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Bird - Lore 



resorted to the Capitol grounds near the 

 secondary Purple Martin roost. The 

 Purple Martins returned this year in much 

 greater numbers than in August of 191 7, 

 but they roosted in another place, as will be 

 more fully described later in Bird-Lore. — 

 Harry C. Oberholser, Biological Survey, 

 Washington, D. C. 



Minneapolis Region.- — The weather 

 during the last two weeks of August con- 

 tinued cooler than usual. Early in Sep- 

 tember heavy frosts began to appear in the 

 northern part of the state, ice forming in 

 Itasca Park on September 3, and freezing 

 temperatures prevailing throughout the 

 northern counties on the loth. On Sep- 

 tember 12 the first frost occurred at Min- 

 neapolis, but it was light, and even the 

 tenderest garden plants are still uninjured 

 in this locality at the present date. In the 

 middle of September, just before the 

 opening of Duck-shooting, the southwest- 

 ern part of the state experienced several 

 sharp, frosty nights which, at Heron Lake, 

 were supposed to account for the scarcity 

 of local birds, especially Teal. During the 

 third week of September, cold, raw days 

 predominated all over the state, followed 

 by beautiful, warm "Indian Summer" 

 weather that has continued to the present 

 time. Aside from a few local heavy down- 

 pours in August, there has been but little 

 rain. Lakes, streams, and sloughs are ex- 

 ceptionally low, and the uplands dry and 

 parched, which conditions have prepared 

 the way for the widespread and terrible 

 forest fires that are at present causing the 

 greatest loss of life and property in the 

 history of Minnesota. The devastated 

 area extends over several large counties in 

 the heart of the Canadian Zone, and every- 

 thing in the path of the fires has been swept 

 clean. In addition to the destruction of 

 vegetation, the loss of animal life in such 

 conflagrations must be enormous. 



The crop of wild rice this year has been 

 unusually large and luxuriant. Even in 

 the almost dry sloughs it stands tall and 

 dense and heavy with seed. It would seem 

 as though this should have a beneficial 

 effect on the vast numbers of birds, both 



aquatic and land, that prefer this to any 

 other food. Unfortunately, it comes too 

 late to save the farmers' crops from the 

 devouring hordes of Blackbirds. The 

 damage is wrought by these birds while the 

 corn and grain are 'in the milk.' 



The most interesting phase of bird- 

 study in the fall is the return of the 

 migrants. In this connection it is a per- 

 ennial surprise to see how quickly many of 

 the far northern breeding waders are 

 back again at their old spring haunts. On 

 August 24 a flock of eleven Least Sand- 

 pipers was seen feeding in company with 

 many Lesser Yellow-legs on a mud-flat 

 along the Minnesota River, not far from 

 this city. On the 25th a couple of Baird's 

 Sandpipers had joined them. These two 

 birds kept much by themselves and did 

 not seem to be in particularly good favor 

 with the others. In general actions they 

 resembled very closely the Least Sand- 

 piper. Both ran quickly about, searching 

 for their food by a rapid, vertical probing 

 with the slender bill instead of picking it 

 up in a leisurely fashion as did the larger 

 species present. August 25 a single Green- 

 winged Teal was seen on the mud-bar in 

 company with a brood of ten or twelve 

 Blue-wings. The former species is now a 

 rare breeder in southern Minnesota, and, 

 as a migrant, the bulk comes rather late. 



A flock of twelve Horned Larks, old and 

 young, and several single birds were seen 

 near the city on September 2, this being 

 worthy of note because this bird has been 

 strangely scarce in this vicinity in recent 

 years. 



Late in August the usual miscellaneous 

 assemblages of migrating and resident 

 birds appeared in the woodlands, roving 

 about, feeding and calling to one another 

 as they drift hither and thither through 

 the tree-tops. The composition of these 

 groups is always a curious and fascinating 

 study. Often they number several hun- 

 dred individuals and thirty or forty 

 species may be represented, ranging all the 

 way from Woodpeckers to Kinglets. 

 Young and old are alike present. Warblers, 

 Vireos, and Flycatchers predominate. 

 These loitering migrants are here closely 



