126 Bowdish. Ornithological Notes from Audubon Wardens. [April 



While camping on the Penobscot River recently I saw a Sparrow 

 Hawk pursuing a sandpiper. They came flying down the river, 

 the hawk soon coming close to its intended victim. Suddenly, just 

 as its pursuer swooped down upon it, the sandpiper made a quick 

 turn in the air and dove into the river entirely out of sight. The 

 outwitted hawk at once sheered off into the forest, and a few seconds 

 later the sandpiper rose to the surface of the water fully 20 feet 

 from where it had entered it, and escaped unharmed up the river. 

 I call that a brave little fellow, resourceful and clear-headed almost 

 to the point of reason. — Edgar E. Harlow, Kineo, Maine, Septem- 

 ber 3, 1908. 



The birds in my district are all in flocks getting ready to take their 

 southern trip; and I have counted many little flocks and I have 

 not seen a flock, that I could count correctly, but what had more 

 young ones in it than old ones, both gulls and terns. I think this 

 was the best hatch-out of young gulls and terns I have had in 

 years. — J. R. Andrews, Oyster, Va., Sept. 3, 1908. 



The birds were so numerous this season that it was almost im- 

 possible to make any estimate; on the Middle Ground or Little 

 Island Key, a beach of about 100 feet square, the nests were so 

 thick that there was no room at all to land. The same conditions 

 prevailed at Rock Key. These two places do not have beaches at 

 all times; they are rocks covered with water, but some years the 

 sand Washes up and makes a sand beach, and if no storm occurs 

 during the season the birds have a good breeding, but if the sand 

 washes away then the eggs are lost, and they have to come here on 

 Sand Key and begin their breeding over again. This was a very 

 successful season; no storm of any account occurred, no eggs were 

 taken or destroyed, and the largest number of birds breed on these 

 places. I visited a few of the islands and found several birds 

 breeding on Man Key, Woman Key, and Ballast Key; on these 

 islands cranes (herons), curlews (ibises), cormorants and pelicans 

 breed. I think it would take all the time of two wardens to protect 

 the birds on this new reservation. — Chas. G. Johnson, Key West 

 Reservation, Florida, Sept. 3, 1908. 



The small number of plume birds that I had last breeding season, 

 and that I was so proud of, have not returned this season to nest 

 on Sunset Island. I suppose they must have nested somewhere 



