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Bird- Lore 



A few species have Ijeen observed merely as visitors which seem worthy of 

 mention. Thus, for two springs, I have seen male Bobolinks — a rare, at least, 

 but a local bird in Colorado; last May Bronzed Crackles were seen, not com- 

 mon here. Flying over the ponds I have seen four species of Swallows, Cliff, 

 Barn, Violet-green, and Rough-winged. Plumbeous Vireos and Virginia's 



Warblers are occasionally noted. 

 Audubon's Warbler is a regular 

 visitor in migration, and has been 

 observed as late as October 17. I 

 have seen one Grinnell's Water- 

 Thrush, rare in Colorado; Yellow- 

 throats, MacGillivray's and Pileo- 

 lated Warblers are not infrequently 

 seen, and once in a while a Brown 

 Thrasher is noted. For a species 

 which is so common in Colorado and 

 in the vicinity, I have curiously few 

 records of the Mountain Bluebirds; 

 it does not seem to frequent the 

 park regularly, and is only occasion- 

 ally observed there. Black-crowned 

 Night Herons were seen in the spring 

 of 191 1 and 1913. 



That the nesting birds are sub- 

 jected to more or less disturbance in 

 a place so much frequented by the 

 public goes without saying, and it 

 is a problem which is causing those 

 interested in the birds considerable 

 BREWER'S BLACKBIRD concem. First let me say that the 



Board of Park Commissioners take much interest in the birds and are willing 

 to do all they can to protect them, but the funds at their disposal are 

 somewhat limited and they cannot spare as much as they might desire for 

 policing the park. This being the case, there is opportunity for boys to do mis- 

 chief unmolested, and not only boys but grown young men; this is wilful 

 harm. Then I have little doubt that over-curious people unintentionally dis- 

 turb nesting birds by coming too close about their nests, causing their aban- 

 donment. I have reached the stage myself when I hardly dare to look at a 

 nest if there is another person in sight whose attention might thus be called 

 to it. A gentleman who spends much of his time in the park made a careful 

 study of the northern end in the spring of 1915, and he estimated that up to 

 June I about one-half of the young birds hatched died from one cause or 

 another, and some of these causes, or we might say one of them, wilful destruc- 



