THE OOLOGIST 



178 



KINGFISHER AND MOURNING 



DOVES WINTER AT WINTHROP 



IOWA 



The winter just past, unliKe me 

 greater per cent of its predecessors, 

 was an unusually mild one. The great 

 amount of warm weather a'pparently 

 induced a pair of Mourning Doves and 

 a Belted Kingfisher to remain with us 

 through the cold season. 



As soon as this locality began to put 

 on the appearance of winter, a pair of 

 Mourning Doves appeared neaT the 

 farm buildings, selected our corn- 

 fodder stack as a home, and stayed 

 there or nearby in a grove the greater 

 part of the winter. 



A Belted Kingfisher remained along 

 one section of Buffalo Creek, near my 

 home, throughout the winter months. 

 We knew it was there, even when not 

 seen, for it very frequently gave its 

 rattling notes, which can be heard a 

 considerable distance. While there 

 were open places in the creek most of 

 the winter, it seemed to be complete- 

 ly frozen over at certain periods, and 

 it is difficult to understand how the 

 Fisher subsisted at those times. This 

 is the first time I havt known the King- 

 fisher to winter here. 



Fred J. Pierce, 



March 8, 1921. Winthrop, la.- 



WISCONSIN NOTES— 1920 



I heard Prairie Chickens during the 

 summer in two different places, knew 

 of one large brood in July, but they 

 are none too plenty. Heard one Bob 

 White. Now and then a Bartramian 

 Sandpiper nests here; found a nest in 

 June, four eggs ready to hatch. 



The Black-billed Cuckoos were, with 

 the exception of one bird heard, minus, 

 during the latter part of the season. 

 Jack Snipe lingered here late in April_ 

 Night Hawks quite common. 



Seen two Black Tern one day in 

 May, at least ten miles from any body 



of water of any considerable size. A 

 fine family of five Marsh Hawks 

 hatched near here. Noted Great 

 Horned Owls, Screech Owls and Short- 

 eared Owls; three of the latter flying 

 about near a marsh just at dusk, one 

 evening. 



I was told by a hunter that ducks 

 and other water birds game, were very 

 scarce this season, but he thought the 

 closed spring season was a benefit to 

 all concerned. 



One time, some 24 years ago, I was 

 out hunting in central Minnesota and 

 saw a flock of a thousand or more Pine 

 Grosbeaks. They were sitting in some 

 low bushes, and I walked in among 

 them for a considerable distance. They 

 showed no fear even when I flred my 

 32 caliber revolver. 



I have seen small flocks of these 

 aristocrats of the north here at my 

 "home town," also Evening Grosbeaks 

 and White-winged Crossbills. 



Geo. W. S. vos Burgh. 



WAXWINGS 



In the January 1920 Oologist there 

 appeared an article by Colin Campbell 

 Sanborn asking for notes of the mi- 

 gration of the Waxwings. I have a 

 camp on the lake here and am out in 

 the woods or my boat every day and 

 have a very good opportunity to study 

 wild life. I have taken a good many 

 notes on the migratory birds but this 

 year have observed only seven Wax- 

 wings. I have been ia conversation 

 with Mr. Graham here about them and 

 he tells me that that is seven more 

 than he has seen. In past years they 

 have come through here by the thous- 

 a,nds, generally with the migration of 

 Robins, and could be found in every 

 hackberry tree in the city, nearly. I 

 would like to ask if anyone else from 

 the south has noticed the decrease of 

 Waxwings and Robins this year. 



Geo. E Maxon. 



