LIST OF THE BIRDS SEEN 85 



Red-eyed Vireo (Vireo oliiaceus). Not a rare nester in the 

 wooded canyons of Slim Buttes. 



\Yestern Warbling Vireo (Vvreosylva gilva sivainsoni). Common 

 during the summer in the woody areas. 



Yellow Warbler (Dendroica aestiva). Nests commonly in the 

 canyons along the brooks of the buttes, and along the Littk: 

 Missouri. 



The Yellow Warbler or yellowbird is often called "The 

 Wild Canary" because it resembles the canary. The black and 

 yellow goldfinch, however, might more correctly be so named 

 since it belongs to the canary or sparrow family. The yellow 

 bird is our most common warbler and because it nests abund- 

 antly in willow thickets, small groves and orchards it is 

 quite frequently seen. As it flits about it distinctly suggests 

 a flash of golden sunlight. Its simple song has a pleasing 

 happy ring and a surprising penetration. The food of warb- 

 lers consists very largely of insects. 



The Yellow Warbler arrives from the tropics during the 

 first week in May and departs early in August. The nest is 

 built very soon and is commonly placed in some low bush or 

 shrub, often a rose bush. It usually is made largely of light- 

 colored flaxen materials gathered from various weed stalks 

 and is often lined with the cotton from the seeds of willow 

 and cottonwood. 



The Yellow Warbler is constantly victimized by the Cow- 

 bird, which you know is too lazy to rear its own young. 

 Where this parasite is abundant many deserted nests are 

 found containing from two to four eggs of the Cowbird 

 with or without some of the warblers' own. This clever 

 warbler sometimes covers a cowbird's eggs with a new layer 

 of material, and I have found two nests where a second 

 "false bottom" had been added to cover additional eggs of 

 the intruder, resulting in a three storied nest. 



Audubon's Warbler (Dendroica audiiboni}. N.ests in the pine 

 forests of the higher buttes ; fairly common. 



Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapillus). Nests in the Short Pine Hills. 

 Fledglings seen in the Long Pines. 



Grinnell's Water-Thrush (Seiurus noveboracensis notabilis). Three 

 seen along the river early in September. 



