THE ORNITHOLOGICAL YEAR. 



13 



The commoner permanent residents of the middle Eastern States 

 are the following : 



Bob-whi^j, 

 Riififcd Grouse, 

 Red-shoulilered Ilawk, 

 Red-tailed Hawk, 

 Sharp-shinned Hawk, 

 IJarred Owl, 

 Long-eared Owl, 

 Screech Owl, 

 Great Horned Owl, 

 Downy Woodpecker, 



Hairy Woodpecker, 



Flicker, 



Blue Jay, 



Crow, 



Meadowlark, 



American Goldfinch, 



Purple Finch, 



Song Sparrow, 



W^hite-breasted Nuthatch, 



Chickadee, 



and occasionally the Waxwing, Myrtle Warbler, Bluebird, and Robin. 

 To these should be added the following more or less common winter 

 visitant land-birds : 



Saw-whet Owl, 



Horned Lark, 



Snowflake, 



Lapland Longspur, 



Redpoll, 



American Crossbill, 



White-throated Sparrow, 



Tree Sparrow, 

 J unco. 



Northern Shrike, 

 Winter Wren, 

 Golden-crowned Kinglet, 

 Brown Creeper. 



Let us now begin with the opening of the spring migration and briefly 

 review the ornithological year. In the vicinity of New York city the 

 first birds arrive from the south iate in February or early in March. 

 There is much variation in the coming of these early birds. Later, 

 when the weather is more settled, migrants arrive within a few days 

 of a given date. In April most of our winter visitants leave for the 

 north. The current of migration grows steadily stronger until about 

 May 12, when high-water mark is reached. Then it rapidly subsides 

 and the si)ring migration is practically over by June 1. The winter 

 visitants have gone, the great army of transients has {)asHed us, and 

 our bird population is now composed of permanent residents with the 

 addition of about ninety summer residents. 



Nesting-time has arrived, and birds which for nearly a year have 

 been free to go and come as inclination directed, now have homes 

 where, day after day, they may be found in tireless attendance upon 

 the nest and its treasures. Courtship, the construction of a dwelling, 

 the tusk of incubation, and care of the young, all tend to stimidatethe 

 characteristic traits of the bird, and at no other time can its habits 

 be studied to better advantage. 



But resident birds begin building long before the migration is con- 



