33^ 



Bird - Lore 



THE SEASON 



IV. August 15 to October 15 



Boston Region. — Autumn came early 

 this year; summer, delayed by the late 

 spring, was shortened by the frosts of 

 September. 



One would suppose that the birds which 

 had postponed breeding so long would not 

 be ready to migrate on their customary 

 dates. However, this was not the case, 

 even with the birds that leave this region 

 in August. For example, Chimney Swifts, 

 Least Flycatchers, and Bobolinks, al- 

 though two weeks behind time in arriv- 

 ing on their breeding-grounds, left, as 

 usual, late in August. During the latter 

 half of this month there was a conspicuous 

 Warbler migration, made up chiefly of 

 Ovenbirds, and Black and White and 

 Tennessee Warblers. There was prac- 

 tically no autumnal flight of Red-breasted 

 Nuthatches. 



During September, birds were scarce 

 and no heavy flight was noted. Bay- 

 breasted and Cape May Warblers were 

 prominent during the month, but the 

 Black-poll, usually our most abundant 

 Warbler of the autumn, occurred rarely. 



At present (October 15) Hermit 

 Thrushes, White-throated Sparrows, 

 Slate-colored Juncos, and Myrtle War- 

 blers are in active migration, the last 

 three in large numbers. The Myrtle War- 

 bler, one of the most regular migrants, 

 did not appear until the second week of 

 October — two weeks late. Chipping Spar- 

 rows have gathered in flocks, often of 

 fifty birds or more, in preparation for 

 departure. — Winsor M. Tyler, M.D., 

 Lexington, Mass. 



New York City Region. — Our sum- 

 mer residents have been leaving us at 

 about their regular times, notwithstand- 

 ing the fact that caterpillars, in most 

 remarkable variety of species and number 

 of individuals, have been thronging the 

 countryside. The shore-bird migration 

 was, on the whole, normal in dates and 

 numbers, though Mr. J. T. Nichols states 



that departure dates were a little late at 

 Mastic, L. L, and that he saw. rather 

 fewer Black-bellied Plover and more 

 Western and Stilt Sandpipers than usual 

 there. The autumn transients of the 

 Warbler family were late in appearing, 

 but have passed through in about their 

 usual numbers, except that the Black- 

 poll, normally one of the most abundant, 

 has been scarce, and others possibly some- 

 what so. The winter residents also are 

 somewhat behind their schedule; White- 

 throated Sparrows and Juncos were rather 

 late in reaching us at all, and while both 

 should now (October 15) be abundant, 

 the former is no more than fairly common, 

 and but few of the latter have been seen. 

 Of the Red-breasted Nuthatch, so com- 

 mon two years ago and still more so last 

 year, only one individual has been re- 

 ported to me (by Mr. G. E. Hix). (This 

 species was noticeably scarce in the White 

 Mountains this season; and Pine Siskins 

 and White- winged and Red Crossbills 

 were absent or nearly so there.) Black-cap 

 Chickadees are not common. — Charles 

 H. Rogers, American Museum of Nal- 

 itral History, New York City. 



Philadelphia Region. — August tem- 

 perature averaged three degrees above 

 normal. No unusual movement of birds 

 was observed. A number of trips along 

 the New Jersey coast showed shore-birds 

 present in increased numbers; this was 

 especially noticeable among the smaller 

 species, particularly the Sanderling. The 

 Federal Law, no doubt, has aided materi- 

 ally in bringing this about. Maimed 

 birds, hopping about on one foot, plainly 

 showed, however, that the law had been 

 disregarded by some. Common Terns and 

 Laughing Gulls were common at all 

 points visited, perhaps more so than for a 

 number of years. Ospreys, I think, were 

 present in normal numbers, though they 

 are thought by some to be less common 

 than formerly. 



