28 BIRDS OF THE NEW YORK CITY REGION 



residents and the winter visitants. The interest afield at 

 this season is the hope of finding some of the rare and 

 irregular winter visitants, or some belated summer resident 

 or transient which has attempted to brave the winter storms. 

 There is always movement, even when there is no migration 

 in the technical sense. Many species or individuals present 

 in early January disappear in February, forced to move 

 elsewhere by the exhaustion of their food supply. On the 

 seacoast every severe cold wave brings a sudden rush of 

 water-fowl, frozen out of more favorable quarter^else where. 

 These disappear when the weather moderaj^s. In late 

 February the first harbinger of spring, the^Canada Goose, 

 frequently arrives at the eastern end of Long Island. 



No matter how backward the season, March is certain to 

 witness a general northward movement of birds. In the 

 following discussion the rarer species are omitted. As soon 

 as the ice leaves our bays, ponds and marshes, Ducks and 

 Geese will appear. With the first heavy thaw, the earliest 

 group of land-birds will take possession of the country. 

 These are : 



(Feb. 15-March 15) 



*' x Meadowlark ^Purple Grackle 



V Red- winged Blackbird *^ x Fox Sparrow 



ixfousty Blackbird *^Robin 



Bluebird 



There is almost a month's variation in the arrival of this 

 wave, according to season. In 1909 it took place the middle 

 of February. Later in March there is a second distinct 

 group of migrants, which takes place between the 10th and 

 the 25th. It is exceptional for any of the species in this 

 group to arrive in February, and it is also exceptional for the 

 majority of them to arrive on am^ one day in this period. 

 They are 



, (March 10-March 2.5) 



Gannet '"'Turkey Vulture 



Green-winged Teal ^Kingfisher 



