The Season 



251 



woods, and the Blackburnian Warbler 

 could be seen almost as ubiquitously. At 

 times the Tennessee Warbler was about 

 the commonest bird in suitable woodland, 

 and in full song. Likewise the Kentucky 

 Warbler, the Blue-winged Warbler, the 

 Golden-winged Warbler, and the Traill 

 Flycatcher, all but the first of which are 

 rather rare about Washington, appeared 

 much more frequently than is ordinarily 

 the case. We note, however, the relative 

 scarcity this spring of the Cape May 

 Warbler and the Gray-cheeked Thrush, 

 both of which have for a number of years 

 past been common during the migration. 



This season has been in no sense re- 

 markable for the occurrence of rare birds, 

 as was the spring of 191 7, but the Upland 

 Plover at New Alexandria, Va., on April 

 22, observed by Miss M. T. Cooke; the 

 American Crossbill, reported by Mrs. 

 Chamberlain at Thrifton, Va., April 10; 

 and the Philadelphia Vireo, seen by 

 R. W. Moore at Washington on May 8 are 

 perhaps worthy of mention. 



Several years ago a Duck Hawk took 

 up its abode in the high tower of the Post- 

 office Building in the city of Washington, 

 and at times played havoc with the flocks 

 of domestic Pigeons which frequented the 

 market-place near-by. After various at- 

 tempts the Hawk was finally killed and 

 since then no Hawk has regularly resorted 

 to this place. On April 30 of the present 

 year, however, H. H. Sheldon saw a Duck 

 Hawk fly from the Postoffice Building, 

 which appears to be the latest spring date 

 of which we have any record. — Harry C. 

 Oberholser Biological Survey, Washing- 

 ton, D. C. 



Minneapolis Region. — After the prom- 

 ise of an early season in March and the 

 first half of April, the weather turned colder 

 for two or three weeks and the advance 

 of spring was so retarded that the arrival 

 of bird and the blooming of flowers was 

 rather later than usual. A considerable 

 fall of wet snow on April 14 and 15 

 and freezing temperatures for a night or 

 two following, checked the bird migration 

 for several days. Chilly nights and cool 



north winds perdominated until the first 

 days of May. May, however, was for the 

 most part a mild and pleasant month, 

 with exceptionally hot weather during the 

 last week, which has continued until the 

 present date. On May 28, the thermometer 

 registered 87°, the highest May record for 

 several years. This very hot weather forced 

 vegetation ahead rapidly and sent the 

 late migrants northward more speedily 

 than usual. Early June has been like 

 midsummer. 



The conspicuous feature of the bird 

 migration this spring, as compared with 

 the past few years, has been the appearance 

 of most kinds of birds in such decidedly 

 increased numbers that it has been possible 

 to find those species that were apparently 

 absent in recent years. Viewed as a whole, 

 the migration has been more nearly a 

 normal one than we have had for some 

 time. The various species appeared in the 

 old-time 'waves.' The Warbler migra- 

 tion, for example, approached the con- 

 ditions of former years and was not the 

 disjointed and disappointing affair of last 

 year. The writer saw twenty-two out of 

 a possible twenty-six species and three of 

 the remaining four were reported by other 

 observers. Only the rare Blue-winged 

 Warbler was not reported. There was a 

 large movement of Tennessee Warblers 

 and the Cape May, Bay-breasted, Wilson's 

 Golden-winged and Blackburnian were 

 present in considerable numbers. Grin- 

 nell's Water-Thrush was not seen in the 

 large numbers noted last year. 



Water-birds, on the other hand, were 

 rather scarce. The number of most 

 species is steadily decreasing each year. 

 The Killdeer, Black Tern, and Sora are 

 exceptions and still return in something 

 like their old abundance. Ducks in this 

 vicinity were not numerous. However, 

 many Ring-necks passed by between April 

 13 and May 4. They are always paired 

 when they appear, even though in flocks. 



At this writing, the summer conditions 

 as to number of birds is a decided improve- 

 ment over last year. Most species of land- 

 birds are quite as common as they have 

 been at any time in recent years. But the 



