The Season 



223 



Sandhill Crane, Dunes, Ind., April 16 (W. B. 

 Richardson); Lapland Longspur, Addison, 

 111., April 22 (C. J. Hunt); Bachman's Spar- 

 row, Beach, 111., April 23 (C. C. Sanborn); 

 Evening Grosbeak, Washington Park, May 

 5 (A. Lewy); Grasshopper Sparrow, Deer- 

 field, 111., May 6 (C. C. Sanborn); Yellow- 

 breasted Chat, Dunes, Ind., May 14 and 21 

 (C. J. Hunt), and Deerfield, 111., May 22 

 (H. K. Coale); Philadelphia Vireo, Deerfield, 

 111., May 21 (H. K. Coale). 



To date, 44 species have been found nest- 

 ing. Mr. W. B. Richardson reports from the 

 Dunes a Marsh Hawk nest with eight eggs; a 

 Long-eared Owl's nest destroyed before the 

 eggs hatched, and he was attacked by a Great 

 Horned Owl when he attempted to photo- 

 graph its nest. At Hyde Lake, III, Mr. C. J. 

 Hunt and Mr. B. F. Gault found Virginia 

 Rail and Savannah Sparrow nests on June 4. 

 The writer, with Mr. E. J. Scupham, spent 

 from May 20 to 22 on the Kankakee River 

 near the Illinois-Indiana state line, and 

 located many interesting nests. Prothonotary 

 Warblers were plentiful, and, while one nest 

 contained eggs, most of them were just 

 starting to build. Other stubs held Tree 

 Swallow, House Wren, and even an English 

 Sparrow. Two Hairy Woodpecker nests were 

 seen, each containing large young ready to fly. 

 Mr. Scupham later found Crested Flycatcher, 

 Chickadee, Cardinal, and others there. He 

 also reports from Homewood, 111., between 

 June 5 and 10, the following — Upland Plover, 

 King Rail (two nests, eleven and thirteen 

 eggs). Bittern, Least Bittern, Migrant Shrike, 

 and many other more common ones. 



To date 194 species have been reported. — 

 Colin Campbell Sanborn, Chairman Report 

 Committee, Chicago Ornithological Society. 



Kansas City Region. — It is regretted 

 that notes covering only half of the current 

 period can be included in this letter, since the 

 writer leaves shortly after the middle of May 

 for a month or so in more remote and more 

 fruitful fields for the study of nesting habits. 

 However, Messrs. Bolt, Teachenor, and 

 Woodworth, having promised to do a lot of 

 field work during the writer's absence and to 

 keep voluminous notes, it is hoped that the 

 next letter will contain important data. 



Spring has been late this year, and, though 

 the early breeders have averaged later in 

 their nesting, the migrants in the main seem 

 not to have been delayed by the cold, wet 

 season. Sizable flocks of Juncos, instead of 

 stragglers merely, may have lingered beyond 

 their accustomed time of departure, but the 

 bulk of these winter visitors left for their 

 northern homes during mid-April as usual. 

 This is mentioned because of the insistence 

 of several local students that the bulk of this 

 species remained long after their regular 

 leaving- time. 



A pleasant fact to record is the noticeable 

 increase in Bob-whites in a wide area in the 

 southern parts of the city. On the breaking 

 up of the covies in late April, the cheery and 

 ringing call-notes of this sturdy species have 

 been heard on all sides. Many pairs have 

 been surprised in suitable nesting-places and 

 two nests have been located. It is feared that 

 the local craze for Airedale terriers tends to 

 keep down this fine bird, as ranging dogs of 

 this species in twos and threes are often seen 

 in the places where the Bob-whites nest. 



Red-breasted Nuthatches were still present 

 on April 18, three having been seen on that 

 date. On the same day a third specimen of 

 the Western Red-tail was brought in to Mr. 

 Frazier for mounting. The several records 

 of this form this season indicate a local 

 invasion. Redstarts and Kentucky Warblers 

 were heard singing for the first time on April 

 21, though it is likely that they had been 

 present and silent during several cold, wet 

 days prior to this date. Blue-gray Gnat- 

 catchers had their nests well under way at 

 this time. 



April 22 was Harris's Sparrow day, as 

 thousands of these old fellows were singing 

 at a great rate from every tangle and thicket. 

 It is always hard to say just when the bulk 

 of these birds are passing, as they go in waves 

 of varying numbers. They may be here in 

 droves today and gone tomorrow, and in 

 three weeks are common again. 



Local students will regret to learn that the 

 Prairie Horned Larks and Killdeers that have 

 always nested on the high prairies in the 

 region of 63d Street and Ward Parkway have 

 at last been driven off by building and grad- 

 ing operations. The many and varied species 



