CENSUS OF NESTING BIRDS 43 



SECTIONS NUMBER 9, 10, 11 AND 12 



For convenience, the whole strip west of the Blue River, 

 between the river and the railroad tracks is included in one re- 

 port. 



This was the most difficult region to canvass. Heavy 

 rains earlier in the season had flooded portions of the valley, 

 leaving a layer of fine mud sediment. Other rains during the 

 census, kept the mud-bespattered weeds and grasses wet, and 

 made the flood sediment a soft, slippery, slimy ooze. 



The tract is all flood plain, and nearly all wooded. The 

 few open places being small, brushy meadows along the rail- 

 road track, and portions of the old South Nursery. 



The wooded part of the strip is similar throughout, with 

 reference to elevation, drainage and vegetation, but different 

 parts differ with reference to seclusion from mankind. De- 

 pending on this seclusion, there are some rather noticeable dif- 

 ferences in the distribution of birds. For instance, the horse- 

 shoe bend of the river included in section 10, is rather isolated 

 from human interference, only an occasional fisherman wan- 

 dering through the deep shade of its elms and buckeyes. There 

 are no Thrashers nor Wood-Thrushes nor Catbirds nor Robins 

 nor Towhees nor Bluebirds to be found in this section during 

 the nesting period. A few, however, were found in the region 

 of the railroad station where human influence seems to have 

 offered attraction to these species. 



The old South Nursery is little frequented and although 

 it is partly open, brushy territory fringed with thick woods, 

 there were no Thrashers nor Catbirds nor Towhees found 



