Jones — On Birds of Cedar Point. 25 



THE BIRDS OF CEDAR POINT AND VICINITY. 



BY I.YNDS JONES. 



More than ordinary interest attaches to the Passerine birds, 

 in this discussion, at least as far as the sand spit of Cedar 

 Point is concerned. Its comparative isolation from the main- 

 land makes it the first step in the translaken flight to Point F'e- 

 lee for the birds migrating- east of Sandusky. Its great length 

 as compared with its width causes a crowding of the birds all 

 along the western half during the great days of migration, 

 such a crowding, in fact, that every species is found in nor- 

 mally impossible places. It is evident that man}' more birds 

 reach the western half of the sand spit by following the lake 

 shore from farther east than by flying across from the main- 

 land. On the days when crowding is the greatest, most spe- 

 cies become so unwary that approach to within a few feet of 

 a bird is easy. No doubt this unwaryness is due to hunger, 

 for the birds are seen to be working with might and main to 

 secure food. So great a host must quickly exhaust the food 

 supply in this restricted area. 



Here on the sand spit, on great days of migration, have 

 been found species which are absent from the rest of the area, 

 and species recorded as common which are only occasionally 

 recorded elsewhere. There seems little reasonable doubt that 

 a continuous study of the birds from the beginning of the 

 spring rush to its end would result in the discovery of species 

 which have hitherto eluded observation, and would discover 

 movements as yet hardly suspected. It is prObably a more 

 favorable station for such intensive study than any other place 

 within the region because of its narrowness, thus permitting 

 a thorough exploration of every place. It is certainly far less 

 favorable for study of the southward migrations because it 

 probably does not lie in a direct line of flight. The southern 

 point of Pelee and Pelee Island would probably furnish much 

 more favorable stations for observing the southward move- 

 ment. 



Aside from the Cedar Point sand spit the region offers no 



