98 



Bird - Lore 



in Exposition Park to eat the berries of the 

 Virginia creeper on the walls, near the 

 office windows, from which it was observed 

 and fully identified by the Curator of 

 Ornithology. In the open country many 

 large flocks of Pipits, Horned Larks, 

 Meadowlarks, are seen, as well as Western 

 Larks, Chipping, Vesper, and Savannah 

 Sparrows, and the usual Gambcl's and 

 Golden-crowns. A Cassin's Kingbird was 

 seen December 12, and a flock of Willow 

 Goldfinches in the olive-brown winter 

 plumage. Large colonies of Crows have 

 been reported from three different localities, 

 and the Ferruginous Rough-legged Hawk 

 several times. 



Mountain and Western Bluebirds, Cedar 

 Waxwings and Western Robins are 

 occasionally seen, and California Purple 

 Finches are abundant since the storm of 

 January. 



On January 12, Mrs. F. T. Bicknell and 

 two other observers found on the 

 Franklyn Canon Reservoir a Holboell's 

 Grebe and a European Widgeon, both of 

 which are very rare visitants to this region. 

 Many Ducks were on the lake. Green- 

 winged Teal being most largely repre- 

 sented, their number being estimated at 

 two hundred. Another party, of which the 

 writer was a member, had a good observa- 

 tion of the Grebe a few days later and 

 also examined specimens in the Museum. 

 They all believe the identification was 

 correct. January 23 was a day of partiallj^ 

 clearing weather, following the severest 



storm of the winter, which blanketed the 

 mountains with snow, and, as in past 

 seasons under similar conditions. Tree 

 Swallows flocked into Echo Park in 

 hundreds, circling about above the lake. 

 Flocks of White-throated Swifts were 

 noticed January 26 and 31. Nuptial flights 

 of Anna's Hummingbird were very fre- 

 quently noticed during December and 

 January, and the females were seen gather- 

 ing nesting material. February 2 a half- 

 constructed nest was found and the bird 

 observed at her work. 



Very heavy gales along the coast the 

 first week in February resulted in an 

 unusual assemblage of birds in Santa 

 Monica Bay. On February 7 our party of 

 observers found there about fifty Western 

 Grebes, about twenty Red-throated Loons, 

 three or four Common Loons, with a few 

 of the smaller Grebes, and one Royal Tern. 

 Surf and White-winged Scoters, American 

 Mergansers, Cormorants and Brown Pelicans 

 were represented by small numbers. Out- 

 numbering all other species combined were 

 the Gulls. Californias were most numerous, 

 and after them the Ring-billed. About ten 

 Herring, five Glaucous-winged, a few 

 Western, Heermann's and Short-billed 

 Gulls completed the list. It was truly a 

 scene of 'Wild Wings,' when all the Gulls 

 were in the air above a sea of glorious color 

 and life, the wind whipping off the spume 

 from the flying surf. — Frances B. 

 Schneider, Los Angeles, Calif. 



