SCIENCE 



NEW YOKE, OCTOBER 27. 1893. 



THE VISITORS TO ONE OAK TREE. 



BY MORRIS GIBBS, KALAMAZOO, MICH. 



One of the pleasures in the study of nature is in keep- 

 ing a correct record of one's observations for a series of 

 years. Twentj' five years ago the writer began a record 

 or list of the birds, mammals and insects seen in a village 

 yard. The lot is five by twelve rods in size, and within 

 this area and over it there have been seen one hundred 

 and thirty-four siDecies of birds, the large majority of 

 which were recorded during the migrations. Of this 

 number nineteen species have been found breeding in the 

 lot. 



In this yard are a variety of trees and shrubs, a bound- 

 ary evergreen hedge, and just outside of it are manj' sur- 

 rounding trees. These trees afl:ord resting places for 

 many birds, and during migrations most of those birds 

 which pass through our city of 20,000 inhabitants, usually 

 visit our yard. There is one tree in jjarticular in the lot, 

 a thickly foliaged, low-spreading Burr Oak, Quercus 

 macrocarpa well covered with a netting of the common 

 creeper of this section Ampelopsis quinquefolia, to which the 

 birds are especially attracted. 



During the last decade many changes have taken place 

 in our city lot and the attractions for migrants are not as 

 many as formerly, and furthermore, the former quiet vil- 

 lage, now a thriving city, is not invaded by as many of 

 the feathered tribe, as the active migrants prefer the 

 suburbs in their seasonal journeyings. Nevertheless, as 

 the following observations show, many kinds of birds 

 wander into the city, while a few of our commoner species 

 make their home in our midst ; some as summer sojour- 

 ners and others as regular residents or winter visitors. 



The oak tree to which I refer stands in our front yard 

 and is readily insjaected from the house veranda. At 

 times the tree is alive with birds, and I have often seen 

 three to five species in the branches at once, and on one 

 occasion seven species, including bluejay, robin, yellow- 

 rump, and Tennessee warblers, bronzed grackle, chipping 

 and the ubiquetous European sjDarrow. The following 

 sisty-four species have been identified while in the 

 branches of the burr oak: 



A score of years or more ago the wild or passenger jii- 

 geon was known to alight in this tree. The sharp-shinned 

 hawk once accidentally selected the oak in the autumn 

 for a place of observation in his admirable warfare on the 

 pertinacious imported sparrow. Those peculiar and mys- 

 terious birds commonly known as rain crows, or more in- 

 telligently as cuckoos, are occasional summer visitors, the 

 black-billed quite commonly, while the rarer species, the 

 yellow-billed has been seen but once, but it is becoming 

 more common hereabouts. 



Of the wood peckers, five have been seen, the yellow- 

 bellied a2:)pears in April and stajs a month ; red-head and 

 golden-wing straggle into the city and to our tree irregu- 

 larly from March to November. The hairy and downy 

 wood peckers arenot rarely observed spring and fall, the 

 latter often in winter. 



Others who visit the oak along with the wood peckers 

 and who feed on much the same kind of food taken from 

 the crevices of the rough bark, are the nuthatches, the 

 white-breast being a resident while the red-belly is a 



straggler from the north. That mite of flesh and blood, 

 the brown creejjer, searches the trunk from base to main 

 fork, and is seen off and on from November to Ajoril, of- 

 ten in company with the titmouse or common chickadee. 

 Two other diminutive birds, but not quite so hardy, are 

 the golden and ruby-crowned kinglets which are regular 

 spring and fall visitors. 



A not rare winter visitor is the common red crossbill of 

 the north, which occasionally alights in flocks in our oak, 

 and flocks of red polls often come to town. Still another 

 not always recognized northern bird is the little pine 

 siskin, while I have seen the even less known pine 

 and evening grosbeaks. I have also observed the great 

 northern shrike or butcher-bird. The bluejay is a resident 

 and is seen every month in the tree without an exception. 

 The goldfinch is also a resident but is noticed more often 

 in the oak during summer. Snow birds of the slate-col- 

 ored sj)ecies and tree sparrows are seen in fall, winter and 

 spring, the former commonly, the latter rarely about our 

 oak. The cedar bird, a resident, yet so erratic in its ap- 

 pearance, may be seen in summer or winter, but never 

 singly, and never to be relied upon. 



In the early spring, often in late February the robin 

 and blue bird lend their presence, the former caroling 

 from the topmost branches of the still bare-Hmbed tree. 



The next thrush to show itself is the hermit, which, 

 though usually a ground species, sometimes flies into the 

 lower branches on its waj' north. Sometimes a cat bird 

 has visited the oak. I once heard a veery's song in the 

 tree, and a dead specimen of the olive-backed thrush lying 

 beneath the branches proved that an unfortunate exam- 

 ple of this retiring species had taken the city route and 

 probably been sacrificed to the skill of a boy with an air- 

 gun or sling shot. 



Among the sirring sparrows I have seen the purple finch, 

 which with the song sjjarrow often appear before the 

 snow is gone, after which the little hair bird or chippy 

 shows itself. Then follows the white-throated sparrow 

 with its beautiful song which has been likened to the syl- 

 lables pea body, pea body, pea body. Lastly apj)ear the 

 rose-breasted grosbeak and indigo bird of the familj', both 

 of which sometimes sing from our oak. 



Of the blackbirds the bronzed grackle arrives first, gen- 

 erally in early March, the cowbird apijjearing the latter 

 jjart of the month. A meadow lark once p)aused in its 

 flight accross the city and uttered its stridulous zeet from 

 our oak. Next in this family appears that brilliant oriole. 

 Lord Baltimore, and later the plainer relative but sweeter 

 songster the orchard oriole. 



In late April the chimmey swifts arrive but do not ap- 

 proach our oak until late May, when inexjDerienced birds 

 may sometimes be seen to attempt to break off the strong 

 twigs for their stick nests. Humming birds with ruby throats 

 are often seen to alight on the oak which is next to a large 

 trumpet creeper. 



The fly-catchers are represented by three species. King- 

 birds, common and woodpewees are all visitors, the latter 

 almost daily during summer. That beautiful singer, as 

 well as bird of handsome plumage, the scarlet tanager 

 sometimes wanders into town, and on one occasion I ob- 

 served one in our oak. The house wren which nests in 

 the neighborhood is often seen. 



In the grand rush of migrants which occurs from April 

 twentieth to May fifteenth, and during which time over 



