Notes from Field and Study 



169 



and out of these they chased one another 

 endlessly dining as they went, and, in 

 return, on every blue winter daj- that 

 held a hint of coming spring, they soared 

 to the tops of the slender pines and 

 dropped us the languishing Phoebe notes 

 that we always paused to catch. 



Often into the busy concourse on the 

 porch dropped Bunny, the red squirrel 

 whose home was in the roof — dropped, 

 and held autocratic sway until his hunger 

 was appeased. 



And, once in a great while, came a 

 Hawk like a bolt from the sky, and 

 seized a living morsel that made neither 

 outcry nor defense. 



On the winter nights, the Owls sung ora- 

 torios through the frozen forest. Bass 

 and tenor, soprano and all, came in at 

 their own sweet will, and the little day 

 birds listened and cowered. 



Just what is the use of feeding the birds? 

 Why not let Nature take its course? It 

 is hard to say, yet happy the child who 

 has had the experience with the little 

 tender, cheery, spirit-things. He is a 

 better child I'm sure. — .\lice Day Pratt, 

 New York City. 



A Day's Water-fowl Migration in 

 South Dakota 



The northward flight of water-fowl 

 always attracts attention. It is in the 

 northern Mississippi basin that such 

 flights are most notable. Perhaps fifty 

 years ago, Illinois and Iowa excelled, but 

 it seems that now eastern Dakota is the 

 the region most favored in this regard. 

 The water-birds follow up the Missouri 

 Valley, and the Dakota (James) valley, 

 which extends north into middle North 

 Dakota almost to Devil's Lake. This 

 region, though flat in its general features, 

 has thousands of small, shallow, glacial 

 lakes and ponds which afford much-used 

 stopping-places. Corresponding depres- 

 sions in the more populous states are 

 either drained, or so extensively hunted as 

 to be comparatively unavailable for large 

 numbers of game-birds. 



It was my good fortune to spend a few 



days, early in April, igi2, at the family 

 home, which is situated on a bluff between, 

 and o\erlooking, the Dakota valley and a 

 pair of fair-sized glacial lakes. April 4 was 

 such a notable day that I am tempted to 

 endeavor to describe it. 



The winter had been long and severe. 

 Birds did not come in abundance until 

 March 30. By April 4 ice had almost dis- 

 appeared; a little green grass could be seen; 

 the earliest prairie flowers (Peucednum 

 and pasque flower) were just appearing; 

 wheat-seeding had commenced; a warm 

 south wind prevailed. 



Throughout the day, from sunrise to 

 well into the night, flocks of Ducks, Geese 

 and Cranes passed. Only for short inter- 

 vals would an examination of the sky not 

 reveal one or more northward-flying bands. 



The Sandhill Crane is one of the most 

 conspicuous birds of the prairie region, 

 and every farmer's boy knows its unsur- 

 passed call of rich, bugle-like notes. Flocks 

 ordinarily of about twenty individuals, 

 were seen soaring at great heights and 

 drifting northward, or flying lower in a 

 more or less direct line. During the day 

 more than a dozen flocks were seen, and 

 in the evening many were heard to pass 

 in rapid succession, indicating that in the 

 darkness soaring is replaced by direct 

 flight. 



Four flocks of scores, or hundreds, of 

 silent, silvery Snow Geese were seen. 

 Three were of the Lesser, and one of the 

 Greater. In two of the flocks, two or 

 three dark, immature birds contrasted 

 sharply with the white adults. A half- 

 dozen flocks of honking Canadas were 

 seen, and one flock of small Hutchins', 

 as well as a flock of Geese intermediate in 

 size, the White-fronted Geese, passed. 



Many flights of Ducks were seen, but 

 from the usual distance not all could be 

 recognized. However, Mallards, Pintail, 

 Teal and Scaups were made out. Late in 

 the afternoon I went to a near-by lake 

 with my binoculars, and identified there 

 the following species: Hooded Merganser, 

 Mallard, Gadwall, Baldpate, Green- 

 winged Teal, Shoveler, Pintail, Redhead, 

 Canvasback, Lesser Scaup Duck, Ring- 



