Winter Birds in Northern New Jersey. 23 



exceptionally fine tract in which to pursue studies of many of 

 the bird residents and visitants of this section, as there is al- 

 ways an abundance of both during- their seasons. It was on 

 this tract that I began my first recordings of the. birds and 

 where I first gathered notes regarding their local distribution, 

 nestings and habits. It has always been my custom to include 

 this farm in all my tramps when in the neighborhood. On the 

 days of each year when my largest lists are taken, this little 

 tract has always been made the nucleus about which is built 

 the entire structure, and it is rare when it does not furnish the 

 major portion thereof. The two swamps mentioned consist of 

 about t\venty acres each and are always prolific in birdlife the 

 whole year around. In addition to the above places. Branch 

 Brook Park, on the outskirts of Newark, was frequently 

 visited and yielded several interesting surprises. Among these 

 were the two records of the Fox Sparrows. This bird is 

 very rare during the winter in this locality, another bird which 

 is usually uncommon in the winter in this section is the Red- 

 headed Woodpecker. The following records will show that 

 this past winter this bird was present during the first half on 

 almost each day observations were made. The records of the 

 Merganser on the 1st of January and February 19th were al- 

 so out of the ordinar3^ 



The bird observed were : AnTerican Herring Gull, Marsh 

 Hawk, Sharpshinned Hawk, Sparrow Hawk, Barred Owl, 

 Downy Woodpecker, Red-headed Woodpecker, Southern 

 Flicker, Blue Jay, Crow, Starling, Meadowlark, Goldfinch, 

 Pine Siskin, White-throated Sparrow, Tree Sparrow. Slate- 

 colored Junco, Song Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Brown Creeper, 

 White-breasted Nuthatch, Chickadee, Golden-crowned King- 

 let and Merganser. This makes a total of twenty-four species 

 observed. 



December 5th. — A male Flicker was found In the apple orchard 

 In The Haunt during the early morning. No other birds apparent. 



December 11th. — A pair of White-throated Sparrows found feed- 

 ing on the berries of the' Virginia creeper in The Haunt. 



December 18th.— Red-headed Woodpecker— One in Noll's Swamp 



