Sept., 1916 
SOME BIRDS OF THE FRESNO DISTRICT 
195 
GENERAL ACCOUNTS OF THE BIRDS 
Colymbus nigricollis californicus (Heermann). Eared Grebe. May 23, 1915, Mr. 
J. E. Law and I saw one pair of Eared Grebes and a single individual on a large, shal- 
low pond near Riverdale. The pair seemed much interested in the largest of several 
clumps of tules and we watched them for some time through Mr. Law’s high power 
glasses. June 19 I returned to the pond and finally located a nest in an opening among 
the tules. It was floating in water three and one-half feet in depth, and a portion of 
one of the carelessly covered eggs was visible from the opposite side of the opening 
about fifteen feet away. The nest was a slovenly arranged mass of dead tule stems 
and in no way resembled the well-made, compact nests of Pied-billed Grebes. There 
were four eggs, all somewhat incubated and very much stained. Only one bird was 
present and it remained near-by while I was inspecting the nest. 
Larus delawarensis Ord. Ring-billed Gull. This gull has been reported several 
times from different parts of the valley, usually as single birds occurring during migra- 
tions. Mr. W. Moore of Selma has a mounted specimen taken several years ago on a 
small pond near that place. I was unable to learn the date of capture. 
Sterna caspia Pallas. Caspian Tern. These large handsome terns occur quite com- 
monly as spring and fall migrants through the district. They seem to enter the county 
near the Summit Lake region, follow down the Fresno Slough to its confluence with the 
San Joaquin River and then northward along that stream. I have never observed them 
elsewhere, except as an occasional bird may wander for a short distance out over the 
adjacent overflowed territory. Small companies are usually the rule in the spring, but 
after the nesting season single birds are as often seen. April 3, 1914, one individual was 
observed at the dam near Mendota and on the 18th of the same month another was 
noted flying back and forth over the west end of Summit Lake. May 6, 1914, a flock of 
nine was seen flying down the river near the drawbridge at Firebaugh. August 14, 
1914, fully a dozen of these red-billed terns were observed flying over the slough at 
White’s Bridge. They were not associated in a flock, hut each individual seemed to 
fish over a well defined, semicircular course about one-half mile in length. They kept 
some distance apart and occasionally gave voice to a grating noise. All were in post- 
breeding plumage, with the black caps streaked with white. One specimen was taken, 
an adult female. I passed the same place on August 24 and September 1 and noted 
Sterna caspia on each occasion; but a few days later none were seen. So late as Octo- 
ber 2, 1915, Mr. F. Seymour Hersey found Caspian Terns still in evidence and collected 
specimens on the Madera County side of the river near Mendota. Both adults and im- 
matures were present. 
Sterna hirundo Linnaeus. Common Tern. Mr. F. Seymour Hersey collected a spe- 
cimen of this species on October 2, 1915, near Mendota, but on the Madera County side 
of the river. The bird was an immature female and, so far as I am aware, this is the 
only recorded instance of the occurrence of this tern anywhere in the interior of the 
State. Another bird taken at the same place proved to be the common Sterna forsteri. 
Mergus americanus Cassin. American Merganser. My collection contains a beauti- 
ful male of this species, taken near Firebaugh January 20, 1915. 
Chaulelasmus streperus (Linnaeus). Gadwall. The Gray Duck occurs sparingly as 
a winter visitant hut seems to be decreasing from year to year. Possibly it formerly 
bred in suitable places, but if it does so at the present time it is in limited numbers. 
There was a mounted specimen in the office of A. D. Ferguson of Fresno. This bird 
was shot near Helm during the winter of 1912. 
Marila valisineria (Wilson). Canvas-back. The winter of 1913-14 brought large 
numbers of Canvas-backs into the San Joaquin Valley. They arrived early in Novem- 
ber and were common until February, and possibly later. On November 29, 1913, a 
party of hunters reported fully two hundred and fifty “cans” on the Artesian Lake near 
Helm, and brought me an adult male which is now in my collection together with an- 
other male from near Firebaugh, taken January 20, 1914. Personally I never saw but 
one female, and several hunters told me that very few females were ever encountered. 
Marila marila (Linnaeus). Greater Scaup Duck. Mr. Ohl’s collection contains a 
male of this species from the Herminghaus Ranch near Mendota. The label bears the 
date of April 2, 1912. According to Pacific Coast Avifauna No. 11 there is only one 
other known instance of the occurrence of this duck anywhere in the interior of the 
State. 
