J$ott^ from iFielb anti ^tubp 



Summer Records of Winter Birds in 

 the Upper Peninsula of Michigan 



During a residence of several years in 

 the upper peninsula of Michigan the writer 

 had the opportunity of observing some 

 entirely new facts in regard to the habits 

 of some of the northern species of birds. 

 The northern peninsula has been very little 

 studied by ornithologists, but it offers a 

 rich iield for consecutive effort in bird- 

 study. It seems to be a converging point 

 for eastern, western, northern and southern 

 species. The following observations upon 

 the northern species were made in Luce 

 County. 



Evening Grosbeak. — The Evening 

 Grosbeak is common usually every winter, 

 arriving mostly about November and 

 lingering into May. But some individuals 

 have different habits or habitat. On July 

 i6, 191 1, a flock of a number of males, 

 females, and young of the year were seen. 

 The birds allowed close observation. On 

 Aug. 18, 191 2, seven were seen, six being in 

 one flock. Aug. 10, 1913, two were seen. 

 July 14, 1915, two, and on July 20, were 

 again seen. 



Richardson's Owl. — On July 19, 1913, 

 a young Richardson's Owl was captured 

 alive. Its plumage was carefully examined 

 and compared with identified plumage of 

 the same species. Measurements were also 

 made and they corresponded perfectly. 

 On the night of Aug. 15, a bird, supposed 

 to be of this species, was heard. 



Redpoll. — The Redpoll is usually 

 credited with being a winter visitor from 

 November to April. It is quite true that 

 the greater number do come at this time, 

 but during a long residence I seldom failed 

 to find a few birds in July or August. 

 The following are some dates of arrival: 

 Aug. 5, 1909; July 16, 191 1 ; Aug. 12, 191 2; 

 July 15, 1913; July 21, 1914; and young of 



the year were seen on Aug. 31. Flocks of 

 fair size were seen June 9 and 21, 1912, 

 and May 17, 18, 20, 21, 26, and 27, 1914. 

 The records of the Evening Grosbeak 

 seem particularly interesting as it seems 

 certain that the birds nest somewhere in 

 the middle west. — Ralph Beebe, 600 

 Hillger Avenue, Detroit, Mich. 



A Santa Barbara Hummer 



This beautiful little Hummingbird chose 

 for her home a crape myrtle tree in a Santa 

 Barbara rose-garden, and all who have 

 been in Santa Barbara in the winter and 

 spring know what a feast of beauty that 

 meant. There, while building her dainty 

 nest — an inch and a half in diameter, 

 perfect in architecture, gray in color and 

 decorated with lichen, — she probably knew 

 that she would have daily song-recitals 

 of Mockingbirds such as would make 

 mortals despair in their vain efforts. 



I was much surprised to find the bird 

 so confiding that I was able to put up my 

 camera, focus it 4 feet from the nest, and 

 give one-second exposure without her 

 moving. The nest was about 5 feet above 

 the ground. When the two little birds 

 came, I was anxious to get a picture of 

 the mother feeding them, which she did 

 very quickly, standing on the edge of the 

 nest and running her long bill most 

 energetically away down their throats. 



When the mother was away foraging, I 

 covered the camera with green leaves, 

 focused it upon the nest, then drew a 

 thread, which I had attached to the 

 shutter, into a room that looked down 

 upon the nest, and there awaited the 

 mother's return at dinner-hour. I am sure 

 that she carried a watch, for dinner was 

 always served promptly between 1.30 and 

 2 o'clock. 



She was frightened on seeing the camera, 

 and for some time surveyed it suspiciously 

 from her perch on a telephone wire. Then, 

 knowing that her little family's life 



(291) 



