322 



Bird - Lore 



year that I estimate not over 300 eggs de- 

 stroyed. Another year, by proper steps being 

 taken, I am confident the trouble can be 

 entirely eliminated. 



"My recommendations for combating the 

 Crackles are, after this year's experience, to 

 be on the ground between April 20 to 25 and 

 start a systematic campaign of destroying 

 the nests of the Grackles, and in this way 

 discourage their using the Island for breeding. 

 I find that practically all the eggs destroyed 

 by Grackles are fresh, and are eaten during 

 the period of incubation of the Crackle, as 

 after the young are out, the parent birds 

 bring food from the mainland. My campaign 

 of eradication this year consisted of traps, 

 poison, and shooting, the latter finally being 

 the only successful means, as, in a very short 

 time, the Crackles evaded both traps and 

 poison. In some cases I found the Crackles 

 destroying and eating their own eggs. There 

 was no further necessity for watching the 

 Crackles after June 30 this year, and if the 

 case is properly handled by early action 

 hereafter, I think the Island can be cleaned 

 up by the middle of May. 



"The increase in bird-life on Creen Island 

 was noticeable, particularly that of the 

 Ward's Heron and Snowy Egret; there were 

 also more Reddish Egrets in evidence this 

 year. Only a very few cases of natural death 

 of young birds were seen, and in this respect 

 the conditions differed from those of previous 

 years. But once did a coyote visit the Island 

 this season, and then to stay only a day. 



"High-water conditions about the Laguna 

 this year caused the destruction of many 

 bird colonies. The Rio Crande was on a 

 rampage and vast quantities of fresh water 

 came into the Laguna via the Arroyo Colo- 

 rado, causing a rise of over two feet, which 

 submerged practically all the' reefs and flats 

 on which the Terns and Culls were nesting. 

 At one time there were no bars in sight at 

 either end of Creen Island. 



The Bird Population 



"Birds breeding on Creen Island during 

 the season of 1922 had nests in about the 

 number given below : j^^^j^^ 



Reddish Egret, approximately . . 1800 

 Louisiana Heron, approximately . .1200 



Ward's Heron, approximately .... 300 

 Black-crowned Night Heron, ap- 

 proximately 150 



Snowy Egret, approximately 20 



Least Tern, approximately 60 



Black Skimmer i 



Black Vulture i 



Texas Woodpecker 3 



Curved-billed Thrasher 4 



Crey-tailed Cardinal 4 



Colden-fronted Woodpecker i 



In addition to the above there were, perhaps, 

 300 nests of the Creat-tailed Crackle, a 

 majority of which were destroyed or the 

 birds shot. I estimated 50 of the white 

 phase of the Reddish Egrets on Creen Island 

 this season, also saw at one time 17 of the 

 large White Egrets, but I did not find them 

 breeding. I did, however, see a number of 

 nests of the Reddish Egrets with downy 

 young in the white phase. 



Many more of the Reddish Egrets were 

 nesting on the ground this year than for- 

 merly — there were hundreds of them. Large 

 flocks of Roseate Spoonbills visited the 

 section at various times, once 177 being 

 counted, and there were also many White 

 Pelicans. 



"On Moro Island there were about 50 

 nests of Least Terns, and possibly 12 of the 

 Black Skimmer on the bar at the north end 

 of the Island. Most of these were destroyed 

 by high water. Also one nest each of Ward's 

 Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, and 

 Black Vulture were found on the high part 

 of the Island. On a bar just north of Three 

 Islands I found a colony of Black Skimmers 

 with sixty-odd nests, with eggs and many 

 ready for eggs, but the entire colony was sub- 

 merged and destroyed by high water later. 

 Deer Island, on which a large colony of 

 Culls and Terns nested last year, was entirely 

 under water and I rode over it in my 

 boat. 



"I visited a great deal of the surrounding 

 country and Islands, as far north as Topo 

 Bay, but was unable to find any other 

 rookeries or to find any Spoonbills or Pelicans 

 breeding. Large flocks of Sooty Terns were 

 noticed, and in one case there were at least 

 17 young birds, but I was unable to find 

 whether they were breeding in the Laguna. 

 Respectfully submitted, 



(Signed) R. D. Camp." 



