flutes from Jfl'zlh anh 5ND?
A Morning's Bird-List
As is well known, the spring of r900 was an extraordinary bird-season in southern New England and the Middle States Many usually rare species among the north- ward migrants became decidedly common: while, in addition to this, there was a re- markable dallying of northern winter visi- tants far south of their normal limits. The result, particularly within the northern border of the Carolinian zone. was a mos‘ extraordinary conglomeration of birds, the like of which will probably not be seen again for many years.
Mr. Louis A. Fuertes and I had the good fortune to spend most of that spring together, in a particularly favorable locality, at Scarboro, on the east shore of the Hud- son river. thirty miles above New York. This place, whicll is part of the ground made historic for otnithologists by the re- searches ol Dr. Fisher, had the peculiar advantage of being within the overlap of the newly settled Carolinian and the loiter- ing boreal birds. and at the same time full in the track of the great northward migra- tion of Canadian species. A better posi- tion for studying the incongntities of the season could hardly have been chosen. In the rich, luxuriant spring of that warm, alluvial land, where already in mid-May the landscape wore the garh' of summer, and the southern birds, such as Kentucky, Hooded, Blue-winged. Prairie and Worm- eating Warblers, Yellow-breasted Chats, Louisiana Water-Thrushes, Orchard Ori- oles, Acadian Flycatchers, etc., were set- tled on their breeding-grounds. it was indeed strange to hear the soft, chattering call and clear ‘Hear' of White-winged Crossbills, which still climbed about our Norway spruees. in twas and threes. Two at least and l think three of these birds were still in the region when I left on May 29. Furthermore, they were to all intents and purposes ten/ed in the Norway spruces
about my home, rarely straying from them, and had been in this chronic state for weeks, so that they dotrlttless lingered on well into june at least. There is no reason to believe, however. tlle birds were nesting. Red Crossbills and Sisklns were also pres- ent throughout May. and Retlpoll Linnets were seen on Aprl 29.
Altogether we found over a hundred and forty species within two or three miles of .ur house. in the course of two months. Thirty»two of these were Warhlers,~a|l the Warblers normally possible to the re- gion. with the exception of the Orange- crowned, Connecticut, Cerulean, Brewster‘s and Kirtland‘s,—birds so unlikely to occur there at that season as to be hardly worth considering in this connection. Thirty of these Warhlers were found on the small homestead described below.
The appended list ol eighty species seen on a single lorenoon gives an idea of the wonderful diversity and richness of the tern» porary avitauna. With very ten- excepv lions. these birds were all found on a single ' 'de homestead of about six acres, con- ta ng grass-land. bushes and brambles. as well as many lruit antl evergreen trees, Our only excursion beyond these I' its was a walk across lots to tlle river, a distance of half a mile, and only two or three species (among them the Rough-winged Swallow) were added by this trip. Fuertes and l were almost constantly together, so that we had seareer any advantages over a single observer. Considering the limitations of time and area, this list seems to he a very large Dnea Extending our field half a mile to the eastward would have added at least four species, among them the Kentucky and Worm-e ing Warblers. Notice that the list consists almost wholly of the smaller
passerine birds. and does not include even a single Hawk.
May 12, [900. Bob-white, Mourning Dove, \‘ellowbilled Cuckoo, Black-billed Cuckoo. Downy Woodpecker. Flicker,
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