The Birds of El Paso County, 0)lorado 485 



tain in 1873, and specimens were occasionally brought to him 

 in Colorado Springs in the eighties, but none since July 17, 

 1888. It is not at all uncommon in some sections of Colo- 

 rado, and breeds in various places in the State. 



May 19, 1911, Warren saw 25 or 30 Wilson's Phalarones 

 on a small pond or reservoir at a ranch about twelve mi'es 

 southwest of Elbert. This possibly may have been in Elbert 

 County ; at all events it was very close to the line. 



Recurvirostra americana. Avocet. 



Migrant ; not uncommon. 



Aiken witnessed a curious performance of Avocets in 

 Utah. In September, 1893, he visited the mouth of Bear 

 River where hundreds of acres of mud flats and shallow 

 water offer an attractive resort for various water fowl. In a 

 submerged grove where patches of mud appeared above rlie 

 water hundreds of Avocets were congregated. One little mud 

 island that differed from others in that it was quite round 

 seemed to have a fascination for the birds, and they were 

 packed together upon it in a mass which covered the island 

 to the water's edge. As the island was about 12 feet in cir- 

 cumference the number of birds probably approximated 150. 

 This mass of birds continued to revolve about from left to 

 right, and being so crowded the movement was rather slow 

 and their steps short and measured, so that the impression was 

 that they were all marking time in the marching. Birds on 

 the rim of the circle avoided walking off in the water and 

 crowded inward against the mass. Every moment or two 

 birds would leave the milling body and fly to a neighboring 

 mud island, and as many from near by would fly to take their 

 places and join the dance. Aiken advanced quietly to within 

 20 yards and viewed them for half an hour, but they con- 

 tinued undisturbed by his presence and he left them so. It 

 appeared to be a diversion of the birds. 



The flesh of Avocets is not esteemed in places of their 

 abundance. Most of them are infested with worms which 



