The Season 



231 



interesting records. Seventeen species of 

 Sparrows, six Vireos, and eighteen War- 

 blers were identified, a total of 107 species 

 being seen or heard. On the next night a 

 terrific hail-storm did much damage to 

 bird-life in the Swope Park region. Dead 

 and crippled birds of eight species were 

 found by the dozens, and 18 out of a total 

 of 21 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher nests were 

 found to be either damaged or destroyed 

 by the large hail-stones. 



The first wave of migrating Warblers 

 invaded the city parks and boulevards on 

 May 4, on which date the first Nighthawks 

 were seen. As late as the beginning of the 

 second week in May the deeper woods were 

 still bare and leafless. On the 9th a male 

 Prairie Horned Lark was performing his 

 flight-song and high dive to earth, prob- 

 ably celebrating a second courtship. Breed- 

 ing Western Meadowlarks were heard sing- 

 ing in the same field with the Eastern 

 species, and a nest of Killdeers containing 

 three eggs was found at the edge of a golf 

 course within the city limits. Not until 

 May 13 did the Yellow-billed Cuckoo put 

 in an appearance, and as late as June 10 

 only a few individuals have been seen. Mi- 

 grant Thrushes and Harris's Sparrows in 

 small numbers were still present on May 16, 

 which is exceptionally late for this region. 

 Tennessee Warblers were still numer- 

 ous on the 2 2d, though by no means as 

 abundant as at this time last year when 

 the canker worms were a plague. Blue 

 Grosbeaks at last seem to have established 

 themselves in this neighborhood, as two 

 nests have been found and a third pair seen. 



A unique record for this region has 

 recently been established by Clark Salyer, 

 of Lexington, Mo., who took a specimen 

 of Green-tailed Towhee on March 12. This 

 adds a new species to the state list, under 

 the head of accidental visitant. A box of 

 specimens received from this enthusiastic 

 student contained also such locally rare 

 species as Woodcock, Smith's Longspur, 

 Brewer's Blackbird, and Bewick's Wren. 



It is regretted that lack of space prevents 

 a more detailed enumeration of interesting 

 data accumulated here this spring.— 

 Harry Harris, Kansas City, Mo. 



Denver Region. — The week preceding 

 April 17 was mild, and the 16th a clear, 

 warm, delightful day, giving promise of 

 bringing north many birds. Many had 

 already returned from the south, seed- 

 eaters, as well as insectivorous kinds, a 

 good many Say's Phcebes and Lark Bunt- 

 ings being in evidence up to the 17th, 

 when a severe snowstorm broke over a 

 goodly part of Colorado, and western 

 Kansas and Nebraska. Evidently a heavy 

 wave of migrating Robins was in action 

 when this blizzard struck the state, for im- 

 mediately after it ceased, thousands and 

 thousands of Robins appeared in the city 

 and its environs and lingered thereabouts 

 until April 27, when the bulk left and our 

 usual summer quota only remained. Simi- 

 lar haltings of migrations have been noted 

 in this region a good many times by the 

 writer in the past quarter of a century. 

 It was quite evident that Robins and birds 

 with similar food habits did not fare badly 

 after the storm, since an accommodating 

 wind drifted the snow and left extensive 

 areas uncovered in which these birds were 

 able to find food. But the Flycatchers and 

 Swallows must have been pressed hard for 

 a living. This storm also seemed to con- 

 centrate in this region many Sparrow 

 Hawks, Killdeers, and Bluebill Ducks, 

 fifteen of the last having been seen in one 

 of our park lakes on April 22. It may have 

 been the cause also, of a visit to the city 

 by a Ring-billed Gull on April 24; this is 

 the first time the writer has seen this Gull 

 within the limits of Denver. There is no 

 doubt in his mind but that this storm and 

 its subsequent weather consequences held 

 Juncos here two weeks or more beyond 

 their usual time of departure. Thus 

 Shufeldt's was seen on, April 27, the Pink- 

 sided on May 1, and the Gray-headed on 

 May 13, all dates very late for these 

 Juncos. 



The Pine Siskin usually comes back to 

 us early in March, but this year its first 

 appearance is recorded as being of May 6; 

 the Warblers seem not to have been dis- 

 turbed by our unseasonable April weather. 

 Perhaps the snowstorm and blizzard did 

 not extend south far enough to slow their 



