dark these birds leave the lake and often fly long distances to culti- vated fields where they feed on grain or alfalfa. When through feeding they re- turn to the lake for the day. Their arrival may be during the night, but gener- ally about daybreak or a little before. In making these flights large flocks are sometimes seen, but most frequently the flocks are small and broken. Narrmving our discussion now to ducks only, we should first note the source from which these birds come. Most of them are not native to this state. They have come here from the north--from British America and Alaska. Some years
