254 



Bird - Lore 



The woods were nearly silent, only the 

 songs of a few Red-eyed Vireos and an occa- 

 sional White-throated Sparrow, the call of 

 the Wood Pewee and the frequent screaming 

 notes of the Crested Flycatcher breaking the 

 stillness. One note, however, is all too com- 

 mon here and growing yearly more frequent — 

 the discordant caw of the Crow. Sharing in 

 the protection afforded all wild creatures in 

 the Park, this miscreant is rapidly multi- 

 plying and is becoming a serious menace to 

 all bird-life. The only apparent service they 

 render is in assisting the Buzzards in clearing 

 the shores of the lakes of dead fish. 



The Great Blue Herons, usually abundant 

 at this date, had all gone on our arrival, two 

 weeks at least ahead of the customary date. 

 The Black Terns also were beginning to 

 leave, much earlier then usual. The mis- 

 cellaneous groups of birds that assemble pre- 

 paratory to the southward movement were 

 already forming. All this, together with a 

 tinge of yellow in the birches and the dying 

 undergrowth in the forest, suggested that the 

 summer was already on the wane. 



On August 4 saw a belated Junco's nest 

 containing three young birds about ready to 

 liy. On the loth saw a male Scarlet Tanager 

 just beginning to molt — showing yellow 

 patches along the sides and flanks. 



It was a surprise to find that there are no 

 Ducks about the lake as at this time in pre- 

 vious years there were broods of Golden- 

 eyes, Wood Ducks, Mallards, and Lesser 

 Scaups. Report says that a few bred here 

 this spring but they have apparently disap- 

 peared. There is a very much heavier growth 

 of wild rice around the shores of the lake this 

 year than usual. 



It is the opinion of bird observers at the 

 Forestry School that there is a decided de- 

 crease in the small bird life in the Park and 

 they are disposed to attribute this to the 

 marked increase in the numbers of Crows, 

 Crackles, and red squirrels, all of which have 

 been seen destroying birds' nests, eggs, and 

 carrying off young nestlings. — Tho.s. S. 

 Roberts, Zoological Museum, University of 

 Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn. 



Kansas City Region. — Enough reliable 

 data arc at hand to prove conclusively that 



Wood Ducks, Blue-winged Teal, and Mal- 

 lards are again nesting in this immediate 

 region in some numbers. It is also quite 

 likely that a few pairs of Shovellers and Pin- 

 tails have succeeded in bringing off young 

 in the lake regions of Platte and Buchanan 

 counties, as family parties of these Ducks 

 have lately been seen on the Missouri River 

 between Leavenworth and St. Joseph. .\ 

 report of a nest of Hooded Mergansers could 

 not be investigated. It is, of course, en- 

 couraging to be able to chronicle this return 

 of water-fowl to their former breeding-places 

 in western Missouri and eastern Kansas, but 

 discouraging to reflect that the only re- 

 maining sites of sufficient wildness and quiet 

 seclusion to enable these birds to breed safel\- 

 and without being disturbed are located in 

 the Missouri bottom-lands and are in con- 

 stant danger of being flooded during the 

 nesting season. In spite of this and other 

 dangers the Ducks seem to be slowly but 

 surely reestablishing their breeding stands 

 in this region. 



Three more nests, with eggs, of Traill's 

 Flycatcher were collected in the region of the 

 mouth of the Big Blue River where the only 

 colony of these birds has ever been foiuid 

 breeding in this neighborhood. It has been 

 thought unlikely that this species has been 

 merely overlooked previously, but that it 

 has suddenly appeared here as a breeder and 

 that the cause for this might not operate for 

 their return another season. Needless to say 

 these birds will be eagerly sought for in this 

 region next spring. 



A pair of Rough-winged Swallows nested 

 this season in the Country Club district in 

 the same bank with a small colony of Bank 

 Swallows. The burrow was over 3 feet long 

 and the nest was lined with petals instead of 

 feathers. It is presumed that this burrow 

 was excavated by the Bank Swallows. 



A pair of Blue Grosbeaks were seen within 

 the southern border of Swopc Park worrying 

 a Shrike, and it was hoped that this species 

 might be added to Professor Shirling's list of 

 breeders within this preser\'e, but the nest. 

 though evidently near at hand, could not be 

 found. 



Si\cral Black-billed Cuckoos have been 

 seen here during August. This species has 



