10 THE AUDUBON: BO boii 
band the babies, four little blues were huddled in the bottom, filthy with 
excrement from the larger black-colored bird which sat contentedly above, 
capturing the major portion of the food, little caring for the comfort, 
health or appearance of the foster brothers and sisters below. I killed 
him. Then the little birds were removed and washed in a nearby creek. 
I rebuilt the nest and returned the babies. A week later they were husky, 
clean and well fed, and about ready to fly. 
Cowbirds seem afraid of the side entrance. Seldom do I find an egg 
of this interloper. Occasionally an inquisitive boy leaves the lid standing 
open, and then the cowbirds have a field day. The inclusion of three or 
four eggs is not uncommon on such occasions. Keep the box hinges well 
oiled and should someone leave the top up, the first wind will blow it shut. 
During the winter deer mice build their nests and often young are in 
the nest at cleaning time about March 1. I try to clean, repair, and give 
janitor service to all boxes, as well as paint dry units, during February 
and March. 
A yearly increase of 5,000 baby bluebirds in one single county puts a 
lot of birds on the wires. Certainly we feel justified in accepting the name 
“Bluebird County of America.” It is a fine project for conservationists; 
and for bird banders, it is one of the most productive and interesting 
methods of studying and banding birds that I know. Only lack of time 
prevents my banding several thousand birds yearly, yet going and coming 
from my nature lectures I normally find time to band from five hundred 
to a thousand baby blues, and also their mothers who sit quietly on the 
nest, allowing themselves to be removed and banded. After being returned 
to the eggs they often refuse to fly, even after restrictions are removed. 
I shall gladly send mimeographed plans to anyone who will write me 
in Quincy and send postage. Should you forget the name, any address, 
The Birdman, or just T. E., addressed Quincy, will assure delivery. 
at eee 
Commoneienna 
By C. C. LUDWIG 
THE COMMON TERN is one of the interesting water birds along the shores 
of the Great Lakes and the Atlantic shore line. The bird also is known 
by other names: Wilson tern, tearr, mackerel gull, summer gull, sea 
swallow, medrick, pigeon gull, and minnow gull. I assume that you are 
all familiar with the bird, so I will not go into a discussion of its plumage. 
It has a wing spread of about 30 inches and is very graceful in flight. 
The birds come north usually in the early part of May and, after 
nesting is completed, they return to the southland, going into the southern 
states and northern South America. This species prefers to nest in compact 
colonies on sandy bars, or sometimes on rocky areas. Preference is shown 
*This paper was read before the Bird Banding Conference in Chicago, March 
23, 1946, by Mr. Ludwig, of Lansing, Michigan. 
