Pgh eeasUrUeUeB ONG FBeU ly ber N 5 
The more productive parts of the park lie between 63rd and 59th 
sts., from the inner branch of the drive to the lake front. This includes the 
sanctuary and Wooded island, on which are both the famed chrysanthemum 
garden and some remains of the 1898 Columbian exposition. Excellent areas 
outside this part are the yacht harbor and lagoon directly south (after the 
boats are removed for the winter) and the bushes along the bridle path run- 
ning south along the outer drive to the golf course. Another good spot is the 
small vegetable garden near the tennis courts just south of 63rd near the 
park entrance. In this one and a half acre plot 10 species of sparrows, in- 
cluding Harris’s, Henslow’s, and Lincoln’s, were seen in less than an hour 
Sept. 29. Here, too, during the fall migration were found numerous ground 
and low-feeding warblers and thrushes. 
The lake front, yacht harbor, and lagoons are particularly good for gulls, 
herons, and ducks; during the year 20 species of ducks, grebes, and loons 
were seen. These included American scoter; hooded, American, and red- 
breasted mergansers; greater and lesser scaup; golden-eye, ruddy duck, can- 
vasback, pintail, and horned and pied-billed grebes. Usually at least 100 
golden-eye could be seen during the winter. Often 20 to 30 blue-winged teal 
were in the lagoon later in the spring. Flocks of 200 or more herring, 
ring-billed, and Bonaparte’s gulls appeared at intervals. 
On April 15 Jim had an excellent opportunity to observe at close range 
the mating antics of 150 red-breasted mergansers, which stayed in the la- 
goon east of the chrysanthemum garden for nearly two weeks. On that morn- 
ing the nearest of the birds were only a few feet away, and were fascinating 
to watch as the males nodded, rocked, and skittered along the water with 
their beaks open, attempting to gain favor with the females, which made up 
about half the flock. Often several males would court the same female, which 
led to arguments; their advances were often rebuked by the females who 
showed their dissatisfaction in no uncertain terms. 
A flock of 28 Canada geese, about 200 mallards, and a few black ducks 
are part of the year-’round fauna of the park. Some of the mallards mi- 
grate, but all the geese stay since the adults are pinioned. This year 10 
young were successfully reared by the geese. 
At this point several of the hazards of park bird watching might be men- 
tioned. Except in the early mornings and during school hours, no part of 
the park is safe from small boys zealously pursuing games of Indians, cops 
and robbers, and hide and seek through the bushes, along the shores, and in 
any other place where you have happened to locate a bird you would like to 
watch a little longer. We have often suspected that certain small groups of 
these happy gamins have been assigned to stay with us throughout the day 
and thwart all our efforts to see more of a bird than the flick of his tail as 
he flies away. Other individuals also appear at most unpropitious moments. 
This is especially true in the old Japanese garden along the lagoon at the 
north end of Wooded island. Here a small stand of reeds offers good cover 
for sparrows, wrens, and other birds liking such a habitat. 
Shore birds, except for killdeer, spotted sandpipers, and sanderlings on 
