THE OOLOGIST. 



311 



Nesting Habits of the Golden-winged Warbler 



This is the only species of the genus 

 which is known to breed regularly in 

 the Lower Peninsula. Perhaps we 

 might call it the most abundant species, 

 but one other the Nashville Warbler, is 

 very common during the spring migra- 

 tion and nests in some sections. 



The Golden-winged Warbler, Helmin- 

 thophila chrysoplera (L.) arrives about 

 May tirst on Michigan's southern boun- 

 dary, but often in April. I have known 

 it to appear on April 26th again not be 

 seen till May 11th, but it is probable that 

 it always arrives by the first week ofMay, 

 but is overlooked at times. The males 

 appear first. In fact the females are 

 hardly to be seen at any time, for they 

 are very retiring at all seasons. 



Often as collectors are tramping 

 about low clearings, or at the edges of 

 basswood, ash and elm forests, or in 

 boggy land covered with willows, al- 

 ders and swamp scrub, a faint series of 

 notes may be heard. These notes can- 

 not be called a soug but they evidently 

 answer the purpose. 



Ordinarily the effort souuds like 

 zwee-e-e-e-e-e long drawn out, but this 

 is often varied by wheez-e r e-e-e-e-e-e. 



This effort is sometimes changed to a 

 crazy series of notes which cannot be 

 described, but which are in no sense to 

 be considered musical. 



At the time the strain is issued it is 

 next to impossible to tell from whence 

 the sounds proceed, and it is often ex- 

 ceedingly difficult to locate the singer. 

 I have repeatedly supposed the notes 

 to come from high in the trees when it 

 proved that the singer was on the 

 ground. Again -the notes seemed to 

 rise from beneath my feet when the 

 bird was located in a tree. Generally 

 the Gold-wing sings from a low bush or 

 limb of a tree, and it is rare that one 

 is found well up from the ground. 

 Still I have shot the birds from the tops 

 of tall forest trees. In addition to the 



songs, there are some call notes, com- 

 mon to both sexes, and one of these, a 

 penetrating, metallic sound, is quite 

 characteristic of this species. 



The males are quite conspicuous and 

 are not difficult to secure but a female 

 is quite a rarity unless shot during mi- 

 gration, or from or near the nest. 



One sultry day, June 5th, several 

 years ago, while hunting about a clear- 

 ing, I flushed a female Gold -wing, and 

 feeling satisfied from her actions that 

 she had a nest near she was shot to in- 

 sure identity. Judge of my disappoint- 

 ment, after a few minutes search to dis- 

 cover five young birds in a well con- 

 cealed nest among the tussocks of rank 

 marsh grass. Regretting the misfor- 

 tune to the young, I passed on with 

 caution, as several birds were singing 

 about me. In a short time another 

 bird was flushed, this time a male, 

 which led me to hope that the father of 

 the unfortunate young would take care 

 of them. 



The second nest contained five eggs 

 which proved to be too far advanced in 

 incubation to save. This nest, like the 

 first was placed on the ground, and 

 was supported by small shoots and 

 grass. 



In construction the nest in no way re- 

 sembles the structure of any bird that I 

 have met with, but it comes nearer in 

 materials to the nest of the Maryland 

 Yellow-thi'oat. The bulk of the nest is 

 composed of course leaves and dried 

 ■grasses, with a plentiful amount of 

 coarse strips of grape vine bark. The 

 lining was of fine roots and there was 

 nothing of that artistic finish, and 

 make-up of delicate materials which 

 lend a charm to the appearance of 

 many small bird's nests. The nest as a, 

 whole was bulky, and large for the size 

 of the bird. 



At various times I have found this 

 Warbler nesting in several sections of 

 the state. At the North a favorite loc- 

 ation is at the edge of a pinery where it. 



