Land Birds of Sac County, Iowa 127 



Two broods are usually reared each summer. First seen dates 

 are from April 15 to May 11. 



Tree Swallow (Iridoprocnc bicolor). 



At times, a very abundant migrant, and a rare breeder. I have 

 found only two nests, one of them in a bird box attached to a 

 farm building, and the other in an old woodpecker hole in a fence 

 post along a railroad track. First seen dates vary from April 18 

 to May 12. In the fall it is often to be found in enormous num- 

 bers about Wall lake and the " Goosepond." 



Bank Swallow (Riparia riparia). 



This species is common in some localities. The bank swallow 

 nests in the high banks along the shores of Wall lake, and at 

 several other places where there are steep banks or gravel pits 

 in proximity to water. First seen dates vary from April 26 to 

 May 15. 



Rough-winged Swallow (tStelgidoptcryx srrrip( unis) . 



A common breeder along the Raccoon river, but I have never 

 found it nesting elsewhere except that for a few years two pairs 

 nested in holes in a cement bridge on my father's farm near Wall 

 Lake. First seen dates are from Api'il 28 to May 30. 



Bohemian Waxwing (BombijciUa (/arritla) . 



Specimen in the Smith collection. A very rare or casual spring 

 migrant. Before I started to keep notes, a flock of about fifteen 

 visited the orchard in the spring. I can very distinctly remember 

 the beautiful dull giay of their soft plumage. Following is my 

 only notebook entry: "May 27, 1909, I saw three Bohemian wax- 

 wings about 9 a. m.. They stayed in the tops of a couple of apple 

 trees for a long time, eating apple blossom petals. At times they 

 uttered a note which sounded like a shrill 'chee" to me." 



Cedar Waxwing (BombijcUla cedrorum) . 



I have identified it only once, June 3, 1909, when I approached 

 within ten feet of one which was catching small flying insects. It 

 was much darker in plumage than the Bohemian waxwings I saw 

 a few days before. Mrs. H. B. Smith reported cedar waxwings as 

 common in the spring about a cedar hedge, upon the berries of 

 which they fed. 



Migrant Shrike (Laniiis ludovickiniis migraiis). 



A tolerably common breeder. It is not a winter resident ex- 

 cept in rare instances. 1 have referred all the shrikes to this sub- 

 species as it is the common form, although I have seen shrikes in 

 which the rump was white or veiy light colored. 



Red-eyed Vireo (Virrosijlva olrvavca). 



Reported by Mrs. George May as common in the spring of 

 1912. 



