^'°1908^^ ] Edsox, Birds of the Bellingham Bay Region. 427 



club, syringa, spirsea, arrow-wood, elder, thimbleberrv, salmon- 

 berry, dewberry, red and black huckleberry, service-berry, salal, 

 currant, gooseberry and Oregon grape. Post-oak and madrona 

 are found on the islands. Ferns and mosses of several species 

 grow in profusion. 



Bird life is most abundant among the deciduous growth and open 

 lands. Many species are increasing in abundance with the enlarge- 

 ment of the cleared area, as for instance the Western House Wren, 

 Robin, Yellow Warbler, Chipping Sparrow and JNIeadowlark. The 

 gloomy depths of the evergreen forest are but sparingly inhabited 

 by birds. Among the mountains the most characteristic species is 

 perhaps the Varied Thrush, while the Water Ousel occurs along the 

 streams. The chatter of a Winter Wren, the tapping of a Wood- 

 pecker or the cries of the Oregon Jay are occasionally heard. Ruffed 

 Grouse, Kinglets, Chickadees and Juncos appear now and then, while 

 American Crossbills and Western Evening Grosbeaks are less fre- 

 quent. The Raven, California Pygmy Owl and Golden Eagle are 

 seen at times. As the timber line is approached the Sabbath-like 

 stillness is often broken by the vigorous booming of the Sooty 

 Grouse. The only birds found above timber line are Humming- 

 birds, which haunt the flowery region intervening between the timber 

 and the snow, and occasional Horned Larks, Sandwich or Savanna 

 Sparrows, Solitaires, Leucostictes and Ptarmigans. 



An idea of the chmatic conditions of the region may be gained 

 from statistics of the United States weather bureau. Observations 

 at Bellingham for a period of years show a mean annual precipita- 

 tion of 31.5 inches; snow, 9 inches; average maximum temperature, 

 84 degrees; minimum, 12 degrees above zero; number of clear 

 days, 133; partly clear, 126; cloudy, 105; days on which rain fell, 

 HI; prevaihng wind, southwest, south and southeast. Except 

 on the mountains, snow seldom remains more than a few days or 

 even hours, though severe weather is sometimes unaccompanied by 

 snow. Back from the salt water the maximum temperature is 

 several degrees higher. On the mountains conditions are of a 

 more boreal character and the precipitation and particularly the 

 snowfall is much heavier, with the temperature colder. The 

 climate is humid, as the limited range of temperature would suggest, 

 though there is a seeming contradiction in the remarkablv light 



