352 



Bird - Lore 



On October 15 a single Tree Sparrow was 

 found. A Purple Finch and about five 

 Savannah Sparrows were also noted. The 

 Tree Swallows were quite numerous over the 

 marshes where they roost in spite of the fact 

 that it is way beyond their usual departing 

 date. They will probably stay as long as the 

 warm weather lasts. 



The migration on the whole has been 

 rather slow this fall, although it started early. 

 The summer birds, as a rule, have remained 

 longer than customary, while the transient 

 and winter migrants have been, for the most 

 part, late. The Warblers have not been very 

 numerous, the Magnolia, as last spring, being 

 the best represented. — S. Charles Ken- 

 deigh, President of Cardinal Ornithological 

 Club, Oberlin, Ohio. 



Minneapolis (Minnesota) Region.— 

 The intensely warm weather of mid-August 

 continued until the 24th, with daily temper- 

 atures of over 90 and midnight temperatures 

 of 8o° on one or two occasions. On the 24th, 

 there was a sudden drop from 87° to 56 

 with a high wind and rain. But warm 

 weather soon returned and continued with 

 slight interruptions throughout the month 

 of September. From September 4 to 9 

 there was a record-breaking spell of hot 

 weather for this locality — 96 to 98 at noon 

 and very warm nights. On September 16, a 

 light frost occurred at Minneapolis, while 

 in the northwestern part of the state the 

 temperature was below freezing — 30 at 

 Thief River Falls. The average temperature 

 for September at Minneapolis was 65. 6°. 

 October began very warm — 68°, on the 1st 

 72 on the 2d, and 89 , with a minimum of 

 68° on the 4th, the hottest October weather 

 on record here. The U. S. weather observer 

 remarked "We had the hottest September 

 in years and October is setting out to beat 

 September." But it turned cooler after this, 

 and on the morning of the 9th, there was the 

 first heavy frost at Minneapolis. A flurry of 

 snow occurred up at Duluth on the 12th. 



August 16. Found a brood of young Robins 

 about ready to leave the nest. This is a late 

 record. 



August iq, to 2j. Made a visit to the Pine 

 County State Refuge. This is a large tract 



of some five or six townships that has been 

 set aside recently as a wild-life refuge. It 

 lies along the St. Croix River, about 75 

 miles northeast of Minneapolis. It is a wild 

 and rough region, with few settlers, many 

 streams, and was once heavily timbered with 

 evergreens and other trees, but is now largely 

 without heavy forest, except along the rivers 

 and streams, as it was devastated by the 

 great Hinckly fire of many years ago. Ruffed 

 Grouse, Prairie Chickens, and Sharp-tailed 

 Grouse are abundant, the last two species in 

 about equal numbers. 



August 21 and 22. Nighthawks migrating 

 in large numbers all day. 



September 1. Dr. G. H. Luedtke, at Fair- 

 mount, Martin County, reported that on this 

 date several American Red Crossbills 

 visited his yard and later fed upon sun- 

 flower seeds and made frequent use of his 

 bird-bath. These were early wanderers 

 from their summer home in the northern part 

 of the state. 



September 16. Spent the day at the Long 

 Meadow Gun Club Preserve, 10 miles 

 south of Minneapolis, in the valley of the 

 Minnesota River. It was the opening day 

 of the Duck season. About 65 Ducks were 

 killed by 17 hunters, as compared with over 

 a hundred on the opening day last year. The 

 species killed this year were, in the order of 

 abundance, Blue-winged Teal, Pintail, Bald- 

 pate, and Mallard. At this place, so close to 

 the Twin Cities, 1,048 Ducks were shot 

 during the season last year. The number of 

 each species taken indicates pretty closely 

 the relative abundance. The club register 

 shows: Pintails 299, 'Bluebills' (mostly 

 Ring-necks) 208, Teal (nearly all Blue-wings) 

 154, Mallards 136, Baldpates 120, Spoonbills 

 36, Redheads 7, Black Ducks ('Dusky' 

 Mallards) 4, 'Fish Duck' 1, unclassified 83. 



September 17. While on the 'Duck pass' at 

 daybreak, the most interesting thing that 

 happened was the aerial flight and marvelous 

 evolutions that follow the awakening of 

 thousands — it seemed millions — of Tree 

 Swallows that had spent the night roosting 

 on the wild rice and canes of the sloughs. This 

 began at 5.40, a short time before sunrise. 

 The morning was cool, the sky slightly over- 

 cast, and but little wind stirring. The 



