272 Chaney, Birds of Mason County, Mich. [f^^^ 



brush. Near Lake Michigan are extensive dimes, bare except for a 

 covering of wild grape-vines and a few scattered trees. A mile 

 back in the woods from Upper Hamlin lies Nordhouse Lake, which 

 shrinks to a small pond bv the end of the summer, but furnishes a 

 o-ood feeding place for ducks and shore birds. On the east and to 

 some extent on the south of Upper Hamlin are extensive farms and 

 orchards, about which many common birds were seen. 



This region appears to be the southern breeding limit of a num- 

 ber of the more northern species. In Oceana County, near Little 

 Point Sable, less than thirty miles south, such birds as the Yellow- 

 bellied Sapsucker, Junco and Winter Wren are not commonly 

 seen during the sununer. These species and other northern 

 breeding birds were seen about Hamlin Lake all summer, though 

 not in large numbers. 



Several short trips were taken into Oceana County, in the vicinity 

 of Silver Lake, where I saw a number of ducks and shorebirds not 

 observed in Mason County. 



1. Colymbus auritus. Horned Grebe. — This species was not observed 

 during the summer, and was seen only once on Upper HamUn, Sept. 16. 

 A specimen was taken at Silver Lake, in Oceana Co., on Sept. 23. 



2. Podilymbus podiceps. Pied-billed Grebe. — During the latter 

 part of the summer this grebe could be seen daily in small flocks on Nord- 

 house Lake. 



3. Gavia immer. Loon. — One was seen Sept. 21 on Lake Michigan. 



4. Lams argentatus. Herring Gull. — Although common around 

 the harbor at Ludington during the summer, I saw no evidence of breeding. 

 Migrants from the north came down early in September. 



5. Larus delawarensis. Ring-billed Gull. — Common along Lake 

 Michigan during September. 



6. Larus Philadelphia. Bonaparte's Gull. — Large flocks were seen 

 on Upper Hamlin early in September. 



7. Lophodytes cucuUatus. Hooded Merganser. — An immature fe- 

 male was secured from a flock of three, all in immature plumage, at Nord- 

 house Lake on Sept. 11. 



8. Anas platyrhynchos. Mallard. — Several females were seen at 

 Silver Lake on Sept. 23. 



9. Anas rubripes. Black Duck. — While hunting on Silver Lake on 

 Sept. 23, I secured two females from a flock of about ten. When alarmed 

 the birds rose in almost perpendicular spirals which soon carried them out 

 of range. 



10. Querquedula discors. Blue-winged Teal. — Fairly common. A 

 specimen was taken at Silver Lake on Sept. 23. 



