The Season 



281 



Three trips were taken to the island on 

 which the Least Terns, one colony of Com- 

 mon Terns, and the colon}- of 20 Skimmers 

 were nesting, and while the following brief 

 account may bj- no means be accurate, it 

 \\-ill give some idea of the vicissitudes, dan- 

 gers, and misfortunes of these colonial birds. 



June 25. Common Terns, about 100; 

 about 30 nests with eggs; about 10 downy 

 j-oung; a number of eggs la\-ing around in the 

 sand as if washed out of the nests by high 

 tides. Black Skimmers. 14; 2 nests, one 

 with 5 eggs. A pile of some 30 eggs (mostly 

 Skimmers') lading on the sand as if gathered 

 by someone who wished to see how many 

 could be found. Least Terns, 30; 9 nests with 

 2 eggs each; 3 downy j^oung, one with pin- 

 feathers starting on wings. 



Jul}- 16 (second trip J . Common Terns, 75; 

 2 nests with eggs; a number of do^-ny and 

 some well-feathered young found stretched 

 prone on the sand and hiding in the sparse 

 grass, also a few yoimg birds on the ^"ing, the 

 young birds being distinguished from the 

 parents by their quicker wing-beats and 

 labored flight; numbers of eggs scattered 

 about. Black Skimmers, 14; 3 nests, one 

 with 3 young just hatched. Tracks of a 

 horse, dog. and man in the sand. It looks 

 as if these birds were persistently robbed. 

 Least Terns, 30; no nests with eggs found, 

 I downy young, probably there are more as 

 these little fellows are just the color of dry 

 sand and hard to see; the parent birds all 

 fl\-uig about verj- anxious. 



August 18 (third trip j. Common Terns 40; 

 no nests i^-ith eggs; 2 yoimg with pin-feathers 

 starting; most of the birds appear to have 

 finished breeding and have scattered. Black 

 Skimmers. 20; 6 of these birds are young, in 

 gray plumage, 5 are fljing about, the other 

 one was found b}- Jack Crosb}-, h-ing prone on 

 the sand. The bird is well feathered but un- 

 able to fly; if put on the sand he immediately 

 squats; finally he is induced to move off. 

 which he does rather hurriedly. The lower 

 mandible of this bird protrudes about an 

 eighth of an inch beyond the upper. Adult 

 Skimmer found dead, floating on surface of 

 Inlet, apparently shot. Least Terns, 10; 

 no young are foimd, though old birds are 

 seen fl\-ing about with food in their biUs, 



also show considerable alarm; most of the 

 birds have apparently left. 



While all the colonies suffer more or less 

 from eggers, floods, etc., there seems to be 

 no immediate danger of their being extermi- 

 nated though one carmot predict with any 

 degree of accuracy in \-ie\v of the rapid growth 

 of the resorts on the Xew Jersey coast. A 

 sanctuarj' which would include a strip of 

 beach, it would seem, would be the proper 

 thing. 



Sanderling, 2 Knots, and a Semipalmated 

 Plover were still present on Seven-Mile 

 Beach, X. J., Jime 18. At this time, also, 

 an Oj-ster-catcher was observed. This bird 

 was probabh' a straggler and not nesting, 

 as he manifested no apprehension such as 

 nesting Oyster-catchers at Cobbs Island. \'a.. 

 had been observed to do when breeding. 

 A ver\- good \-iew of the bird was obtained, 

 but. true to his w-ild nature, he did not permit 

 of verj- close approach. As he took wing, 

 the striking w-ing pattern was plainl}- seen. 



C. K. Roland was present and also observed 

 the bird. He also is familiar with the species. 

 ha\-ing seen it on the Virginia coast islands. 

 Three Turnstones and several Least Sand- 

 pipers were noted on the meadows near 

 Atlantic City. X. J.. June 25. 



The migration of south-bound shore-birds 

 was in fuU swing July 16. Dowitcher. 150 

 (4 flocks j; Black-breasted Plover, 60 (2 

 flocks); Willet, 2 (Western?); together with 

 a fair number of the commoner species were 

 all noted on the salt marshes near Atlantic 

 Cit\-. Here also Black Terns (7 adults) were 

 obser\'ed June 25 and Jifly 16. A large 

 flight of Least Sandpipers, perhaps a thou- 

 sand birds, and a few Pectoral Sandpipers 

 are at present writing (August 14J frequent- 

 ing a fiUed-in, mudd}- meadow near the out- 

 skirts of Camden. — ^Julla.x K. Potter. 

 Camden, X. J. 



Washixgtox Region. — Ornithological 

 conditions in the \-icinity of Washington, 



D. C, were about normal during the months 

 of June and Jul\-. 1922. The weather was 

 for the most part moderate and thus favored 

 the usual a\-ian acti\-ities. In general, birds 

 were rather numerous, possibly more abun- 

 dant than usual at this time of the year 



