38 



Bird - Lore 



Denver Region. — When the writer 

 reviews his notes and impressions concern- 

 ing bird-life in this region during the last 

 two months, he feels as though he had 

 played the lottery and had drawn a blank. 

 With the exception of three slight snow- 

 storms and a spell when the temperature 

 stayed around eight above for a day or so, 

 there has been hereabouts an almost 

 unbroken procession of sunny days. And 

 this seemed to have meant no bird move- 

 ment; the absence of snow in our neighbor- 

 ing foot-hills, along the nearby creeks, and 

 on the prairies leaves uncovered an 

 abundant food-supply for the birds. 

 Consequently they have not been massed 

 into restricted feeding areas to be found 

 in the city and its parks. A large influx 

 of Horned Larks is an invariable aftermath 

 of a widespread and heavy snowstorm in 

 this region; they are then to be seen feed- 

 ing in the streets and park areas where 

 many places have bare ground after the 

 storm. After each of the storms since 

 October 15 last, there has been a slight but 

 temporary increase of Juncos in Denver, 

 mostly Pink-sided, and Gray-headed, 

 though Shufeldt's and Montana were also 

 detected, and also a single Slate-colored 

 (November 23). 



There have been rather more Great 

 Northern Shrikes in and about Denver 

 in the period now reported upon, taking 

 toll ;jf English Sparrows, and, alas, also 

 of House Finches. .\ single Sparrow Hawk 

 was seen near the State Capitol on Decem- 

 ber I, it being the only Hawk that the 

 writer has noticed here for the past ciglit 

 weeks. Usually by this time there are still 

 a few American Rough-legs and a few 

 Red-tails, and Swainson's. At this season 

 one is justified in expecting to see Long- 

 crested and Woodhouse Jaj's, and, too, 

 large flocks of Pinon Jays are to be notice<l 

 working their way eastward; up to the 

 present writing not a single jay of any 

 sort has been detected b>- the writer in 

 this vicinity. While he suspects that the 

 Tree Sparrow has been here some time, 

 yet be believes that it is not present now 

 in its accustomed numbers. If this region 

 has no more snow or cold weather lietween 



this date and Christmas, the census for 

 that day will make a meager list indeed. — 

 W. H. Bergtoli), Denver, Colo. 



S.\x Fr.vnxisco Region. — Four summer 

 residents of the San P'rancisco region were 

 seen after the last report was sent in, 

 namely the Allen Hummer on O.ctober 13, 

 and the Western Flycatcher, Pileolated 

 Warbler, and Yellow Warbler on October 

 16. An accidental occurrence of the Tolmie 

 Warbler on November 26 is the second 

 record for the state during the winter 

 months. This Warbler was seen several 

 times by a party of six who were scouting 

 for birds at the Claremont Country Club. 



Winter residents have been, perhaps, 

 more abundant than usual during the earh- 

 part of the winter. Continuous rain has 

 softened the ground so that birds of all 

 categories are provided with an abundance 

 of food. The fruit of Toyon berries planted 

 on the Berkeley hills has probably fur- 

 nished an added attraction. Western 

 Robins and Varied Thrushes were noted 

 October 14 and Cedar Wax wings Novem- 

 ber 15; Western Bluebirds have also been 

 reported from different parts of the city 

 and their calls are often heard as they fly 

 over the hills in flocks of from six to 

 twenty. Of the winter birds that come to 

 my feeding table three are now banded. 

 One of these, a Fox Sparrow, has returned 

 for the second season; while two Golden- 

 crowned Sparrows, banded last spring, 

 arc noted daily among the eight or ten 

 regular boarders of this species. 



A flock of twenty - fi\e Hand - tailed 

 Pigeons seen by ^Ir. H. S. Swarth is the 

 most interesting record of transients noted 

 during the period covered by this report. — 

 .\mei.i.\ S. .\llen, Berkeley, Calif. 



Los .\ngeles Region. — The Alaska 

 Hermit Thrush was a fortnight late in 

 reaching our region, and up to date fewer 

 individuals have been recorded than in 

 former seasons, one or two only beirg 

 seen on a day's walk where they have 

 formerly been abundant. He made his 

 lirst api)earance about the i8th. as did also 

 the Ruby-rrowncd Kinglet. On this date. 



