^°^'1910^"] Chaney, Birds of Mason County, Mich. 271 



Brant. — At Oldham Pond the records for five years show the 

 occurrence of Brant only four times. 1905 — 1 in pond, flock of 

 30 flying. 1907 — 1 in pond. 1909 — flock of IS in pond. This 

 shows clearly the preference of the Brant for the longer and more 

 easterly route outside Cape Cod. 



SUMMER AND FALL BIRDS OF THE HAMLIN LAKE 

 REGION, MASON COUNTY, MICH. 



BY RALPH WORKS CHANEY. 



The records upon which the following list of birds is based were 

 taken in the Hamlin Lake Region, in Western Mason County, 

 Michigan, during a period extending from June 20 to September 27, 

 1909. 



The main portion of Hamlin Lake is some seven miles long and 

 opens into Lake Michigan on the west through a channel less than 

 a mile in length. Entering Big Hamlin from the northeast is 

 Upper Hamlin Lake, v.hich is less than half as long as the larger 

 lake, and only half a mile across at its widest j)oint. Into Upper 

 Hamlin from the east flows the Sable River, at the mouth of which 

 are large marshes, which I did not explore. Many small streams, 

 usually heavily wooded, flow into Upper Hamlin, widening at 

 their mouths into swampy "bayous" bristling with tall stumps 

 and snags. Woods rise up on all sides of the lake, especially on 

 the north, in which direction they extend for many miles. Formerly 

 a lumbering country, this region now contains but few white pines, 

 most of the timber being hardwood, beech, maple, oak and birch. 

 Hemlock also is commonly scattered through the beech woods, and 

 along the creeks arbor vitae is the most abundant form. Parallel 

 with Lake Michigan, nmnerous sand ridges extend toward the 

 north, the tops of which are covered with oak and hemlock. The 

 little valleys between these ridges are almost jungles, from their 

 profusion of saplings, ferns, blackberry bushes, and other under- 



