Study of the Avifauna of Lake Erie Islands. 149 



Oxijcchus vocifents. — Killdeer. 



Common on all visits to the is^Iand, and present there during the 

 entire stay in 1910. of course nesting. There were always some 

 on any stretch of beach, and we also found them on the higher 

 parts of the island inland as well as along the ditches. 

 JEgialitis semipalmated. — Semipalmated Flover. 



The first noted were two on August 5th, eight on the Sth, and 

 thereafter a few were seen on the beach nearly every day in 1910, 

 except from August ITth to 27, when there were none. It was also 

 found on each of the other August trips to the island. These little 

 shore birds kept much apart from the other bird", more often one 

 in a place than in companies or flocks. They fed over the sand 

 generally. 

 JEgialitis meloda. — Piping Plover. 



A company of tw-elve was feeding on the east beach all day Au- 

 gust 12, 1910, and a single bird was seen there on the 22d. If they 

 had nested on the point during the summer of 1910 it must have 

 been before the first party arrived there. Their early departure 

 from Pelee Island accords with their habit on the Ohio shore. 

 Arcnaria interpres morinella. — Ruddy Turnstone. 



The first were noted on July 24th, and from then to the end of 

 our stay in 1910. there were always a few somewhere on the beach. 

 The largest number noted on any one day was thirty on Septem- 

 ber 5. and twenty-six on the following day. There were nineteen 

 on August 16. In my experience these strikingly colored shore 

 birds may be expected on the shores of Lake Erie or the islands 

 at any time after the first week in July. They were noted on 

 evei*,v late summer trip to the islands. They usually occur two 

 together, but sometimes bunch up, especially at times of heavy 

 migration, in the fall, more often in the larger groups in the 

 spring. They st^y close to the edge of the w^ater when there is 

 any reason for them to feel suspicious, but at other times may 

 feed even to the edge of the line of vegetation on the beach. Late 

 suunner and early autumn groups usually contain some highly col- 

 ored birds with those of duller plumage. 

 Zenaidura macroura carolinensis. — Mourning Dove. 



A common nesting bird, especially in the cedars. It was found 

 on each trip to the island, and in 1910 it was often seen on the 

 sandy point. As the season advanced there was a tendency for 

 the birds to group themselves into companies of ten or a dozen 

 individuals, and to feed together along the water's edge or in the 

 margin of the bushes. None were seen to cross southward, even 

 in the strong southward movements. Inland these birds acted 

 much as on the Ohio side. 



