An Acre of Birds 231 



found, except those of fivf ^lurits. and all idrnlilU'd specie^, except one or 

 two, have been seen from or within the housc-\ard, which contains less than 

 an acre. The situation is six miles in an air-line from the Mississippi river, 

 and two miles from the western edge of the timber-belt that grows along the 

 banks of that ri\-er. The trees of the village form a small arboreal oasis on 

 the open prairie. In the yard the hand of the pruner is stayed, and, at present, 

 about the place there are fifteen bird-boxes; aside from these conditions, the 

 attractions for birds are no greater than most village yards of similar extent 

 might offer, except that at the foot of our lots there stretches a very wet mea- 

 dow, whose existence has added at least two breeding and possibly a dozen 

 migrant species to the lists. Two nesting species, the Screech Owl and the 

 Bluebird, have come because of the boxes that have been put up; all the 

 others ha\'e found nesting-places without human aid, for one season at least. 



From the enumerations that follow, the English Sparrow is always elim- 

 inated; in fact, no record of this avian rat is kept except on the pay-roll of 

 the three small boys who scour the neighborhood for Sparrow nests to destroy. 

 On our place, or flying overhead, 139 bird species have been identified. All 

 of them, except one, have passed this way within the last four years, therefore, 

 to this limit of four years are kept all references, except those relating to four 

 or five of the nesting species. The number of species counted on the place 

 each year ranges from 93 to 108. The average number of species visiting us 

 in May is 75. The largest number upon one day was 48, but on two other 

 days 47 have been seen. 



Absorbing is the subject of migrating birds, but it is the daily presence, 

 month after month, that creates an abiding interest. For the months of May, 

 June and July, 1910, the average daily number of bird species that were 

 observed from or on our grounds was 25. In August the number is apt to 

 fall considerably below this figure, yet, in 1908, there was a daily average of 

 22 species, the maximum number for one day being 31 and the minimum 

 16. Our winters are so severe that few birds linger with us. No more than a 

 dozen species have been seen in the winters of the four years under consider- 

 ation. Five of them have come for food; a daily average of three or four is 

 the highest one can hope to secure. 



The greatest opportunities offered by the place are those connected with 

 the nest-life of the birds. Twenty-five species have nested upon our grounds, 

 and two others, the Dickcissel and the Vesper Sparrow, may have done so 

 without their nests ha^■ing been found. Besides these, there are seven other 

 species that breed just beyond our fences, on lands belonging to the neigh- 

 bors, that may decide to locate here at some future time. The nesting species 

 are: Sora, Bobwhite, Mourning Dove, Screech Owl, FHcker, Chimney Swift, 

 Kingbird, Phoebe, Bobolink, Cowbird (in nests of Bobolink and Maryland 

 Yellow-throat), Red- winged Blackbird, Meadowlark, Bronzed Crackle, Gold- 

 finch, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Barn Swallow White-rumped Shrike, 



