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Bird - Lore 



Russet-backed Thrushes were in song in 

 many city gardens from late April to the 

 middle of May. Vireos and Flycatchers 

 arrived on schedule time. Western Mar- 

 tins occupied the same nesting-sites in 

 Balboa, Long Beach, Whittier, and Pasa- 

 dena, where they have bred for some 

 years. Western Blue Grosbeaks were 

 again reported April 23 and May 16. 

 Rough-winged Swallows were seen in the 

 vicinity of their former nesting-place 

 April 23. 



A Townsend Solitaire was seen on 

 April 23. April 27 furnished latest record 

 of a Hermit Thrush, the Russet-back being 

 then present in full numbers. On the same 

 date one Monterey Thrush was recorded, 

 seen in Millard Canon, Pasadena. On that 

 date many Black-chinned Hummingbirds 

 were found nesting. 



A few trips have been made to the shore 

 and the inland sloughs during the spring. 

 On May 1 Eared Grebes, wearing their 

 nuptial plumes, were seen in the canals 

 back of Playa del Rey. A flock of about 

 thirty-five Black-necked Stilts remained 

 about the flats of the lagoon there through 

 the latter part of April and early May. 

 Black-bellied Plover in full summer plum- 

 age were seen there on May 1 and n. The 

 waders were at that date few in numbers, 

 but the common species were about all 

 present. Marbled Godwits, Long-billed 

 and Hudsonian Curlew, Yellow-legs and 

 Willet were noted, together with Semi- 

 palmated Plover, Sanderling, Red-backed, 



Least and Western Sandpipers, and vast 

 flocks of Forster's Terns. Least Terns were 

 there in smaller numbers, and over on the 

 sea beach little Snowy Plover ran about, or 

 rested on the upper beach. California and 

 Ring-billed Gulls, abundant in winter and 

 occasional in summer, were still present in 

 small numbers, while of the few remaining 

 Bonapartes but one wore the black head of 

 the breeding bird. 



A visit on April 21 to that famed resort 

 of water-birds, Nigger Slough, now reduced 

 to a mere fraction of its former area, dis- 

 covered Avocets, Stilts, and Long-billed 

 Dowitchers, together with many Ducks, 

 including seven of the Fulvous Tree-Duck, 

 which have been noted also on several later 

 dates and likely are nesting there. Several 

 White-faced Glossy Ibis, another species 

 formerly common there but now only an 

 occasional visitor, were noted on April 12. 

 A single Northern Phalarope was also ob- 

 served on that date, and again on May 24. 

 This same locality in late May, 1918, fed 

 thousands of these dainty swimmers. Red- 

 winged, Tri-colored and Yellow-headed 

 Blackbirds were all feeding well-fledged 

 young, out of nests, on the 24th, which 

 date also recorded ten White Pelicans, 

 doubtless non-breeders. 



Western Bluebirds coming daily to an 

 Audubon member's table and carrying 

 away food on and after May 16 is good 

 evidence of a nest somewhere near — not a 

 common occurrence in this locality. — L. E. 

 WYMAN, Los Angeles, Calif. 



