A Winter Feeding-Place for Birds 



,^5.^ 



March 5. It was still cold and blustery, with light snow falling, so we had to 

 keep putting out more seed as the snow covered it. The Tree Sparrows and 

 Larks, both Horned and Prairie Horned, came in increasing numbers until there 

 were more than forty of the Larks. A single Snowflake appeared, and at 3.3c 

 P.M. a stranger was noted. It did not take us long to identify it as a Lapland 

 Longspur, the first one that either of us had ever seen; then ten more Snowtlakes 

 dropped in, and what sport we had watching that active and eager bunch of 

 birds on the ground-glass of our cameras. The next day we had an3ther sur- 

 prise when a female Red-winged Blackbird came, and I doubt if anyone else 

 ever saw a Red-winged Blackbird, a Lapland Longspur, Snowflakes, Horned 



I'RAIRIE HORNED LARKS— MALE AXD FEMALE 



Larks, Prairie Horned Larks, Tree Sparrows, a Song Sparrow, English Spariows, 

 and Ring-necked Pheasants all feeding together in one flock. 



The Snowflakes and Longspur were not seen after this. We had alternate 

 cold and warm weather, the last cold spell being March 20 to 22, when I was 

 feeding more than sixty Larks, about twenty Tree Sparrows, the female Red- 

 wing and several hen Pheasants. Then the weather turned warm, the snow 

 rapidly disappearing, and the feeding-place was deserted except for English 

 Sparrows. The early migrants came with a rush on March 25, Bluebirds, Red- 

 wings, Kildeer, Meadowlark, Purple Finch, and Song Sparrow, and Cowbird, 

 Bronzed Giackle, Ph(rbe, Sparrow Hawk, and Fox Sparrow on March 2h. .\ 

 Fox Sparrow was the last to visit the feeding-place and be jjhotographed. 



