OUR BIRDS IN THE WINTER OF 1915-1916 53 



The total number of species seen last winter in December was 

 14, two more than the total for the same month this winter. These 

 two species were the Pine Grosbeak and the Screech Owl. 



In January, the rare species were : Goldfinch, Bronzed Grackle, 

 Sparrow Hawk, and Herring Gull, each with one record; Tree 

 vSparrow, with three records; Downy Woodpecker and Song 

 Sparrow, with four records; Brown Creeper, with five. 



The more abundant species in this month were: Snowbird, 

 with eight records; White-breasted Nuthatch, with eleven; 

 Chickadee, with fourteen; Crow, with nineteen; Blue Jay, with 

 twenty-five. The Blue Jay, Crow, White-breasted Nuthatch, and 

 Snow bird fell considerably behind their records for January, 19 15. 

 The Chickadee gained greatly, having had only four records last 

 January. 



Species that were found in January last winter but not in the 

 same month this winter were; Screech Owl, Red-headed Wood- 

 pecker, Hairy Woodpecker, and Cardinal. The total for Januarv 

 last winter was no more than for January 19 16. 



Bird life in February differs somewhat from that of the other 

 winter months. Usually there are warmer days about the middle 

 of the month, which encourage the first Bluebirds and Robmc to 

 begin their spring migration. Thus this year the first of these two 

 species appeared on the same day — the 22nd. There was one more 

 record for the Bluebird, and five for the Robin, in February; the 

 Meadowlark, had one record; the Canada Goose, two; The 

 Herring Gull, three. Other rare species were: Song Sparrow, with 

 three records; Brown Creeper, with four; Downy Woodpecker 

 and Tree Sparrow, with five; Bronzed Grackle, with seven. 



The abundant species in February were: Crow and Blue Jay, 

 each with 27 records; Chickadee, with eighteen records; White- 

 breasted Nuthatch, with sixteen; Snowbird, with twelve. The 

 Crow and Jay maintained their large February records in 1916. 

 The White-breasted Nuthatch exceeded by ten records those of 

 last February. The Snowbird had nine records in February, 19 15, 

 and the Chickadee only one. Two species that were rare this 

 winter in February, and abundant last winter in the same month 

 were: Tree Sparrow, with eleven records and Brown Creeper, with 

 twelve. 



The total number of species seen in February, 19 15 was 16. 



