318 BIRD-LIFE IN WESTERN CANADA 



and rose bushes, which invariably held the nests of Ducks ; 

 Spoonbills, Baldpates, Mallards, Pintails, and Blue-winged 

 Teal being the common species, while one nest of White- 

 winged Scoter was found. Birds were exceedingly abund- 

 ant in the reed forests of the lake, the more characteristic 

 species being Coots (Fulica), Western Grebes and Frank- 

 lin's Gulls, nesting in colonies, Black Terns, Black-crowned 

 Night Herons, American Bitterns, Yellow-headed and Red- 

 winged Blackbirds, and Long-billed Marsh Wrens. 



About the marshy border of the lake, Soras, Wilson 's 

 Phalaropes, Blue-winged Teal, Nelson's Sparrows and 

 Short-billed Marsh Wrens were the commoner birds; while 

 the characteristic prairie species were Bartram's Sandpi- 

 pers, Killdeer, Nighthawks, Western Meadowlarks, Prairie 

 Horned Larks, Bobolinks, Cowbirds, Vesper, Savanna and 

 Clay-colored Sparrows. 



The lake and its shores claimed the greater part of my 

 time and but little attention was devoted to the poplars, 

 where the birds observed most commonly were Crows, 

 Kingbirds, Baltimore Orioles, Bronzed Grackles, Warbling 

 Vireos, Yellow W r arblers, Catbirds, Veerys and Robins. 



The location of our camp by the side of a grove of pop- 

 lars and near the junction of prairie and marshy lake bor- 

 der, brought us within sight or sound of nearly all the birds 

 just mentioned. The days are long in this latitude and at 

 half -past three each morning, we were awakened by a group 

 of Yellow-headed Blackbirds which selected our poplar 

 grove for the delivery of their matutinal chorus. If result 

 were commensurate with effort, the Yellow-head would be a 

 world-famed songster; but something besides unbounded 

 ambition and limitless muscular exertion is required to pro- 

 duce music. In vain the Yellow-head expands his lungs and 

 throws out his chest, his wide-spread tail testifying to the 

 earnestness of his endeavor ; sound he produces in volume, 

 but surely such a series of strained, harsh calls, whistles, 

 like escaping steam, grunts, groans and pig-like squeals 



