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Bird - Lore 



July 23. Western Blue Grosbeaks were 

 again seen in the Balboa region, two indi- 

 viduals being in tj^iical plumage and one 

 brown with only the head blue. A Virginia 

 Rail was seen in the salt marsh. On July 26, 

 a pair of Blue Grosbeaks was seen at Artesia, 

 where Kingbirds were numerous, Cassin's 

 being noted as well as many Arkansas. About 

 one thousand Cliff Swallows were congre- 

 gated near a ranch reservoir. July 29, 

 another assemblage of Cliff Swallows was 

 noted numbering several hundreds. On this 

 date Barn Swallows were still feeding young 

 at the nests under a bridge at Playa 

 del Rey. 



Mid- July had arrived before any trips 

 to the shore were undertaken. July 16, the 

 migration of shore-birds seemed to be well 

 under way, Hudsonian Curlew being fairly 

 numerous, and several small flocks of Sand- 

 pipers and Semipalmated Plover noted, as 

 well as 4 Willets. Fifteen White-winged 

 Scoters were on the ocean at Playa del Rey, 

 at least 5 being males. They had very 

 probably remained through the summer. 

 Fifteen Least Terns and a few Snowy Plover 

 were noted. July 23, brought a few Marbled 

 Godwits and many more Curlews. July 26, 

 I young Heerman's Gull was noted. July 29, 

 at Playa del Rey, the writer saw i Long- 

 billed Dowitcher come into the lagoon in 

 company with 12 Curlew, apparently after 

 a long flight. It was in summer plumage of 

 brighter, deeper tones than those seen in the 

 spring. Six Willets were noted. Th^ 15 

 White-winged Scoters were again seen. 



August 6, 2 Roadrunners were seen on the 



Annandale golf-links. A repetition of the 

 now familiar walk in the mountains yielded 

 but meager returns, the total list comprising 

 the Water Ouzel, Canyon Wren, 5 or 6 Quail 

 (Mountain), i young Thurber's Junco, 

 Warbling and Cassin's Vireos, the latter 

 feeding young, Wood Pewee, and many Blue- 

 fronted Jays. 



August 6 and 7, a strange bird visited the 

 feeding-station of our Pasadena members, 

 the Miss Wilsons, affording opportunity for 

 careful observation. Its markings were 

 found to correspond to the description of the 

 Juvenal plumage of the Desert Sparrow 

 (Amphispka bilineata deserlicola). There is 

 one record of the occurrence of this Sparrow 

 near Pasadena. 



August 10. A walk from Sunset Beach to 

 Bolsa Chica disclosed the presence of a small 

 colony of Least Terns with young half grown. 

 Snowy Plover were numerous in the same 

 locality. Willets were present all the way in 

 extraordinary numbers. Hudsonian Curlew 

 and Marbled. Godwits were abundant, small 

 Sandpipers much more numerous than on 

 previous trips. In the lagoon at Bolsa Chica 

 were five or more Black-necked Stilts, and a 

 Kingfisher hovered above the water, harried 

 by Barn Swallows. Two young Black Terns 

 dropped onto a bar where Gulls and some 

 waders were resting, rising very soon to 

 course over the marshes in characteristic 

 manner. Western Gulls were common. 



August 10. Poor Will's heard in Griffith 

 Park. Other earlier reports have reached us 

 of their presence there. — Frances B. 

 Schneider, Los Angeles, Calif. 



