VOl 1909 VI ] Blackwelder, Summer Birds of Iron County, Mich. 365 



adee and Kinglets are characteristic, although the Canada Nut- 

 hatch is occasionally found in the same somber thickets. 



Along the lakes and rivers a very different but tolerably numer- 

 ous bird population makes its home. Perhaps the most common 

 of all the river birds is the Kingfisher, for although they are almost 

 always found singly or in pairs, scarcely any stretch of river or lake 

 shore is without them. An occasional Blue Heron may be seen 

 stalking along the banks of the more sluggish streams and lakes; 

 and wherever there are sandbars or beaches the Spotted Sandpiper 

 is often encountered. The Osprey was observed on one or two 

 occasions and may be more common than is apparent from our 

 record. On the lakes and ponds the Loon is by all means the most 

 characteristic bird, though there are never many in one locality. 

 Along swampy borders the Bittern and doubtless other marsh birds 

 are characteristic. The Horned Grebe is another member of the 

 lake fauna but seems not to be common in summer. Several 

 species of ducks were observed but the only one positively identified, 

 the Red-breasted Merganser, frequents chiefly the rivers. In 

 summer, pairs of old birds with broods of half-grown young may 

 often be chased for long distances on swift streams from which the 

 fledglings find it impossible to escape by flying. 



In the cleared areas and farms, and around the towns, birds are 

 more common than elsewhere, but they are probably less typical of 

 this particular region. In a sense they must be considered as in- 

 vaders from regions less densely forested than this district was origi- 

 nally. In the cities there is the inevitable House Sparrow, and in 

 his vicinity but few other birds care to remain. Around the farms 

 the Barn Swallow, the Purple Martin, the Cowbird, the Song and 

 Field Sparrows, and the Phcebe, are familiar birds. The Indigo 

 Bunting finds its most congenial home along road-sides through the 

 woods ; and the Crow, although it prefers the woods, does not seem 

 to go far from the settled districts. On the open fields the Horned 

 Lark is among the recent immigrants, and the Meadowlark is not 

 uncommon, although not the characteristic bird it is farther south. 

 Here also the Sparrow Hawk and Buteos may be found occasionally. 



