paviar., 1919 BIRD NOTES OF A STORMY MAY IN COLORADO SPRINGS 63 
they perched in the snow-laden trees with their plumage fluffed out to its full- 
est extent trying to keep warm. 
It was the middle of the forenoon before I could leave home to visit the 
Monument Valley Park a short distance away. By this time the roadways 
were getting bare, and were surfaced with mud and water, though our gravelly 
soil does not usually make much mud. On my way to the park in these road- 
ways I found Meadowlarks, and Vesper, Lark and Chipping Sparrows (the 
western form of each, of course) busily seeking food, and evidently finding it, 
judging from their actions. Arriving at the park | found an expanse of white; 
none of the paths had been broken, and few or no foot passengers had been 
along. Brewer Blackbirds were about, White-crowned Sparrows were perched 
in trees and bushes; they did not appear to care about going out to rustle in 
the bare roadways. , 
It was about a small pond that there was the greatest amount of life. On 
the water were seven Lesser Scaups, and they were quite unconcerned, feeding 
or swimming about or preening themselves as they chose. A little later in 
the morning I also saw Gadwalls, Shovelers and Baldpates; altogether there 
were some twenty odd ducks on the pond at one time. Along the shores of the 
pond Say Phoebes were abundant, continually flying out over the water after 
insects, though one would have thought it a mighty poor day for flycatching. 
Myrtle Warblers were also common and emulating the efforts of the Phoebes, 
though also working the bushes and ground along the shore. A Kingfisher was 
also there, occasionally dropping into the water with a splash. For such a win- 
try scene, bird life was decidedly abundant and active. Besides the Myrtles a 
few Orange-crowned and Audubon Warblers were present, the former confin- 
ing their activities to the trunks and branches of the trees which they were 
- earefully working. I ought to state that it is really very unusual for Myrtle 
Warblers to be so abundant here. I have never before seen as many as on this 
occasion, and usually the seasons slip by without any being noted. A Western 
Yellowthroat was also on the warbler list. 
A little way from the pond, and on the bench above it, is a reservoir be- 
longing to the park. On this were four Lesser Scaups and eight Wilson Phala- 
ropes, and aiong the shores were more Say Phoebes and Myrtle Warblers; while 
flying about over the water were several Rough-winged and Barn Swallows, 
which looked rather unseasonable; for there was a cold north wind with fly- 
ing snow. I traversed a fair portion of the park that morning, and in the after- 
noon walked the whole length of it, some two miles. One bird which was no- 
ticeable was the Townsend Solitaire, of which I saw several, though it is usu- 
ally rare-in the park. I subsequently saw one or more on my almost daily 
visits until the 17th of May. 
The beautiful Mountain Bluebirds were present in flocks. It is possible 
these spring storms bring more suffering to this species than to almost any 
other, they seeming to have much difficulty in obtaining food when snow is 
on the ground. 
The following day was cloudy and bird conditions much the same, though 
the snow had largely melted. Snow was falling and melting almost all the day 
of the 8th, and birds were working hard for food. Another little flock of Phala- 
ropes was at the reservoir and a flock of Chestnut-backed Bluebirds was in 
the park in addition to the other species. The latter were also seen the next 
day which opened with an inch of snow on the ground and was cloudy most of 
the time. 
