Water Birds of the Middle Delaware Valley 



BY HENRY W. FOWLER. 



At tlie time of the publication of Mr. Stone's " Birds of East- 

 ern Pennsylvania and New Jersey," the Club was much in need 

 of definite information regarding the water birds of the Dela- 

 ware valley. Knowledge of this nature seems still to be a 

 desideratum, and as the writer has for some ten years past paid 

 considerable attention to the water birds of the river north of 

 Philadelphia — from Holmesburg to Bristol — the following list, 

 embodying his observations, is offered as a contribution to a sub- 

 ject already too long neglected. 



Records jaublished in the above-mentioned work are omitted, 

 but those scattered through the pages of the Club's Proceedings 

 since 1894 are included, as well as much important data fur- 

 nished by Mr. Richard F. Miller, Mr. Thos. D. Keim, Mr. L. V. 

 Morris, of Bristol, and reliable gunners whom I have inter- 

 viewed. Mr. Miller's observations relate chiefly to Bridesburg 

 and Richmond, and covering as they do some seven years, are 

 of particular interest. 



The Delaware valley, from the northern environs of Phila- 

 delphia to Trenton, has long been the resort of many gunners. 

 Though not so famous as the celebrated Chesapeake flats about 

 Havre de Grace, it has in past years supplied not only various 

 sportsmen but also the market with water fowls of various sorts. 

 At present the birds do not congregate in such numbers as for- 

 merly, according to reports, but large flocks of ducks and geese 

 are still seen frequently, and many other Sf)ecies are by no 

 means rare. 



The river in this region is generally wide, with low swamp 

 and meadow land stretching for long distances along either 

 shore. It is seldom that the banks at any point rise much above 

 the water, the elevation of about fifty-eight feet at Florence 



(43) 



