THE WREN 7 
and Tree Sparrow made the third day’s list just 20. This ended 
a very successful and enjoyable trip. In all three days we had seen 
37 different species which is rather good for the last of December. 
Joseph Kittredge, Jr. 
A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT. 
Most of us, when we began watching and studying the birds, 
looked for the species right in our neighborhood. ‘Then, as our 
interest increased, we went into the country, where shyer kinds 
were to be found. We rejoiced and wondered at our first Scarlet 
Tanager. So, our interest and knowledge increased until we 
‘knew the land birds quite well. I know that, in my own case, I 
reached this point and looked upon the next step as a very long and 
very hard one. 
The water and shore birds, such as the ducks and sandpipers, 
seemed to defy identification. I know that many of my readers 
have passed this moment of doubt, almost despair. To those 
who have not I would offer a word of encouragement. ‘The ducks 
are not always mere black and white specks so far out to sea that 
they cannot be distinguished. Each duck, like each warbler, has 
its characteristic mark. Moreover, the ducks are with us in the 
winter when the land birds are few and far between, so that one’s 
enthusiasm is stimulated when it might otherwise lie dormant. 
The sandpipers, too, fill a gap. They come in the fall when the 
land migrants are quiet and retiring. On the protected beaches 
they gather in great flocks and often become very tame. And they, 
too, have distinctive features. A curved bill, a white rump, or a 
‘general white appearance is enough to identify three of the species. 
So, as I said before, don’t be discouraged because the shore birds 
look hard. They are not. If you have not already done so, go to 
the shore some day soon and see how interesting the ducks really are. 
Finally, you ought to be enthusiastic for the sake of the birds 
themselves. Why are the Golden Plover and the Killdeer so scarce 
along our coast? ‘These birds need and deserve protection as 
much and at present more than the land birds. Unless this pro- 
tection is given they may soon become, like the Great Auk, a species 
of the past. ncaa 
. Joseph Kittredge, Jr. 
