6 



OHmTHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 13-No. 1 



Aug. 8th, wind north-east, weather fair. 

 Semipalmated Plover and Sandpipers (ad.) 

 abundant. Terns ot two species. Common and 

 Roseate, abundant. Large Gulls, presumably 

 the Herring, common. A iew Black-bellied 

 Plover and Robin Snipe seen in adult plumage. 

 Heard several Greater Yellow-legs and saw 

 three Piping Plover in young oC year plumage. 



Aug. 9th, wind south-west, weather fair. 

 Birds same as previous day. 



Aug. 10th, wind south-west, weather fair. 

 New arrivals noted ; two Hudsonian Curlew 

 and several small flocks of adult Sanderlings. 



Aug. 12th, wind south-west, weather fair. 

 Birds same as two previous days. Saw gun- 

 ners that had in their possession several Red- 

 breasted Snipe, young plumage, one Greater 

 Yellow-legs and several Piping Plover, young 

 plumage. They informed me that they had 

 shot a large Sandpiper with long legs, and from 

 the discription I decided it to be a Stilt Sandpi- 

 per. 



Aug. 2.3rd, wind south-west to south-east, 

 moderate with light fog. Several large flocks 

 of Plover seen flying over the Island, one of 

 Golden and the others Black-bellied. Saw 

 quite a number of Red-breasted Snipe and 

 Sanderlings, a small number of Greater Yel- 

 low-legs seen. 



Aug. 24th, wind south-west and north-east to 

 south-east, weather stormy. Large flocks of 

 Plover, mostly Black-bellied, seen (lying about 

 the Island and a large number seen on the 

 beach at high tide, one Carolina Rail seen on 

 the meadow, two flocks, one of six Black Ducks 

 and the other a small one of Scoters, flew over 

 the house. 



Aug. 25th, wind north-east to north-west, 

 weather stormy. The stormy, foggy weather 

 of yesterday and to-day increased the numbers 

 of birds. Black-bellied Plover seen in large 

 flocks passing over but only a few stopping. 

 Semipalmated Sandpipers abundant, some doz- 

 en or more Black Tern (young) seen tor ths 

 first time to-day. 



Sept. 4th, wind north-east, fresh, weather 

 fair. Increase noticed in Greater Yellow-legs, 

 several Sheldrakes seen in the bay. 



Sept. .5th, wind north-east to south, weather 

 fair. No increase in shore birds. Sheldrakes 

 and Scoters on the increase. 



Sept. 6th, wind south-west, very fresh, 

 weather fair. An adult Red-breasted Sandpi- 

 per or Robin Snipe seen; water fowl in- 

 creasing. 



Sep. 7t.h, wind west, very fresh, weather fair. 

 A bunch of ten Yellow-legs seen on the mead- 



ows and four shot by Mr. W. Several Hudso- 

 nian Curlew and Greater Yellow-legs came to- 

 day. 



Sept. 8th. wind north-west to north-east, 

 modei'ate, wesither fair. Mr. Whiting took sev- 

 eral Hudsonian Curlews and Turnstones (adult) 

 several of Greater Yellow-legs, Yellow-legs 

 and Golden Plover noticed. 



Sept. 9th, wind north-east to east, moderate, 

 weather fair. Several large flocks of Black- 

 bellied Plover arrived. Collected some flue 

 specimens of Hudsonian Curlew and adult 

 Turnstones. 



Sept. 10th, wind south to south-west, stormy. 

 Nine Hudsonian Curlews seen to-day. Mr. 

 Whiting took a fine adult Eskimo Curlew. 

 I'hese birds are now scarce, where Ave yeai-s 

 ago they were abundant. First Pectoral Sand- 

 pipei- of tlie season taken to-day. I collected 

 young Turnstone, Piping Plover, Sanderling 

 and Sendpalniated Plover. Sanderlings on the 

 increase; Rich.Mi'dson's Jaeger common and on 

 the increase. 



Sept. 11th, wind north-east to east, moderate, 

 weather fair. Several Red-breasted Snipe, 

 (young) seen. Among birds shot to-day was 

 a Black-bellied Plover In nearly adult plumage. 



Sept. 12th, wind south-east, fresh, weather 

 stormy. Two bunches of Eskimo Curlew, one 

 of twenty and the other of fifteen seen. Sand- 

 eiiings incroasing; first Red-breasted Sandpi- 

 pers seen and shot to-day. 



Sept. 1.3th, wind east, weather fair. The 

 heavy wind and storm of yesterday brought 

 along a, small flight of birds. Sanderlings 

 (young) much increas(Mi; Black-bellied Plover 

 increased, a large number seen on the flats. 

 Several small bunches of Red-breasted Sandpi- 

 pers (young) seen ; (our Golden Plover seen on 

 the meadow by myself and afterwards seen by 

 Mr. W., who shot one in young plumage, 

 Greater Yellow-legs increased. 



Sept. 14th, wind east to south-west, moderate, 

 weather foggy. Pectoral Sandpipers increased 

 and ten slioi on salt meadows; no other in- 

 oreasi; noted. 



Sept. ITitli, wind north, very light, weather 

 fair, birds about the same as previous day; 

 slight increase in Red-breasted Sandpipers 

 and Black-bellied Plover in plumage; Scoters 

 abundant out iti bay. 



Sept. 16th, wind north, very fresh, weather 

 fair; several large flocks of Black-breasts seen. 



Sept. 17th, wind north, fresh, weather fair, 

 Sanderlings increased. Out of thirty-live shot, 

 all were in youg plumage. A bunch of six 

 Golden Plover still remain on the meadow. A 



Jan. 1888.] 



AKD OOLOGIST. 



7 



flight of land birds occurred. (O. & O., Nov. 

 1887, page 184). 



Sept. 18, wind north to south-west, moderate, 

 fresh, weather fair; greater Yellow-legs on the 

 increase; other birds remain the same. 



Sept. 19th, wind south-west, very fresh, 

 weather fair; liirds about the same; one Black 

 T'ern shot; very late migrant. 



Sept. 20th, wind north to north-east, weather 

 fair; noticeable decrease in birds; one decrease 

 particularly noticed was Sanderlings; a llock 

 of twenty (young males). I!ed-breasts seen. 

 Semiphimated Plover .-ind Sandpipers. One 

 Pectoral shot on meadow: only one seen. 

 Kichardsoii's .Jaigers. Common 'I'erns on the de- 

 crease. Saw several large flocks of Night 

 Herons flying South just at dark. 



Sept. 2l8t, wind south-west, very fresh, 

 weather a little foggy ; birds remain the same. 

 On high beach at high tide saw very few birds. 

 On the flats just at dark, I saw sevei-al small 

 flocks of Black-bellied Plover and Sanderlings. 



Sept. 22nd, wind south-west, very fresh, 

 weather light rains; birds remain the same. 



Sept. 23rd, wind north-east, moderate, fresh ; 

 slight increase in Blaok-bellled Plover and 

 Sanderlings. 



Sept. 24th, wind north-east, xcry fresh, 

 weather light rains; birds much dccicased. One 

 small bunch of Black-bellied Plover, one Stind- 

 erling, and one Red-breasted Sandpiper, are the 

 birds that were seen on the flats to-day. In- 

 crease in large gulls. Several large flocks of 

 Sheldrakes and three Black Ducks seen. 



Sept. 2(ith, wind west to south-west, fresh, 

 weather foggy; Red-backed Sandpipers arrived 

 in small (locks. Two small flocks of Red- 

 breasted Sandpipers were found on the flats. 



Sept. 27th, wind north, moderate, weather 

 fair; increase in Black-bellied Plover and Sand- 

 erlings. Bonaparte's Sandpipers noticed for 

 the first time to-day, and some dozen or more 

 seen in company with Sanderlings. Saw a 

 flock of Six Golden Plover flying about, and I 

 think they were the same that were seen a few 

 days ago. 



Sept. 2S, wind southwest, moderate, weather 

 fair; birds remain the same. Found a Duck 

 Hawk on the high beach near the surf engaged 

 in eating a Sanderling. Shot at it twice, and 

 although badly wounded, it retained life 

 enough to get out beyond the surf before fall- 

 ing. 



Sept. 29th, wind south-west to south-east, 

 moderate, weather foggy; Shore birds remain 

 about the same. Large flock of Scoters seen 

 out in the bay. 



Sept. 30th, wind nortli-east to east, moderate, 

 weather foggy; decrease in birds. Several Red- 

 lireasted Sandpipers taken on the high beach. 



Oct. 1st, wind east, north-east and south-east, 

 weatlun- heavy rains. The number of Sander- 

 lings and Red-backed Sandpipers much in- 

 creased. All of Sanderlings and nearly all of 

 Red-backed Sandpiper being in young plumage. 

 A (young male) Duck Hawk shot while in the 

 act of catching a Red-backed Sandpiper out of 

 a large flock on the beach. Several others 

 seen. Saw :t Belted Kingfisher and Fish Hawk 

 near the house. 



Oct. 3rd, wind southwest to south, moderate, 

 weather rainy; great increase in Sanderlings 

 .and Red-backed Sandpipers. Saw large flocks 

 of both. No Roseate Terns seen for about a 

 week, they having departed for the South. 

 Other terns much decreased, and the remaining 

 ones being young. Three Golden Plover found 

 on the meadow and one (in yg. of year plumage) 

 shot. Noticeable increase in large gulls. Sev- 

 eral large flocks of Great Blue Herring seen. 

 Red-headed Woodpecker (young male), shot 

 flying over the island. 



Oct. 4th, wind north-west in morning, light, 

 changing with fog, to south-west, moderately 

 fresh. Increase in Sanderlings and Red-backed 

 Sandpipers. Decrease in terns. A Roseate 

 Tern shot with a number of common Terns. A 

 flock of twenty G\X':it Blue Herons seen on 

 the high beach iit liigli tiile. No Joegers seen. 

 Saw two Duck Hawks on the high beach at a 

 cut tln-ough where the water on the east or 

 ocean side of the island makes a break through 

 the beach into the bay on the west side of 

 the island. The hawk was after some sand- 

 erlings that congregate near the cut through at 

 high tide, and although it made several dives 

 into a flock that was following, I did not see it 

 catch one, as I was on tb» opposite side of 

 the cut through, and the tide ran so swiftly 

 that I could not cross in ray boat. I was 

 obliged to let the hawk continue his raid. The 

 second one 1 saw was trying to catch a sander- 

 ling that was running along on the beach, but 

 the sanderling was quick cough to elude the 

 swoops of the hawk, who at my approach flew 

 away a short distance and alighted on the 

 beach. Soon after I shot into a flock of sand- 

 erlings, and several fell out >n the water about 

 twenty-five yards from the shore. The hawk, 

 which had started up at the report of my gun, 

 saw the sanderlings drop and came flying over 

 me and swooped down close to one of the sand- 

 erlings in the water. It seemed afraid to take 

 the sanderling from the water, but would rise 



