28 BIRDS OF SWOPE PARK 



tial to borders of the woods and prefer to be not too far away 

 from human beings. 



The considerable territory used for lawn and for the golf 

 course, where the grass was close-cropped, reduced the num- 

 ber of nesting birds for this region. 



There was a scarcity of Bluebirds, due probably to the 

 absence of nesting sites. A few bird boxes placed about the 

 Pavillion for Wrens and Bluebirds would no doubt be occupied 

 by these birds, provided they received some assistance in their 

 struggle with the English Sparrows. 



One Robin chose a projecting ledge of rock in the wall 

 of the Pavillion for a foundation for his mud-lined nest, while 

 the chimneys gave nesting places for the Chimney Swifts. 



No Bell's Vireo was found in the region this year (1916), 

 but in previous years I could always find them along a brushy 

 ditch north of the Pavillion. This season they seem to have 

 deserted this nesting place for a vacant lot across the street. 

 A few vacant lots here have grown up with golden-rod, asters, 

 milkweed, elder berry and elm sprouts, and afford excellent 

 hiding places for their nests. A Mockingbird and a Shrike 

 also nest in this tract across the street from the Park. They 

 might well be classed as park birds. 



In 1914 I found a nest of a Horned Lark in the grass-plot 

 just west of the Pavillion. Adding these three latter birds to 

 the list of summer birds for this section, we have the relatively 

 large number of 27 species to be found nesting at the very 

 front door of the Park; but the great throngs of people that 

 frequent this region daily pass them by unnoticed, or perhaps 

 note only the Robins and Thrashers and a very few others. 



