8 Mo nthly Bulletin 



ported to have spent most of April 9 in a yard in Concord, N. H. The bird 

 appeared to be a male, as it sang frequently. The first hermit thrush was 

 reported from Hampshire County April 12. 



Two American three-toed woodpeckers have been seen in Hampshire 

 County from February until quite recently. It is early yet to determine 

 whether the severe winter has destroyed most of the mockingbirds wintering 

 here, but thus far only five have beer| reported alive and in their usual 

 haunts. Some may have gone South for the winter. One appeared at Lans- 

 downe, Pa., in November, where the species has not been noted before, and 

 was still there April 11. Two mourning doves came through the winter 

 safely on Cape Cod, and the first arrival on Nantucket was seen March 10. 



Holboell's grebes and horned grebes began to leave the coasts of South- 

 ern New England early in the month, and are now passing north. The first 

 pied-billed grebe was seen at Block Island, R. I., April 5. Glaucous gulls 

 remained in numbers about Barnstable, Mass., in March, and a single Iceland 

 gull was still at Block Island April 5. Gannets and sea ducks have been 

 locally scarce along the coast. One each of the wood duck and the green- 

 winged teal were noted in Massachusetts early in April. Large numbers of 

 ducks are reported in the streams of New Jersey. Canada geese have been 

 flying north over New England for more than a month, and early in April 

 brant began to appear in their northward flight. Two greater snow geese 

 were reported from Long Island March 27. Eleven swans were seen near 

 Fryeburg, Me., on April 1, and a small flock near Portland on the 2nd. 

 Hudsonian curlews have arrived in dense flocks on the coast of South Caro- 

 lina. A single ring-necked, or semipalmated, plover seen at Nantucket 

 March 8 heralded the advance of the shore-birds. Woodcock were reported 

 in Massachusetts March 24, and at Ellsworth, Me., March 28. Already they 

 are breeding in New Jersey, while flights of Wilson's snipe are passing north. 

 Breeding snipe should be looked for in Massachusetts. Unusually large 

 numbers of great blue herons were seen on Long Island in small flocks from 

 April 1 to 10, but only one bird has been reported in Massachusetts up to 

 date (April 15). A few should be here now. 



The storm that began in Boston April 12 has destroyed some birds, 

 particularly in Virginia, where the snow was deep. It may delay the migra- 

 tion somewhat, but the hardy marsh birds will press on, and herons, bitterns, 

 rails, coots and gallinules will soon be here. Most of the summer hawks 

 and owls have come. Great horned owls now have well-grown young, and 

 red-tailed and red-shouldered hawks are nesting. 



All along the Atlantic seaboard south of New England flights of small 

 birds, urged by the reproductive instinct, are coming on. In Maryland 

 pipits are unusually abundant, and should be here soon. Hermit thrushes, 

 brown thrashers, ruby-crowned kinglets, blue-headed vireos, winter wrens, 

 myrtle, yellow palm and black and white warblers, with all the swallows 

 and most of the sparrews, will be with us before we realize it, and later will 

 appear that flood of bird life that always comes when the leaves begin to 

 open in the warm days of May. He who wishes to see them all should be 

 afield before the rising sun or should anticipate, day by day, the twilight 

 hour. 



E. H. FORBUSH, 



State Ornithologist. 



