The Season 



IOI 



the heavy snowstorm that brought twenty- 

 six inches of snow between the evening of 

 January 27 and the evening of January 28. 

 Previous to this time birds had been very 

 scarce about the writer's home, but on the 

 28th, ten species and a considerable number 

 of individuals appeared about the house and 

 remained more or less all day. On January 

 2Q, which was cloudy with occasional snow- 

 squalls, the birds were still more numerous, 

 and during the two following days, which 

 were fair, they continued common. During 

 these four days (January 28 to 31) the 

 following species were observed: Turkey 

 Buzzard, American Crow, Fish Crow, Blue 

 Jay, European Starling, English Sparrow, 

 White-throated Sparrow, Song Sparrow, 

 Slate-colored Junco, Cardinal, Tufted Tit- 

 mouse, Carolina Chickadee, White-breasted 

 Nuthatch, Mockingbird, and Bluebird. The 

 heavy blanket of snow over all the country 

 had evidently given them some trouble in 

 procuring a livelihood, and they were thus 

 driven to seek food in unusual places. The 

 Juncos were the most familiar as well as 

 most numerous visitors, and came readily to 

 the back yards for crumbs and cornmeal 

 thrown out for their benefit. The Bluebirds 

 flew disconsolately about the yards, but 

 were with difficulty attracted to feeding- 

 stations. Since relatively warm weather 

 succeeded the storm, and the snow rapidly 

 melted, soon leaving spaces of bare ground, 

 the birds gradually withdrew from the out- 

 skirts of the city, and doubtless no serious 

 loss of life occurred among these bird visitors. 

 — Harry C. Oberholser, Biological Survey, 

 Washington, D. C. 



Chicago Region. — The winter in this 

 region has been very mild, as it was last year; 

 no heavy snows and only a few days of real 

 cold weather. A number of species have 

 found food enough for them to stay here 

 instead of going south. A few visitors have 

 come in from the north also, which seems to 

 bear out the belief that it is more the food- 

 supply than the temperature that controls 

 the movements of winter birds. 



The large crop of acorns has kept the Red- 

 headed Woodpeckers here all winter. Others 

 reported staying here are: Marsh Hawk, 



January 8; Red-tailed Hawk, January 15; 

 Sparrow Hawk, January 6, from the Dunes 

 and also from Waukegan, December 23 and 

 24, where Mr. Lyons found one trying to 

 reach a Junco he had caught in a banding 

 trap; Red-breasted Nuthatch, January 13; 

 and Northern Flicker, January 30, seen by 

 H. K. Coale at Highland Park, Ills. Meadow- 

 larks have been reported from all sides of the 

 city, and as far north as Kenosha, Wis., 

 fifty-two miles north of Chicago. Robin and 

 Brown Creeper were seen December 27 by 

 Dr. C. W. G. Eifrig, at River Forest. W. I. 

 Lyons reports from Waukegan, Winter 

 Wren and Golden-crowned Kinglet, January 

 2, and a Fox Sparrow that has been around 

 his yard all winter. January 22, the writer 

 found a Song Sparrow at Beach, Ills. 



The common winter birds are here as 

 usual. Others reported are: Northern Shrike, 

 January 4, and Rough-legged Hawk, Jan- 

 uary 9, from River Forest; and Bohemian 

 Waxwings, December 28 (Dr. Eifrig), Jan- 

 uary 24 and February 4; also Northern 

 Shrike, January 9, at Glencoe (S. A. Harper); 

 Horned Grebe, January 15, and Purple 

 Finch, February 5, at Dune Park, Ind. 

 (Mrs. Cramp). 



January 22, the writer saw a Saw-whet 

 Owl which had been shot west of Highland 

 Park, Ills. It was sitting on the ground in 

 some thick hazel brush. A pair of Snow 

 Buntings were seen at Beach, January 2. 

 No Ducks have been reported yet, probably 

 as they stay too far out in the lake for 

 identification. Some were seen by the writer 

 at Beach January 2 and 22, but could not be 

 identified. — Colin Campbell Sanborn, 

 Chairman Report Committee, Chicago Orni- 

 thological Society. 



Minnesota Region. — The first severe 

 cold of the winter came in late December — 

 10 degrees below zero on the morning of the 

 23d and 18 below the day before Christmas, 

 at Minneapolis, with 24 below at Moorhead 

 23 below at Fergus Falls, and 22 below at 

 Duluth, the coldest days since February, 

 1920. Twice during January there were 

 cold spells of a few days' duration when the 

 thermometer ranged from 10 to 20 degrees 

 below zero at various places in the state. 



