The Golden- Winged Warbler at Rhinebeck, N. Y. 



By MAUNSELL S. CROSBY 



Although twenty-nine members of the Warbler family visit Rhine- 

 /-% beck, only eleven species are summer residents. These are the Chest- 

 nut-sided, Worm-eating, Golden-winged, Pine, Black and White, and 

 Yellow Warblers, Maryland Yellow-throat, Redstart, Yellow-breasted Chat, 

 Louisiana Water-Thrush, and Ovenbird. With the exception of the last- 

 named and possibly the Yellow-throat, the Golden-winged Warbler is the 

 commonest and most noticeable of the family on my farm. From six to eight 

 pairs nest here regularly; but only twice have I had the good luck to 

 find a nest. I usually wait until the migration is over before beginning nest- 

 hunting, and I now know this to be the reason for my many failures. 



On June ii, 1902, I found the first nest. It contained two young Warblers, 

 a young Cowbird, and an addled Cowbird's egg. Although it was much larger 

 than the Warblers, the Cowbird was evidently younger, pointing to a rather 

 unusual mistake in calculation on the part of its parent; for this is the only 

 instance that I have recorded of a Cowbird's allowing its nest-mates to mature 

 with it. I endeavored to remove the interloper, but he clutched a young 

 Warbler by the leg, and in a instant they had fluttered out and disappeared 

 into the underbrush. I was unable to find them again, and went home sadder 

 but wiser. 



Last year the Golden- wing arrived on May 10. On May 14, while migrant 

 members of the species were everywhere to be found, I saw a female tugging 

 at a piece of grape-vine bark, and a moment later she flew straight down to 

 a little cup of dead oak leaves set about three inches from the ground in plain 

 view on the border of a narrow strip of woodland. The grass and leaves had 

 barely begun to grow, hence the extraordinary lack of concealment. Two 

 days later the nest was still empty, but, as the old bird was near-by, I kept up 

 hope. On the i8th I found two eggs in the nest, and on the 20th the 

 bird was sitting, so deep down that I had to stand almost directly over the 

 nest in order to see her. She never stirred, so I put vip my bhnd about eight 

 feet from the nest and returned home, to await the arrival of some fresh 

 plates. 



Two days later the plates came, and so, early on the 23d, I hurried down 

 to set up my camera. All the time I was moving it about and snipping off 

 protruding twigs and leaves, the bird never moved. If it had not been for two 

 or three large leaves sticking up from the side of the nest itself, I could have 

 photographed her without frightening her oft". No wonder I had never before 

 flushed one while hunting for her nest! After photographing the eggs (there 

 were now five), which was very difficult, owing to the depth of the nest, I 

 set the shutter and left for about ten minutes, without troubling to use the 

 blind. On my return, I found the Golden-wing back on her nest, and proceeded 



(14.S) 



