240 Bird - Lore 



spends much time looking in it and seems puzzled about the reflection. In the 

 evening he frequently joins the family in the living-room, settling down near 

 the heater. When his comrades return in the spring he will be offered his 

 liberty. 



Our plowed fields and the stack-yards were rich in food for these hungry 

 little friends, and it was a joy to see their bodies fill out and to hear their happy 

 chatter. Melting snow made streams which added to the attraction and 

 contentment. 



On May 14, Tree Sparrows arrived in abundance but not a Chipping Sparrow 

 was seen during the season, nor did a Redpoll apjicar, but I heard of them in 

 the Iditarod District. We usually have them in great numbers. On the 

 evening of the 14th, four Snipes and a pair of Baldpates found the stream in the 

 stack-yard and were with us several weeks. 



The next night, while watching the antics of a Wilson's Snipe, a pair of Varied 

 Thrushes were seen to alight on the fence and were the sight of the season. 

 In that light, yellow as the yellowest orange, with their black markings, they 

 were beautiful beyond description. One of them was seen three successive 

 evenings, but Dr. Gilbert, of Leland Stanford University, told me he saw 

 many of them as he came up the Yukon. That same night we saw a Golden- 

 crowned Sparrow and counted three in all, while the birds were with us. They 

 were not plentiful, that is certain. 



About 15 large birds, called Cranes around here, lighted on the grounds but 

 only for a few minutes. I did not see them, but two years ago I saw a flock of 

 24 that remained here for several hours. This same day. May 19, a female 

 Horned Lark appeared among the Longspurs but was not welcome; they made 

 it very difficult for her to get enough to eat. 



At about 8 o'clock in the evening of the 23d, 14 male Golden Plovers 

 alighted in the front yard of the Station Cottage and were constant 

 visitors around the house for more than two weeks. A Semipalmated Plover, 

 a Lesser Yellow-Legs, and several Sandpipers were seen that evening also, 

 and 8 huge Ravens circled over the fields. 



The next three days brought a large Hawk, which could not be identified, a 

 pair of Bufif-breasted Sandpipers, a Pacific Loon, and a pair of Pintail Ducks. 

 On one of these days a pair of Flycatchers took possession of the clothes- 

 lines and later built a nest under the implement shed and ])n)ughl off^ a family 

 of five that spent the entire Summer with us. These birds were a puzzle as we 

 could not locate them in any of the bird-books we possess. There seemed to 

 be no difference in appearance between the male and female and when separated 

 they uttered loud, piercing calls from the top of the buildings. 



There were Cliff Swallows in abundance but we did not know when they 

 arrived. One of their nests fell from where it was built while the little ones 

 were but a day or two old. One was so badly injured it had to be killed; the 

 other three were put in an old Robin's nest on some cotton, and practically 



