Birds and Seasons 23 



BIRDS OF THE SEASON 



Permanent residents and winter visitants (see Bird-Lore, Dec, 1900, p. 183). 



March Migrants. — March 6-12, Bluebird; 6-15, Robin; 6-20, Redwinged Black- 

 bird ; 8-20, Bronzed Grackle; 10-20, Meadowlark; 13-31, Rusty Blackbird, Fox Sparrow; 

 20-30, Woodcock; 25-31, Covvbird, Phoebe. 



Note. — Cowbirds and Phcebe occasionally delay till April. 



Early in the month Wild Geese are heard, and Sparrow Hawks return. A few 

 Black Ducks return to their inland breeding places. Ipswich Sparrows may be found 

 on the coast certainly by the end of the month, perhaps earlier. From the 13th to the 

 31st, there are evidences of a decided increase in the number of Song Sparrows, Flickers, 

 Crows, and Juncos. My notes do not enable me to state whether there is, in March, 

 a similar increase in the number of Golden-crowned Kinglets and Brown Creepers. 

 There certainly is in April. Several other birds that arri\e in March in e.xceptional 

 years will be included in the April list. 



Winter Visitants leaving Jor the North. — March 31, Northern Shrike; Pine Gros- 

 beak (1893). 



FEBRUARY AND MARCH BIRD-LIFE NEAR NEW YORK CITY 

 By Frank M. Chapman 



The conditions prevailing in the bird world in January continue with- 

 out change until, in the latter half of February, a warm wave gives indi- 

 cation of returning spring, So instantly do the birds respond to the first 

 intimation of winter's retreat that we can readily imagine their earlier 

 coming has been prevented only by the threatening presence of Boreas 

 himself at the gates of their winter quarters. 



Generally speaking, the first birds to appear were the last to go. 

 There is also, as might be expected, a more or less close relation be- 

 tween the northern limit of a bird's winter range and the time of its 

 arrival at a given place, and our earlier migrants, therefore, are birds 

 which have wintered a comparatively short distance to the southward. 

 There is no more regidarity in their coming, however, than there is in 

 the weather of the season itself, and the bird stiulent must watch the 

 Weather Bureau's charts if he would e.xpect to foretell the coming of 

 the birds in February and March. 



The three species of Blackbird and the Robin, the pioneers of this 

 great northward invasion, are birds which can exist in a snow -covered 

 and ice-bound country, and with them come additions to the ranks of 

 Song Sparrows, Purple Finches and other winter birds. liut not until 

 the frost leaves the ground and ice the waters need we look for the 

 Woodcock and W^ilson's Snipe, Kingfisher, Ducks, and (jeese. 



Second in importance onl\ to the ad\ent of the birds themselves is 

 the revival of the season of song. W^th us the Song Sparrow, not the 

 Bluebird, is spring's true heraUl. anil by March i his 'sweet, sneet , meet , 

 very merry cheer' is heard from every favoring thicket, a heart -warming 

 bit of bird music. Indeed, all bird songs have a sjiecial significance or 



