The Season 



281 



Three trips were taken to the island on 

 which the Least Terns, one colony of Com- 

 mon Terns, and the colony of 20 Skimmers 

 were nesting, and while the following brief 

 account may by no means be accurate, it 

 will give some idea of the vicissitudes, dan- 

 gers, and misfortunes of these colonial birds. 



June 25. Common Terns, about 100; 

 about 30 nests with eggs; about 10 downy 

 young; a number of eggs laying around in the 

 sand as if washed out of the nests by high 

 tides. Black Skimmers, 14; 2 nests, one 

 with 5 eggs. A pile of some 30 eggs (mostly 

 Skimmers') laying on the sand as if gathered 

 by someone who wished to see how many 

 could be found. Least Terns, 30; 9 nests with 

 2 eggs each; 3 downy young, one with pin- 

 feathers starting on wings. 



July 16 (second trip). Common Terns, 75; 

 2 nests with eggs; a number of downy and 

 some well-feathered young found stretched 

 prone on the sand and hiding in the sparse 

 grass, also a few young birds on the wing, the 

 young birds being distinguished from the 

 parents by their quicker wing-beats and 

 labored flight; numbers of eggs scattered 

 about. Black Skimmers, 14; 3 nests, one 

 with 3 young just hatched. Tracks of a 

 horse, dog, and man in the sand. It looks 

 as if these birds were persistently robbed. 

 Least Terns, 30; no nests with eggs found, 

 1 downy young, probably there are more as 

 these little fellows are just the color of dry 

 sand and hard to see; the parent birds all 

 flying about very anxious. 



August 18 (third trip). Common Terns 40; 

 no nests with eggs; 2 young with pin-feathers 

 starting; most of the birds appear to have 

 finished breeding and have scattered. Black 

 Skimmers, 20; 6 of these birds are young, in 

 gray plumage, 5 are flying about, the other 

 one was found by Jack Crosby, lying prone on 

 the sand. The bird is well feathered but un- 

 able to fly; if put on the sand he immediately 

 squats; finally he is induced to move off, 

 which he does rather hurriedly. The lower 

 mandible of this bird protrudes about an 

 eighth of an inch beyond the upper. Adult 

 Skimmer found dead, floating on surface of 

 Inlet, apparently shot. Least Terns, 10; 

 no young are found, though old birds are 

 seen flying about with food in their bills, 



also show considerable alarm; most of the 

 birds have apparently left. 



While all the colonies suffer more or less 

 from eggers, floods, etc., there seems to be 

 no immediate danger of their being extermi- 

 nated though one cannot predict with any 

 degree of accuracy in view of the rapid growth 

 of the resorts on the New Jersey coast. A 

 sanctuary which would include a strip of 

 beach, it would seem, would be the proper 

 thing. 



Sanderling, 2 Knots, and a Semipalmated 

 Plover were still present on Seven-Mile 

 Beach, N. J., June 18. At this time, also, 

 an Oyster-catcher was observed. This bird 

 was probably a straggler and not nesting, 

 as he manifested no apprehension such as 

 nesting Oyster-catchers at Cobbs Island, Va., 

 had been observed to do when breeding. 

 A very good view of the bird was obtained, 

 but, true to his wild nature, he did not permit 

 of very close approach. As he took wing, 

 the striking wing pattern was plainly seen. 



C. K. Roland was present and also observed 

 the bird. He also is familiar with the species, 

 having seen it on the Virginia coast islands. 

 Three Turnstones and several Least Sand- 

 pipers were noted on the meadows near 

 Atlantic City, N. J., June 25. 



The migration of south-bound shore-birds 

 was in full swing July 16. Dowitcher, 150 

 (4 flocks); Black-breasted Plover, 60 (2 

 flocks); Willet, 2 (Western ?); together with 

 a fair number of the commoner species were 

 all noted on the salt marshes near Atlantic 

 City. Here also Black Terns (7 adults) were 

 observed June 25 and July 16. A large 

 flight of Least Sandpipers, perhaps a thou- 

 sand birds, and a few Pectoral Sandpipers 

 are at present writing (August 14) frequent- 

 ing a filled-in, muddy meadow near the out- 

 skirts of Camden. —Julian K. Potter, 

 Camden, N. J. 



Washington Region. — Ornithological 

 conditions in the vicinity of Washington, 



D. C, were about normal during the months 

 of June and July, 1922. The weather was 

 for the most part moderate and thus favored 

 the usual avian activities. In general, birds 

 were rather numerous, possibly more abun- 

 dant than usual at this time of the year 



