The Season 



^85 



Plover were found there on the following 

 dates; July 2 (B. T. Gault and C. J. Hunt), 

 July 22 (G. P. Lewis), July 23 (B. T. Gault 

 and C. J. Hunt), July 28 (Lewis, Sanborn and 

 Conover), and August 6 (Sanborn and Con- 

 over). The Dowitcher and Semipalmated 

 Plover were first seen July 22. Least and 

 Semipalmated Sandpipers and Plovers were 

 in the greatest numbers, with Yellowlegs and 

 Pectorals next and a few Dowitchers and 

 Jack Snipes, the latter birds probably young 

 raised near there. 



With the exception of the Dowitcher and 

 Snipe, all these birds have also been reported 

 from the Lincoln Park beach on July 18 and 

 22 by G. P. Lewis and July 22 and August 8, 

 by B. T. Gault. Mr. Lewis added Upland 

 Plover to the list on the 2 2d and Mr. Gault 

 added Red-backed Sandpiper the 2 2d and 

 Sanderling August 8. On the 2 2d Mr. Gault 

 had a very close view of two Marbled God- 

 wits, a rare record from this region. Bona- 

 parte's Gulls and Common Terns were also 

 there August 8. 



Messrs. Gault and Hunt found a few 

 Yellow-headed Blackbirds at Hyde Lake, 

 July 2, and a King Rail's nest with nine 

 eggs. The writer found the Blue-gray 

 Gnatcatchers at Beach again this year on 

 June 18 and July 16, but had no time to 

 look for the nest. E. J. Scupham saw a 

 Turkey Buzzard, August 6, on the Kankakee 

 River. It was after a heavy rain and the 

 bird was perched on the top of a dead stub 

 drying its wings and plumage. The small 

 flock of Scaup stayed in the harbor off 

 Chicago until July 30, when the hydroplanes, 

 motorboats, yachts, and dredges evidently 

 became too much for them. No Warblers 

 have been reported as yet. — Colin Camp- 

 bell Sanborn, Chairman Report Committee, 

 Chicago Ornithological Society, Chicago, Ills. 



Kansas City Region. — A numerous 

 colony of Traill's Flycatchers nested again 

 this year in the extensive willow thickets in 

 the Missouri River bottoms near the mouth 

 of Big Blue. Scores of nests were watched 

 during the last two weeks of June and the 

 early days of July. The full complement of 

 eggs in the nests of this colony varies about 

 equally between three and four, only a single 



set of five being seen. It was found that this 

 species does not lay an egg every day, but 

 that several days usually elapse between the 

 laying of successive eggs. Yellow Warblers 

 were also numerous in the willows, and those 

 individuals of the two species that chose 

 their nesting-sites deep within the thickets 

 were not imposed on by Cowbirds, while 

 nests located in more open situations usually 

 contained eggs of the parasite. In the older 

 parts of this region, where there are large 

 areas of broken and dead willow stubs of 

 from three to six inches in diameter, the 

 House Wrens are particularly numerous 

 nesting in old Downy Woodpecker holes 

 and natural cavities. It was noticed last 

 year for the first time, and verified this 

 season, that every nest of the Wren in this 

 wild region contained fragments or whole 

 cast snake-skins. This material was worked 

 into the lining, as the outer nest was of the 

 usual coarse construction. 



A visit was paid late in June to the Holt 

 County, Missouri, farm of Charles E. 

 Dankers for the purpose of examining recent 

 acquisitions to his collection of birds and 

 Missouri records, and to see again his large 

 flocks of wild Geese. It was found that his 

 Blue Geese had been breeding during the 

 past two seasons, and the writer was pre- 

 sented with a fine set of these rare eggs. 

 Mr. Dankers has established several unique 

 bird records for western Missouri, as well 

 as two or three for the entire state, which 

 have been recorded elsewhere. A recent 

 record of interest was the finding of a nest 

 of young Marsh Hawks near his home on 

 June 4. 



A pair of Upland Plover, presumably the 

 same that have nested for several years in 

 the Waldo region, were present this year in 

 the large pasture on Oak, between 71st and 

 75th streets. They were not found until 

 late in June and had evidently succeeded in 

 bringing oft' their young, as they were very 

 solicitous of something in the high grass 

 that could not be found. 



Records of the Blue Grosbeak have ac- 

 cumulated to such an extent that it is 

 puzzling to know whether the species has 

 extended its range into this region lately as 

 has been supposed, or that the bird has been 



