138 



THB OOLOGIST 



A May Day Afield. 



On May 11, 1913, in company with 

 Mr. John Bausewein of Bloomfield, 

 the writer spent five of the most pleas- 

 ant hours afield that he has experi- 

 enced for many a day. The country 

 canvassed was that part of Morris 

 County, New Jersey, which is known 

 as the Troy Meadow section. Starting 

 at the terminus of the trolley line in 

 Caldwell, the course pursued was 

 along Bloomfield Avenue to Pine 

 Brook, thence over the Hanover Neck 

 Road to the Rockaway, thence along 

 its southern shore to the Junction of 

 the Whippany, thence to the Pleasant- 

 dale Road to Swinefield Bridge over 

 the Passaic River and finally to Beau- 

 fort. 



While walking over this section 

 many novel and interesting features, 

 ornithologically and oologically occur- 

 red and these are worthy of more 

 than passing interest. On the way 

 from Caldwell to Beaufort many spe- 

 cies were encountered and numerous 

 nests of the resident species located. 

 Those which appeared in abundance 

 were: Crow, Meadowlark, Field, Vesp- 

 er, Chipping and Song Sparrows, Gold- 

 finch, Redwings, Flicker, Starling, 

 Barn and Tree Swallows, Catbird, 

 Bluebird, Yellow-throated Vireo, 

 Robin, Swift, Yellow Warbler, Purple 

 Crackle, Kingbird, Redstart, Balti- 

 more Oriole, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, 

 Red-eyed Vireo and Bobolink. These 

 species were heard many times and 

 were present throughout the period 

 spent afield. Just after leaving Cald- 

 well a pair of Cliff Swallows were ob- 

 served circling about over the low 

 pasture lands on the right side of the 

 road. For some unknown reason these 

 birds have been rather scarce in this 

 section for several years past. In 

 this immediate vicinity a Marsh Hawk 

 and a House Wren were seen and the 

 latter often heard. 



At Pine Brook a Great Blue Heron 

 was seen and as he stood in the water 

 calmly and silently watching its 

 depths for a passing member of the 

 finny tribe, presented a very beauti- 

 ful and imposing picture. Along the 

 Rockaway a Chewink was heard call- 

 ing, as well as several Blue Jays. In 

 the open fields adjacent, a pair of Cow- 

 birds were silently but very indus- 

 triously searching the newly plowed 

 surface for grubs and insects which 

 prevailed in great abundance. At the 

 junction of the Whippany and the 

 Rockaway a pair of Chebecs were bus- 

 ily engaged in completing their home 

 in a low maple sapling. At the foot 

 of this tree a pair of Swamp Spar- 

 rows were also working on their fu- 

 ture domicile. In the shallow waters 

 of the Whippany a Green Heron was 

 seen in about the same attitude as the 

 Great Blue. Along the Whippany 14 

 or 15 Wilson Snipes were seen and 

 often heard. Along the Pleasantdale 

 Road a Sparrow Hawk was seen feast- 

 ing upon the remains of a batrachian 

 (species unknown). At the Swine- 

 field Bridge a Red-headed Woodpeck- 

 er was seen fiying low over the water 

 and as we left the vicinity its rolling 

 tattoo was heard several times. Near 

 Beaufort in a copse of White birches 

 and Maples on the bank of the Pas- 

 saic, numerous species were found and 

 a number of these were nesting. 

 Among these species were: Five 

 Chickadees and one half completed 

 nest in a white birch; one Crow's nest 

 with three young about ten days old 

 and the parents in the near neighbor- 

 hood uttering cries of protest all of 

 the while we were in the vicinity; five 

 Crested Flycatchers, three Killdeers, 

 a Spotted Sandpiper, an Ovenbird, fe- 

 male with completed nest; five White- 

 breasted Nuthatches; a Downy and 

 five Black and White Warblers. These 

 latter were frequently heard as they 



