20 



Bulletin of the Michigan Ornithological Club. 



A fine adult male Golden Eagle was shot about fifteen 

 miles north of Ann Arbor on Dec. 15th, 1897. 



Jn Nov , 1897, a Double crested Cormorant was shot 

 near Saline, ten miles southwest of Ann Arbor. 



Near Ann Arbor on March 1.5th, 1897, a Rough legged 

 Hawk (Ai'chibitteo lagopiis sancti-joliannis) was shot. 



I also wish to report the shooting of three young Great 

 Horned Owls (Bubo virginianiis) about the middle of 

 February, 1898. These birds were almost ready to fly, 

 so they must have hatched in January. 



I wish to note a very early arrival of the Baltimore 

 Oriole ( Icterus galbitla) on March 14th, 1897. This is 

 the first time I have known this bird to arrive in March. 



The Bluebird seems to be rather plentiful here this 

 spring. 



Norman A. Wood. 



Ann Arbor, Mich. 



Occasional Bird Notes. 



In these days of marked numerical decrease of so 

 many of our birds, it is gratifying to note the reappear- 

 ance in increased numbers of an interesting species. 

 Never before during the last six years have I observed 

 so many Jiluebirds; they are plentiful about the city, 

 and a little way out large flocks of them are to be seen. 



At time of writing, a White- winged Scoter [Oidemia 

 deg/andi) is on the river near the town. It was seen 

 first March 14th, 1898, by Mr. Rarden, and I went out 

 and saw it myself. It is the first personal notice I 

 have made of thi-; handsome duck in this vicinity. 



The deep snow has acted as a deterent to many of our 

 earlier spring migrants, which are, however, putting in 

 an appearance now. During the latter part of the 

 winter our constant residents have had a pretty hard 

 time of it; hunger has made them very tame, and on 

 some half cleaned deer heads hanging on my stoop, 

 could be seen almost any time. Downy and Hairy 

 Woodpeckers and Chickadees busy at work. Sometimes 

 the White bellied Nuthatches joined their company, and 

 were so tame that I could stand within four feet of them 

 and take snapshots of them with my camera without 

 disturbing them in the slightest. Once a threat Northern 

 Shrike swooped down amongst the Sparrows and carried 

 off a screaming victim, raising consternation generally 

 amid the feathered tribe. 



There is little to add in the way of the unusual, and 

 neither the I'ine nor Evening Grosbeak have, so far as I 

 can find out, been seen at all this winter in this section. 



Percy Selous. 



Greenville, Mich. 



Migration Notes from Old Orchard, Missouri. 



February 13. — The first wave of migration reached us 

 Wednesday, February 9, when Mallards and Sprigs 

 passed over in many flocks. The movement continued 

 Thursday, when the therm.ometer reached 72 degrees, 

 and all our winter birds felt the effect of tlie spring-like 

 weather. 



February 24 — Report the following first arrivals : 

 February 12, Baldpate and Green- winged Teal. 

 17, Killdeer. 

 " 18, Ring-necked Duck. 



" 20, Wilson's Snipe. 

 28, Coot. 

 Thousands of Sprigs are present now, mostly in corn 

 fields. Few Mallards are to be seen and hardly any 

 other ducks. Very few Blackbirds are here yet. 

 Weather is not favorable for migration, there being 

 strong westerly and northerly winds. 



March 11. — Since the 5th inst., when the temperature 



began to rise and the wind turned east, migration has 

 been very active, especially during the first frostless 

 night (March 8-9). The first Robins appeared at their 

 breeding grounds on the evening of the 5th and morning 

 of the 6th. On the 6th the arrival of Meadowlarks be- 

 came apparent everywhere ; also the presence of large 

 numbers of Song Sparrows. The first Field Sparrow 

 was also heard and a Yellow-rumped Warbler seen on a 

 blooming maple. On the 7th the first Turkey Vulture 

 made its appearance. 



March 8 and 9 I visited the marsh forty miles north of 

 here, apd found Meadowlarks in large numbers singing 

 all day. Rusty Grackles, mostly males, and Robins 

 were in big troops, as were also Flickers and Killdeers. 

 Red-winged Blackbirds, males, had taken up their old 

 stations on the breeding grounds, singing, but transient 

 Red wings were itw yet, and Bronzed Grackles, none 

 at all. Fringillidcc, especially Tree Sparrows and 

 Juncos, were much excited and conspicuous in large, 

 musical flocks. Towhees and Fox Sparrows, only a few 

 of which had wintered, were in increased numbers, and 

 the marsh was fairly swarming with singing Song 

 Sparrows. 



The first thing heard on the morning of the 9th was 

 the Phoebe, just arrived during the night. The first 

 Kmgfisher and Mourning Dove was also seen. On the 

 lake were large numbers of noisy Canada Geese and 

 Ducks (mainly Sprigs, but also Mallards, Green-winged 

 Teal, and l^aldpates). On the lately buint prairie was 

 a flock of fifty Lapland Longspurs, which had wintered 

 there. Their plumage, eapecially that of the male, is 

 now assuming deeper colors, and with the chestnut nape 

 and striped back it is a fine looking bird. Bluebirds 

 have taken up their old haunts this week and their fre- 

 quent carols mdicate the arrival of their mates or of rivals 

 and neighbors. In the blooming maples and elms in the 

 river bottoms are large gatherings of singing Purple 

 Finches, but very few Goldfinches, and no White- 

 throated Sparrows have yet arrived. 



March 17. — Weather has been favorable but birds are 

 coming slowly. The following have arrived : 



March 13, Bronzed Grackles, first males at stand. 

 " 14, first Mockingbird, bulk of the Field 

 and Song Sparrows, bulk of the male, 

 and a few female Phoebes. 

 " 15, first Bewick's Wren. 

 " 16, an increase of Bronzed Grackles. 

 " 17, first White-throated Sparrow, bulk of 

 the male, and some female Towhees ; 

 bulk of the Fox Sparrows. Bulk of the 

 Tree Sparrows have gone. 

 March 24. — Four inches of rain in three days; a fall 

 of 42 degrees in eleven hours; several inches of snow 

 yesterday ; a hard freeze last night and a big thaw 

 to-day. Following movements : 



March 18, first Golden crowned Kinglet, Ameri- 

 can White fronted Goose and male 

 Purple Martin, the latter at 5:52 p. m. 

 " 19, male and female Purple Martin visited 



nesting box. 

 " 22, first Brown Thrasher sings. 

 Purple Martins have not been seen since the 19th ; 

 probably went back south, but expect them to return 

 tomorrow. 



April 2. — Very little movement ; the weather has 

 been mostly cool, and four frosty nights retarded progress 

 very much. Purple Martins have not returned yet. 

 Brown Thrashers and Bewick's Wren are the principal 

 songsters at present. Chipping Sparrows arrived on the 

 25th of March, but are still scarce. The same is true of 

 the female Bronzed Grackles, O. WiDMANN. 



