The Season 



99 



Jamaica, I,. I.: "On January 20, during the 

 height of the blizzard, a Purple Grackle 

 appeared in m\ pardon. When I first saw 

 him (it was a male) he was perched on the 

 rounded top of a clothes-post, trying to 

 balance against the gale of wind and snow, 

 but they were too much for him and he flew 

 into a big rose bush, where he, with a couple 

 of dozen English Sparrows, had a garage 

 wall to shelter them from the storm. 1 

 hoped he would stay there to be fed, but 

 something frightened him and he flew away 

 into the storm. He looked thin and tired, as 

 though he had been having a hard time of it 

 lately. This is the first time I have ever 

 seen this species on Long Island in the middle 

 of winter. 



"Another interesting item is that a male 

 (he sings) Mockingbird has been wintering 

 in the barren, bleak district south of Queens 

 Boulevard, near the Packard automobile 

 building. He has been seen a number of 

 times, sometimes sings, and seems to be in 

 good shape." 



The Catbird in the Botanical Gardens, 

 December 18, apparently met with an un- 

 timely end, for a dozen or so Catbird feathers 

 were found, December 25, scattered a few 

 feet away, and two tail-feathers sent in by 

 F. F. Houghton. 



In late January and early February, 

 Shrikes were apparently less common, for 

 the writer saw none, and there seemed to be 

 a slight influx of Tree Sparrows, doubtless 

 from the north. As, with the exception of 

 two stragglers on January 2, the writer has 

 seen no Meadowlarks since December on 

 west-central Long Island; their song has not 

 welcomed the mounting February sun at 

 Garden City, as in years gone by. Reference 

 to the corresponding report last year will 

 show that this species returned in mid- Jan- 

 uary. Perhaps an exceptionally heavy snow- 

 storm which followed in late February last 

 year has discouraged them from repeating 

 an early return. 



On the marshes at Elizabeth, N. J., Urner 

 reports an apparent spring movement in 

 Meadowlarks and Ducks the first half of 

 February. With the increased numbers of 

 Black Ducks he observed individuals of the 

 Mallard and Pintail. 



A 'winter' Song Sparrow, banded at 

 Upper Montclair, N. J., by R. H. Howland 

 (No. 44699, see October-December report), 

 returned to his traps February 4 this year 

 after being last taken December 23. In 1921 

 the same individual likewise returned Feb- 

 ruary 4 after having last been taken Decem- 

 ber 5 preceding. Such midwinter absence of 

 this bird from his traps which might easily 

 have been due to chance one year, becomes 

 significant when occurring a second time. 

 On January 17, B. S. Bowdish trapped three 

 Tree Sparrows at Demarest, N. J., one of 

 which he had banded (No. 49269) nearly or 

 quite a mile away two years previous, Feb- 

 ruary 23, 1920. — J. T. Nichols, New York 

 City. 



Philadelphia Region. — The period under 

 consideration has been marked with a num- 

 ber of quite cold days and much stormy 

 weather. The blizzard of January 28 and 

 29 resulted in about eight inches of snow 

 which drifted in places to the depth of six 

 feet or more. A few days later the ground 

 was for the most part bare, the snow having 

 been quickly melted by a sudden rise in 

 temperature accompanied by a warm rain. 

 It seems therefore quite probable that com- 

 paratively little damage was done to bird- 

 life through lack of food. However, numbers 

 of Black Ducks were reported to have been 

 picked up along the Jersey coast in an ex- 

 hausted and helpless condition immediately 

 following the storm. 



Probably the most interesting record of 

 the winter is that of a Golden Eagle which 

 was shot by a deer hunter near Browns Mills, 

 N. J., about mid-December. The bird was 

 brought into Mt. Holly, N. J., and identified 

 by Mr. Nelson D. W. Pumyea to whom 

 credit is due for the record. The gunner 

 claimed that the Eagle was about to attack 

 him and he had to shoot in self-defense. 

 That he made up the story in self-defense 

 would no doubt be much nearer the truth. 



The Cardinal population this winter 

 appears somewhat above normal. On Jan- 

 uary 15 a flock of 20 of these birds and 2 

 Purple Finches were seen feeding on the 

 seeds of the tulip poplar at National Park, 

 Gloucester County, N. J. 



