INTRODUCTION 35 



tion does not correspond with that of the other transients 

 inland. That is to say, a wave of Warblers inland does not 

 mean that there has been a flight of sea birds on the coast. 

 In fact, with the Shore-birds, a flight is caused by diametrically 

 opposite reasons. Cold weather and easterly gales cause these 

 more powerful fliers to alight, when they would otherwise 

 fly by without stopping. Of passerine birds, the Seaside and 

 Sharp-tailed Sparrows arrive early in the month, and the 

 Acadian Sharp-tailed Sparrow has the distinction of being the 

 very last land-bird to arrive in this region. 



In June the great majority of our local birds are nesting 

 and are absorbed with the cares of raising a family. A few 

 Black-poll Warblers linger regularly during the first week of 

 the month, but in very backward seasons, such as 1907, a con- 

 siderable number of transients have been recorded. On the 

 coast, however, Loons, Cormorants, the Laughing Gull, the 

 Terns and most of the Shore birds remain until the middle of 

 the month. About this time the summer visitant Petrels and 

 Shearwaters arrive. Inland, certain species have finished 

 nesting, and like Starlings and Grackles, gather in flocks and 

 commence wandering around the country. In July the 

 breeding season begins to wane. The song season is rapidly 

 concluded with most species, which begin to moult, and 

 consequently become hard to find. A few, such as the 

 Orchard Oriole and Kentucky Warbler, disappear completely 

 during the month. First Tree and later Barn Swallows appear 

 in great numbers in the coastal marshes, and the Solitary 

 Sandpiper arrives from the north. On the coast the Shore- 

 bird migration starts regularly the first week in July, and is 

 well under way by the end of the month. Laughing Gulls 

 and Terns also appear, as well as the summer visitant Egrets 

 and Herons from the south. 



No month of the year more sorely tries the patience of the 

 bird-lover than August. The retiring habits of moulting 

 individuals and the gradual disappearance for good of many 



