5o 



Bird - Lore 



first week in November, at least 6 had re- 

 turned to their winter quarters on the tide 

 flats at San Pedro, where many waders 

 gather. A group of 13 Avocets was observed 

 there on October 26, and again November 8, 

 the absence of fresh-water areas at this sea- 

 son apparently having driven them to accept 

 the margins of salt water for feeding-grounds. 

 Five Long-billed Dowitchers, 5 Willets, 3 

 Marbled Godwits and many Black-bellied 

 Plover were with them. Bonaparte's, Her- 

 ring, and Glaucous-winged Gulls are occa- 

 sionally seen in small numbers in company 

 with the more common Gulls. Loons and 

 Horned Grebes have been observed upon the 

 ocean throughout the fall, and the Surf and 

 White-winged Scoters are very numerous. 



Our list of winter visitant land-birds has 

 been augmented by the arrival of the Varied 

 Thrush, Lewis's Woodpeckers in unusual 

 numbers, and a Red-naped Sapsucker, noted 

 on December 5 and 9. First Robins were re- 

 ported November 12; Mountain Bluebirds, 

 November 21, Cedar Waxwings, November 

 24. The Slender-billed Nuthatch was noted 

 in Echo Park, November 28, and, on De- 

 cember 5 and 9, was found in the park at 

 Sunland. On the latter date Purple Finches 

 were seen. Blue-fronted Jays were numerous 

 in the Arroyo Seco near Pasadena November 

 29. Bell's Sparrows were found in abundance 

 in the lower foothills near Tejunga Canon, 

 December 5 and 9, watch being kept for an 

 hour at midday on a steep slope covered 

 mainly with Adenostoma and Artemisia cali- 

 f arnica, where a slight leak in a water-pipe 

 afforded a. drinking-place. Here came Bell's 

 Sparrows in constant succession, from one to 

 five being present continuously. Other visi- 

 tors were a Valdez Fox Sparrow, a Chipping 

 Sparrow, many Gambel's, a Spurred Towhee, 

 two Anthony's Towhees, a Thrasher, a 

 Robin, a California Jay, two Wrentits, many 

 Audubon's Warblers and Green-backed 

 Goldfinches, a Hermit Thrush, a pair of 

 Linnets, and a Mockingbird. A Humming- 

 bird, a Gnatcatcher, a Savannah Sparrow, and 

 a Flicker came near but did not visit the 

 water, and a Sharp-shinned Hawk flew over. 

 A Black-tailed Gnatcatcher was seen in the 

 dry wash near by. An alfalfa field in the 

 valley was visited by an immense flock of 



Red-winged Blackbirds that rose with a 

 roar of wings as we passed. Immense flocks 

 of Brewer's Blackbirds in suburban localities 

 have attracted much attention, and from the 

 proportion of brown individuals to black it 

 would appear that the season's hatch was a 

 pronounced success. 



As we close this report (December 12), the 

 Myrtle Warbler is reported from Echo Park 

 and the Black-throated Gray Warbler from 

 Sycamore Grove. — Frances B. Schneider, 

 Los Angeles, Calif. 



San Francisco Region. — The migration 

 of shore-birds on the Alameda mud flats, as 

 reported by Mrs. Kelley, shows a decreasing 

 number of Godwits and Dowitchers until 

 December 10, when 2 Godwits were seen and 

 Dowitchers were missing for the first time. 

 The last wave of Forster's Terns occurred on 

 November 18. The flock of Willets is now 

 (December 12) reduced to 15 but Sandpipers 

 (Western, Least and Red-backed) are still 

 increasing, as are also the Black-bellied 

 Plovers. Ring-billed and Bonaparte's Gulls 

 are still very abundant. On the sandy beach 

 south of the Cliff House Mr. Kibbe reported 

 the Snowy Plovers as abundant on December 

 3. On the same date the toll of ocean wan- 

 derers brought in by the high wind of the 

 preceding night included 2 Common Loons, 

 5 Pacific Fulmars, 2 Dark-bodied Shear- 

 waters and 1 Murre. 



The Ducks on Lake Merritt, in Oakland, 

 are present in throngs, but have probably 

 not yet reached the peak either as to individ- 

 uals or species. On November 6, Mr. Kibbe 

 reported Pintails, Ruddies, and Lesser Scaup 

 as being far in excess of other species, but by 

 December 12 the Baldpates and Shovellers 

 were as numerous as Ruddy Ducks, and 

 Scaup were hard to find. Only one Canvas- 

 back was seen. The birds are noticeably 

 more tame than in other seasons. The Pin- 

 tails in particular settle down like domestic- 

 fowls in the enclosure recently wired in to 

 afford them better protection. About 15 

 pairs of Mallards are also very much at home. 

 Mr. Dixon reports 8 male Buffleheads on 

 the lake earlier in the month, and a few are 

 present on the lakes in Golden Gate Park. 

 One White-winged Scoter was seen on 



