The Season 



107 



region with the water-birds. These are 

 the first Eagles to appear in this region for 

 many years. The bottomland thickets and 

 timbered shelters do not harbor the smaller 

 birds in their usual winter abundance. 

 Save for Pine Siskins, Goldfinches, Juncos, 

 and a few large flocks of Crossbills, the 

 Fringillidae are represented by stragglers 

 only. 



The event of the winter has been an 

 unprecedented invasion of Bohemian 

 Waxwings. One flock of about 175 indi- 

 viduals, from which four specimens were 

 taken, was noted in the bluff region of 

 eastern Jackson County, while flocks 

 aggregating 600 birds have been reported 

 from Holt County (Dankers). A species 

 of no less local rarity, the White-winged 

 Crossbill, has also been seen on several 

 occasions. The writer has seen two in a 

 flock of Crossbills, and others have re- 

 ported seeing specimens. 



The arrival of the Bohemian Waxwings 

 in early January was coincident with a 

 noticeable southern movement of Canada 

 Geese, Meadowlarks, Robins, and Blue- 

 birds. The birds had no doubt been spend- 

 ing the winter in the up-river country not 

 far away. The first Short-eared Owls of the 

 winter were found during this period. 

 They, too, had evidently only just moved 

 in, as their roosting-ground in high grass 

 was only sparsely littered with pellets. A 

 few Mourning Doves were found during 

 the second week of the month making their 

 headquarters in a small patch of hemp. 

 Numbers of Siskins and Crossbills were 

 also feeding on the fat seeds, and there 

 could hardly have been a sufficient supply 

 to last this crowd another week. 



The first week in February was warm, 

 and as is usual at this time, when no 

 storms threaten, the early restless move- 

 ments of north-bound water-birds was 

 witnessed. Robins and Bluebirds were 

 also noticeably more numerous. 



The writer confesses to no great famili- 

 arity with the Grebes, yet this will hardly 

 serve as an excuse for calling the Horned 

 Grebe an Eared Grebe, as was done in the 

 last letter from this point. It should have 

 been stated there that the former bird had 



been added to the local list, and that it 

 breeds occasionally in Nebraska. — Harry 

 Harris, Kansas City, Mo. 



Minnesota Region. — The two-months 

 period covered by this report opened on 

 the morning of December 15 with a 

 temperature of — io° at Minneapolis and 

 -24° at Duluth. This weather continued 

 for several days, with almost daily 

 or nightly snowfalls. Somewhat milder 

 weather prevailed during the final week of 

 December, with two or three days when 

 the snow melted a little at noon and settled 

 rapidly under high, dry winds, but the new 

 year opened with another cold 'snap,' 

 -12° at Minneapolis on the 1st and 

 -1 7 on the 2d. The month continued 

 cold and snowy, with many subzero days, 

 interrupted only occasionally by warmer, 

 sunny days, the warmest being on the 

 29th when a maximum of 38 was recorded 

 at Minneapolis. February has been con- 

 tinuously cold thus far, with a temperature 

 of-18 on the 14th and-19 on the 15th at 

 Minneapolis. The winter has been steadily 

 cold, with no very marked January or 

 February 'thaws,' and yet with no excep- 

 tionally low temperatures. An unusual 

 amount of snow has fallen, especially in 

 the northern part of the state. For this 

 reason it has been a hard winter for the 

 birds, particularly the ground-feeding and 

 weed seed-eating species. 



Several of the Museum's correspondents 

 have commented upon the scarcity of birds 

 this season, while others seemingly have 

 considered conditions as to resident species 

 about normal. On the whole, it would 

 appear that fewer birds have been noted 

 than last winter, which, however, was an 

 exceptionally good year considered from 

 the observer's standpoint. But, compared 

 with two years ago (winter of 1917-18). 

 when all bird-life, including the common- 

 est species, was at the lowest ebb known 

 here, there has been a marked improve- 

 ment. 



A notable feature of the winter, in spite 

 of the continued low temperature and 

 deep snow, has been the presence in the 

 state of a considerable number of birds 



