Birds and Seasons 27 



Hen, a sound truly suggestive of the season, impressing us at once as 

 odd, and still further remarkable for its penetrating powers. 



BIRDS OF THE SEASON 



Permanent residents and winter visitants (see Bird-Lore, Dec, 1900, p. 187). 



A list of February and March arrivals at Glen Ellyn, Ills., observed during the 

 past eight years. Extreme dates are given when more than one record has been made. 



February Migrants. — February 12 to March 20, Meadowlark ; 19, American Cross- 

 bill ; 19 to March 27, Bluebird. 



March Migrants. — March 2-31, White-rumped Shrike; 3-26, Rusty Blackbird; 

 3-27, Killdeer; 4-25, Robin; 6-19, Canada Goose; 7, Cedar Waxwing, Redpoll; 7-24, 

 Song Sparrow; 8-28, Purple Finch; 10, Mallard; 12, Mourning Dove; 12-13, Fox 

 Sparrow; i2-!24, Red-winged Blackbird; 17-30, Bronzed Grackle; 18, Cowbird; 19, 

 Brown Creeper; 19-22, Pintail; 19-29, Sharp-shinned Hawk; 20-26, Flicker; 21, Her- 

 ring Gull; 21-27, Phoebe; 22-28, Ruby-crowned Kinglet; 24, Hermit Thrush; 27, 

 Purple Martin; 28, Ring-necked Duck; 28-29, Golden-crowned Kinglet; 30, Golden 

 Plover; 31, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. 



SUGGESTIONS FOR THE SEASON'S STUDY 



Re-vieiv of the Past Winter's Bird-Life. — Review the bird-life of the past winter as 

 shown by your own experience and Bird-Lore's Christmas census. Note comparative ab- 

 sence of snow and the consequent presence, north of their usual winter range, of certain 

 species; also absence of certain winter birds. Compare the Christmas bird lists with the 

 object of ascertaining the distribution of our winter birds. What species appear to be 

 most generally distributed? 



Birds and Seasons. — Compare the preceding outlines of the characteristics of the bird- 

 life of Boston, New York, etc., and lists of February and March birds, in the preceding 

 articles. 



Migration. — What theories have been advanced to account for the return of the birds 

 from warm winter quarters, where food Is abundant, to often bleak surroundings, where 

 food Is comparatively scarce? Discuss this question (see Cooke, ' Bird Migration in the 

 Mississippi Valley'; Chapman, 'Bird-Life' and references therein given). Note the re- 

 lation between a species' winter range and Its time of arrival at a given point. What is 

 the northern limit of the winter range of the first species to arrive at your locality? Is it 

 probable that the first Individuals to arrive are those representatives of the species that win- 

 tered farthest north? Would It follow, then, that the last individuals of a species to arrive 

 are those that wintered farthest south? Or is It possible that birds may linger on their 

 northward journey where they find an abundance of food and thus be passed by individuals 

 from further south? The question as to whether our first arrivals are our summer resident 

 birds or transients en route to a more northern breeding ground, has a direct bearing here. 

 What is your opinion in regard to this point? Try and observe closely the movements of 

 a certain flock of birds— Robins, for instance. Does It have a regularly frequented feed- 

 ing place where you can always find it at a certain time? A regularly frequented roost- 

 ing place? How long after a species is first noted do you observe Individuals of it In 

 localities where it Is known to breed? Robins on your lawn, or Red-winged Blackbirds 

 in certain Isolated marshes, for Instance. 



Note the addition to the ranks of our winter birds, — Juncos, Tree Sparrows, and 

 others. This indicates that their migration is under way. Does It follow that our winter 

 resident individuals of these species have already gone ? 



It is of special interest to know that at this season migration Is also beginning in the 



