I go 



Bird - Lore 



a mile wide. Much of this island is heavily 

 wooded, willow, cotton-wood and elm trees 

 predominating. Many of the cotton woods 

 (poplars) are stately trees, being from 

 seventy to ninety feet high. The open por- 

 tion of the island is covered with grass, 

 and a dense growth of underbrush contri- 

 butes to its picturescjueness. 



used to think that the now restricted 

 island was the best, and almost the only, 

 local place in which to study this interest- 

 ing bird. 



During the migrations the island is the 

 stopping place of innumerable Warblers, 

 Sparrows and other birds that move north 

 and south through the Connecticut val- 



SOUTH END OF WILLOW ISL 



Photographed by 



Willow Island is a favorite nesting place 

 for the Wilson's Thrush, or Veery, the 

 Yellow Warbler, Baltimore Oriole, Rose- 

 breasted Grosbeak, Scarlet Tanager, Red- 

 start, Catbird, Maryland Yellow-throat, 

 Song and Swamp Sparrows, and Spotted 

 Sandpipers. In the early sixties, before 

 the Rose-breasted Grosbeak was as com- 



on as at the present time, the writer 



AXD, XI:AK roRTLAXU, CONN. 

 Miss Harriet Sage 



ley. The rare Mourning \\'arbler has 

 been observed there in the spring, and in 

 the autumn it is not unusual to see the 

 Connecticut Warbler. 



Woodcock find the island a retreat; an 

 occasional Ruffed Grouse is started from 

 the thick undergrowth, and a bevy of 

 Quail sometimes flies from the main- 

 land to seek protection desired. 



