6 Massachusetts Audubon Society 



BIRDS OF THE MONTH. 



The starting of vegetation in Massachusetts was delayed in some sec- 

 tions by peculiar conditions. The snow came early in the winter and the 

 cold was very severe but there was great variation in the depth of the 

 snow. In some sections there was little snow and the ground froze deep- 

 ly. In others there was more, and the ground froze little, and in still 

 others the snow was so very deep and came so early that the ground did 

 not freeze at all. Therefore we have wild flowers reported early in some 

 sections and much later in others. In some localities the trees leafed 

 earlier than elsewhere, but all these variations in the condition of vege- 

 tation appeared to make no difference in the arrival of the birds. 



The spring migration is now in full swing. Practically all the species 

 are here, although some are represented as yet by very few individuals. 

 The number of individuals of the different species coming during the 

 last week of April was small, and the smaller migrants have not reached 

 anything like the numbers of individuals that were present last year. This 

 probably is due partly to the fact that many of them died during the 

 inclement weather of May, 1917, and others perished in the storms of 

 this year. 



Since the last Bulletin was written more details have been received of 

 the destruction of birds in an April snowstorm lasting about three days 

 from April 12 to 15 in Virginia and Pennsylvania. Sno\\^ prevailed 

 generally, or locally, in many sections of the Atlantic seaboard, and over 

 wide areas between April 12 and 17. Probably no one ever will know 

 how destructive these unseasonable snowstorms were to birds. Large and 

 hardy birds like flickers were killed in numbers. Full details, however, 

 have not been received. 



During the latter part of April there appeared no pronounced gen- 

 eral bird wave, although there were some localities where birds were 

 numerous. On May 1 a definite bird wave was reported near Philadel- 

 phia, and a few of the species reported there appeared in small niunbers 

 here at the same time, but the height of the wave reached Massachusetts 

 on May 7. The number of arrivals gradually increased from May 4 to 7, 

 when the arrival of 26 species was reported. On the 8th, 9th and 10th 

 lesser numbers of species arriving were reported, but in many localities 

 the number of individuals gradually increased. 



A few early arrivals of warblers are noted. On April 12 the parula 

 warbler and the blue-winged warbler were seen at Woods Hole, Mass. 

 A single black and white warbler was reported in Worcester County on 

 April 24, and one was seen at Woods Hole on the 26th. From then until 

 May 6 they were reported almost daily, but few in number. On April 24 

 the yellow warbler was noted at Woods Hole. At this date there seemed 

 to be a local movement of birds along the coast of Massachusetts. The 



