The Season 



217 



northerly winds and an almost complete 

 cessation of migration. 



In the first days of May, a slender steady 

 stream of new birds from the South was 

 setting in, with a small wave of migrants on 

 May 2, and a more pronounced one on May 

 7, wherein the first Baltimore Orioles arrived 

 in most sections and scattering individuals 

 of several species appeared at a very early or 

 even record date. A lull of two days was 

 followed on May 10 by the only spring wave 

 of transients of any considerable magnitude. 

 Warblers were present in abundance for the 

 first time, the Magnolia Warbler being espe- 

 cially numerous. The birds in Central Park 

 from this wave moved out immediately. At 

 Garden City they remained for two or three 

 days, and at Rhinebeck, up the Hudson, 

 transients from the same flight or an accumu- 

 lation of arrivals were still exceedingly abun- 

 dant the following Sunday, May 14 (Crosby 

 and Murphy), whereas but few remained in 

 the immediate vicinity of New York City. 

 In the ten days that followed, the Blackpoll 

 Warbler arrived generally, but a scarcity of 

 transients and the advanced foliage of the 

 trees simulated conditions which one usually 

 finds the last of May at the 'tag-end' of land- 

 bird migration. The spring army of birds 

 had already passed this latitude into the 

 North at an exceptionally early date, and on 

 the whole the migration was one of the 

 scantest and earliest in the memory of local 

 bird students. That a number of species were 

 late, not early in being recorded may, in some 

 cases, be accounted for by their scarcity. 



Among early records are: May 3, Magnolia 

 Warbler in Central Park (L. Griscom); May 

 7, Canadian Warbler at Bronx Park (Starck) 

 and at Englewood (Griscom); Gray-cheeked 

 Thrush at Englewood (Griscom); May 10, 

 Olive-sided Flycatcher in Central Park 

 (Griscom). 



The nest of a male Brewster's Warbler 

 mated with a female Golden-winged Warbler 

 was found during the Wyanokie (N. J.) bird 

 census by T. D. Carter and R. H. Howland, 

 and the Brewster's Warbler and three of the 

 young later photographed and banded. This 

 interesting find will be reported in detail 

 elsewhere. A pair of Cerulean Warblers 

 nested at Poughkeepsie (George Gray and 



other members of the Dutchess County Or- 

 nithological Society). A Redheaded Wood- 

 pecker nested at Garden City. A Lark Spar- 

 row was observed at Montauk, Long Island, 

 June 12 (J. T. N)— J T. Nichols, New 

 York City. 



Philadelphia Region. — Among the mi- 

 grants arriving in April, the Bonaparte's Gull 

 was by far the most conspicuous; so many of 

 these birds were flying above the surface of 

 the Delaware River and resting on the tidal 

 flats that it was a difficult task to estimate 

 their numbers with any degree of accuracy. 

 April 15, first noted about 200 resting on bar; 

 April 27, most numerous, flock of about 500 

 feeding on the river near mouth of Cooper 

 Creek; May 6, last noted, 6. It is probably 

 safe to say that at no time during the last 

 twenty years, at least, has there been any 

 such flight of these little Gulls. They were 

 certainly as numerous as Herring Gulls are 

 at any time during the winter months. 



By far the most interesting record for the 

 season was made by Mr. John A. Gillespie, 

 who discovered a Yellow-crowned Night 

 Heron at Glen Olden, Pa., April 23. The 

 Heron made its headquarters in a rather 

 heavily wooded glen and could most often be 

 found early in the morning or rather late in 

 the evening. At the suggestion of Mr. Gilles- 

 pie, a trip was taken to the bird's retreat on 

 May 15, and after a rather exciting wait, true 

 to his custom, the bird appeared flying as 

 silently as an Owl, and lit on a nearby beech 

 tree, where an excellent view was obtained of 

 its plumage, including the conspicuous white 

 crown and cheeks and rather short plume. 

 On May 29 the Heron was still about, accord- 

 ing to report, though no mate had been 

 observed. 



No bird student could fail to note the 

 abundance of Mourning Doves in this region; 

 they seem to be becoming more numerous 

 yearly, their soft, cooing notes being heard 

 on all sides in the April woods and groves. 

 Five nests were discovered without undue 

 effort in a comparatively restricted area near 

 the city. One of these nests contained the 

 usual two eggs and was placed directly on 

 the ground. The Warbler migration was not, 

 it seemed, up to the usual standard, there 



