IOWA BIRD LIFE ;

PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY THE ^

IOWA ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION

VOL. XVII SEPTEMBER, 1947 NO- 3 \

OFFICERS OF THE IOWA ORNITHOLOGISTS’ UNION

President — Charles C. Ayres, Jr., Ottumwa, Iowa
Vice-President — Dr, Robert F. Vane, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Sec’y-Treas.— Miss Lillian Serbousek, 1226 Second St. S.W..
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Librarian — Dr. Warren N, Keck, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Editor — Fred J. Pierce, Winthrop, Iowa

Executive Council:

Mrs. Harold R. Peasley, Des Moines, Iowa
Miss Zell C. Lee, Sioux City, Iowa
Miss Mary H. Young, Waterloo, Iowa

The Iowa Ornithologists’ IJnicn wag organised at Ames. Iowa, February 28,
1923, for the study and protection of native birds and to promote fraternal re-
lations among Iowa bird students.

The central design cf the Union's official seal is the Eastern Goldfinch, desig-
nated State Bird of Iov a in IT33

Publications of the Union: Mimeographed letters, 1923-1928; ‘The Bulletin,'
1929-1930; ‘Iowa Bird Life,’ beginning 1931,

SUBSCRIPTION RATES: $1.00 a year. Single copies 25c each.
Subscription to the magazine is included in all paid memberships,
of which there are four classes, as follows: Contributing Mem-
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EDITORIAL AND PUBLICATION OFFICE
WINTHROP, IOWA

Entered as second-class matter February 9, 1932. at the post office at Winthrop
Iowa, under the Act of March 3, 1879.

THE GANNETS OF HON A VENTURE

Upper left, a (runnel in the air. Lower left, the "Pierced Rock.” Upper right, a flock of GaniteL (note the second flock in the background).
Lower right, flocks of Gan nets on ledges on the face of the cliff. Photographs by Dr. Harold k. Pcasloy,

BIRD STUDENTS ON VACATION

4 :

>

IOWA BIRD STUDENTS ON VACATION

BONAVENTURE ISLAND AND PERCE ROCK

On our recent trip through Eastern Canada and New England we visited
the Colony of Gannets that nest on Bonaventure Island. This island is near
the village of Perce, which is located on the southeast shore of the Gaspe Pen-
insula. Perce owes its name to the Pierced Rock which lies just off the shore.
From our cabin on the mountain side we had a magnificent view of the pic-
turesque village, the Pierced Rock and Bonaventure Island, rising out of the
vast waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

At last the day to visit the Gannets had arrived and it was perfect. We
were awakened by the White-throated Sparrows singing in the pines around
our cabin. We dressed hurriedly by a crackling wood fire (the temperature
had dropped to 40 degrees during the night) and were joined at breakfast by
two couples from New York whom we met as we started the trip around
the Gaspe Peninsula. They seemed to be traveling at about our speed and
we often passed one another during the day. We also managed to spend our
nights at the same cabin camps. We enjoyed these people and they too were
interested in seeing and photographing the Gannets.

We soon found ourselves in an open craft starting the trip to Bonaventure
Island. The island since 1919 has been primarily a Bird Sancutary with a few
farm families living there. We first circled the island, which is 6 miles in
circumference and some 400 feet high. Several pairs of Black Guillemots were
seen swimming near enough for us to get a good look at them. A few Great
Black-backed Gulls were with the thousands of Herring Gulls on the Pierced
Rock. The smaller rocks were covered with Double-crested Cormorants.

As we neared the south side of the island we saw almost perpendiculai
cliffs with ledges of varying widths completely covered with Gannets and
their downy young. So closely do they sit together it gives one the impression
of an entirely white cliff. Gannets were everywhere. The air and water was
full of them. Suddenly the only pair of Razor-billed Auks we saw passed di-
rectly over our boat, giving us a splendid view of them, Forbush says: “The
Razor-billed Auks possess much curiosity and the occupants of a boat passing
near them can readily entice them to fly within a few yards by cheering and
waving their hands.” This was also our experience.

A short time later we landed on the island and started our mile and one-
half walk to the Gannet colonies, the population of which was estimated at
20,000. It was a beautiful walk, mostly through pine woods, and more than
once we found ourselves straying off the path to catch a glimpse of a rare
Warbler or Golden-crowned Kinglet

The Gannet is a large white bird The head and hind neck are washed
with pale yellow* or straw color and the primaries are black. It has a wing
spread of approximately 72 inches and measures 33 to 4 QVfe inches in length
and is one of the larger sea birds. It is a strong and expert flyer. It lives on
fresh fish which it catches by plunging for them. According to Forbush,
Gannets often dive from a height of about 100 feet and have been found in
fishermens* nets which were set at a depth of 90 feet.

Bent fells us that at one time Gannets were killed in large numbers for
codfish bait. They were beaten down with clubs as they tried to escape. As
many as 540 of them were killed in an hour. The birds were roughly skin-
ned and the flesh cut off in chunks. The one bluish-white egg is laid in a
nest made chiefly of sea weed. The nests vary greatly in size and construe-

44

IOWA BIRD LIFE— XVII, 1947

tion, and Forbush describes them as ranging from a bulky and well-made
structure to practically no nest at all. They are placed close together on the
ledges and summits of the rocks.

The Gannets are very noisy and keep up an incessant clacking which we
found almost deafening at times. To Mr, Bent their harsh grating cries re-
semble the syllables “kurruck, krrrrruk.” We found them very tame, although
they are rather quarrelsome among themselves. By walking slowly we ap-
proached within a few feet In fact, I held out my binoculars to a bird and
i. promptly grabbed it in its bill. Our guide had no difficulty in picking up
a young bird, and had picked up the adults, he said. The young were in var-
ious stages of development when we saw them on August 17. Some we judg-
ed to be three weeks old and several were flying. We found, a few eggs be-
ing incubated.

The entire day was spent walking from one colony to another and tak-
ing pictures. We never tired of watching the birds as they shuffled to the
edge of the cliff where they literally seemed to fall off into space. Once on
the wing, however, they were a thing of grace and beauty. We had seen six
of the ten species of sea birds that nest on the islands. As we slowly xetiaced
our steps everyone agreed it was worth the entire trip. It was a never-to-be-
forgotten day.

Shortly after we had our first view of the south shore of the St, Lawrence
River, we saw flocks of Common Eider Ducks and their young. These groups
numbered from 75 to 150. Black-bellied Plovers were ever-present along the
rocky shores of the river and an occasional flock of Ruddy Turnstones added
much color. We were thrilled when we saw the first Great Black-backed
Gull. By that evening we could count from 20 to 25 among the flocks of Her-
ring Gulls perched on near-by rocks. We agreed with Peterson that even
from a distance it is unmistakable.

Prince Edward Island will always be remembered lor the many shore
birds. On one small lake near Summerside we counted 40 Great Blue Herons.

We had a two-hour wait for our ferry which was taking us to Nova Scotia.
While everyone was pacing about or playing cards, trying to pass the time. I
had a ring-side seat on a nearby sand bar with hundreds of shore birds feed-
ing on the receding tide. Semi-palmaled Plovers, some 50 Dowitchers, Yellow-
legs, Pectoral, Semipalmated and Least Sandpipers, Black-bellied and Piping
Plovers and Ruddy Turnstones were there . As I hurried to catch the ferry an-
other flock was just arriving and Til always wonder what I missed.

Oh yes if you plan to visit the Gannets don’t forget to take along a clothes
pin for your nose, You'll need it!— MRS. HAROLD R. PEASLEY, Des Moines,
Iowa,

CALIFORNIA AND THE WEST

On June 9. my wife and I left Grinnell, Iowa, for a trip through the west.
At the start of the trip I decided to see how many different species of birds
could be seen from the car window. Of course, many species of sparrows,
hawks, and other dull-colored birds escaped identification, due to the fact that
no marks of recognition could be seen in the short time they were in view.

The itinerary included a stop at Greeley, Colorado, and trips to Rocky
Mountain National Park while there. Then we proceeded south through Den-
ver. Santa Fe, Albuquerque. Flagstaff, Las Vegas, and several weeks’ visit in
the Los Angeles area. On the journey homeward, Santa Barbara, San Fran-
cisco, Reno, Salt Lake City, Pocatello, Yellowstone National Park, Rapid City,
Black Hills, Badlands, Sioux Falls, Spirit Lake ,and Charles City were cities

l

BIRD STUDENTS ON VACATION

45

and parks through which we passed. We arrived back in Grinnell on July 17,
after traveling 6,750 miles of highway and seeing 151 species of birds.

The trip was a little disappointing to me, in that I did not get a glimpse of
a Road Runner; also. Swan Lake in Yellowstone Park failed to show me a
Trumpeter Swan. Other birds that I thought I might see but did not were
the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. Vermilion Flycatcher, Cactus Wren, and a
Ptarmigan. However, these few failures were greatly offset by the great num-
ber of species that I had never seen before, except in pictures or museums.

My first glimpse of a Magpie in Nebraska was exciting and fascinating.
It is such a large black and white bird with a long sweeping tail. An immense
heap of sticks, piled in small trees, constitutes its nest. Other thrills were
the sight of my first Lark Bunting, in Colorado, and sharing lunch west of
Berthoud Pass in the same state, with a Gray-headed Junco and a Rocky
Mountain Jay. The jay came close enough to take pieces of bread from my
hand, but the junco was not so brave. It was content to investigate the grates
in the picnic stove and pick up crumbs under the table. Another exciting
moment was the sight of several Brown-capped Rosy Finches in the snow on
Trail Ridge Pass at an elevation of 12,183 feet. Getting out of the car, with
field glasses in hand, I found, much to my disgust, that the finches had a great
deal more energy at that high an elevation than I did, and therefore, they
could hop faster than I could walk without becoming exhausted.

I played golf on several courses in the Los Angeles area, but I was more
interested in the strange and varied music which came from the eucalyptus
trees that lined the fairways. This was my first introduction to the Western
Mockingbird, While in this area, I soon discovered that the Mockingbird did
not get through with his repertoire of phrases in daytime, but sometimes burst
forth in full song at ten or eleven o’clock at night. Behind the coast range
in California, a Yellow-billed Magpie was very accommodating. It sat still
beside the highway .picking at a piece of dead rabbit, as we slowed up to get
a good view.

I had to go all the way to California and back to Idaho before I could put
the official bird of Iowa, the common Goldfinch, on my list.

A Pine Siskin, near Old Faithful in Yellowstone, was busily engaged eat-
ing in a small pine, and he allowed me to approach close enough to it that I
could have reached out and stroked it. The sight of three Clark's Nutcrack-
ers, at Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone Park, caused me to stop for awhile, The
sound of their harsh grating caw seemed very unusual and fascinating.

The number of the birds and the state in which they were first seen fol-
lows. Iowa, nos. 1-24; Nebraska, 25-34; Colorado, 35-57; New Mexico, 58-61;
Arizona, 62-65; California, 66-91; Nevada, 92-95; Utah, 96-98; Idaho, 99-101;
Wyoming, 102-124; South Dakota, 125-130; Iowa 131-151. Total species listed
for the trip, 151. — E. A. KBRTH, Grinnell. Iowa,

MAMMOTH CAVE, SMOKY MOUNTAINS, LAKE SUPERIOR

We enjoyed two trips this summer, neither of which returned much in
the way of bird observation. In the matter of flora new to me the story is en-
tirely different, and my observation of new trees, shrubs, and flowering plants
was more than satisfactory.

Our first trip was into the Southeast in which, among other places, we
visited Mammoth Cave National Park and Great Smokies National Park.
Heat was our great obstacle on this trip, but the mountain ranges of the Ap-
palachian system did yield much in the way of beautiful scenery, and the
Great Smokies did yield two bird observations that are of some interest.

IOWA BIRD LIFE— XVII, 1947

46

There each morning we awoke at the crack of dawn to the tuneful and peisist-
ent song of the wood thrush. He would sing continuously for three hours,
and his song consisted of four phrases which he sang over and ovei again
for the first two hours. During the last hour he often omitted the last phrase.
The first phrase is the most musical and the most belLlike; the second two
are higher pitched and still musical; but the last phrase is distinctly laueous.
The other observation was of a Red-eyed Vireo which came within three feet
of me and calmly surveyed me for at least a full minute.

This trip occurred during the last week in June and the first week in
July. Our other trip occurred during the last two weeks in August and in-
cluded a sojourn on the north shore of Lake Superior and a visit to Isle Romaic
National Park. To the latter place we were accompanied by three Iowa Orni-
thologists' Union members. Misses Marjorie Brunner, Emily Steffen, and
Iola Tillapaugh. For those readers who are also fishermen I might remark
that we saw a few 30-pound trout brought in and many more of lesser size.
On the island we also saw a cow moose with twin calves. Our bird observa-
tions on the island consisted only of Canada Jays. Herring Gulls and Chicka-
dees. Later, on North Shore. I saw Loons and Cedar Waxwings. We exper-
ienced five days of fog on Isle Royale and rather cold weather on North
Shore, really about six-blanket weather. Had we had another blanket we
would have made it seven! — E. W. STEFFEN, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

MONTANA

When Saunders wrote his book on the Birds of Montana, he had done
little work in the extreme eastern part of the state. I wrote him that I ex-
pected to visit that area this year, and he was much interested and said that
he would like to see my list of birds. About June 10 I took to the road, with
my car and sleeping bag. I drove all night and was in Montana the next noon:
would have reached it sooner but had two flat tires enroute. I had a grand
trip, roaming around the back roads of eastern Montana. I visited Wilfred
Crabb at Medicine Lake Refuge and together we went out and found Baird's
Sparrow. I also enjoyed meeting Brewer's Sparrow for the first time: this
was worth the whole trip. I established the fact that Eastern Bluebirds and
Field Sparrows do summer in Montana. I also found Western Tanagers near
the border of the two Dakotas, and made numerous other interesting records.
— WM. YOUNGWORTH, Sioux City, Iowa.

NORTH CAROLINA, NEW JERSEY

We went to North Carolina to visit our daughter and family: left Ames
August 1, stayed in North Carolina 12 days, then went northeast as far
as southern New Jersey, where Mrs. Hendrickson has some ancestors buried
whose graves we haven’t found on previous trips. Then we went to State
College. Pennsylvania, and visited a day with Logan Bennett and family.
From there we went to eastern Ohio, where son Bob and I kicked down some
more young trees and pulled much poison ivy in more graveyards while Mrs.
Hendrickson read the inscriptions; we photographed the ones she selected as
those of her ancestors. She even came across a ‘‘living ancestor,” 88 years old,
who told us many interesting things. The weather was cool and not too rainy
all the month we w’ere south and east.— GEORGE O, HENDRICKSON, Ames.
Iowa.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK
In July Miss Thelma Carmichael, my husband and I, took an auto trip
through Rocky Mountain National Park, Enroute we saw 83 different birds

BIRD STUDENTS ON VACATION

47

and failed to identify as many more. We identified these species in Colorado:
Yellow-headed Blackbird. Mountain Bluebird. Sandhill Crane, Cassin's Purple
Finch. Western Flycatcher. Lawrence’s Goldfinch, Bonaparte’s, Franklin's,
Herring and Ring-billed Gulls. Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Rocky Mountain
and Long-crested Jays, Western Kingbird, Magpie, Western Mockingbird,
Howell's Nighthawk, Hooded and Scott’s Oriole, Raven, Western Tanager,
Water Ouzel White-throated Swift.— MRS. W. G. MAC MARTIN, Tama, Iowa.

UTAH'S BEAR RIVER BIRD REFUGE

During the first part of July, Dr. and Mrs. Peter P. Laude and I visited
the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, near Brigham, Utah. We found it to
be an ornithologist’s and bird photographer's paradise. Although all sections
of the 64.000-acre refuge are not open to visitors, one may drive for several
miles over its roads and observe from the car hundreds of birds in the marsh
and lake areas, and along the mud and sand flats that are adjacent to the road.
There we made :ome interesting observations and added a number of species
to our life lists. Included were: Treganza’s Heron, Brewster’s Egret. White-
faced Glossy Ibis, Cinnamon Teal and Black-necked Stilt, In addition, we
saw about 500 Marbled Godwits, several hundred Avocets and other shore
birds, many ducks, Canada Geese, California Gulls, Forster’s Terns, and White
Pelicans. Some of the young Western Grebes were not too large to ride on
their mothers' backs. Long-billed Curlews were feeding in the open fields out-
side the refuge. We saw about 65 out of a possible 70 species that are found
there during the summer. — LILLIAN SERBOUSEK. Cedar Rapids. Iowa.

WESTERN UNITED STATES

We left Tucson the first week of May and had a wonderful summer. On
our way north we spent some time at Grand Canyon, Zion and Bryce Canyons,
and then visited Salt Lake City. Jackson Hole, Teton Mountains, Yellowstone
Park and Glacier National Park. New birds seen were: Sage Hens near Jack-
son Hole, Calliope Hummers in the Tetons, Gray Ruffed Grouse in Yellow-
stone: also saw' Trumpeter Swans and Sandhill Cranes but we had seen them
before. We heard the swans give their trumpeting call and heard the cranes
call. The Franklin’s Grouse was a new bird to us, and we found many Pink-
sided Juncos in Yellowstone, The Ospreys and Pelicans there were most in-
teresting. and we took a picture of the nest and young of the Osprey on the so-
callcd "Eagle Nest Rock" near Mammoth Hot Springs, beside the Gardiner
River. Ospreys were nesting on that same rock when Yellowstone was first
explored. Before reaching Glacier Park we saw many Chestnut-collared
Longspurs along the road. Red-breasted Nuthatches were common theie.
Near Helena we saw Catbirds, We enjoyed getting near enough for good
pictures of moose, antelope and bear in Yellowstone, Flowers were gorgeous
in the Tetons, Yellowstone and Glacier. Trout fishing was very good, so what
more could we ask?— MRS. ROSS J. THORNBURG, Tucson. Arizona (form-
erly Des Moines. Iowa).

YELLOWSTONE AND THE TETONS

Jean and 2 virtually had a field trip two weeks long on our summer vaca-
tion to Yellowstone and the Teton area. Leaving Cedar Rapids the end of
July, we drove across South Dakota and spent a day in the Black Hills where
the Ml. Rushmore memorial was mighty impressive.

As we went west, the first Arkansas Kingbird was seen about 50 miles
west of Sioux City, near Yankton. South Dakota. Many ducks, the common
shore birds and Black-crowned Night Herons were seen on the small lakes
along the road in South Dakota north of Yankton.

4S

IOWA BIRD LIFE— XVII, 1947

In the Black Hills the first Mountain Bluebirds and Red-shafted Flickers
were seen. Crossing Wyoming we stopped three times to watch flocks of
Prairie Sharp-tailed Grouse, and we also flushed one flock of Sage Hens. On
the sage lands west of Newcastle, Wyoming, we found a pair of prong-horned
antelopes and we were lucky enough to get some pictures of them. A short
side trip was taken to Devils Tower National Monument both to see that tre-
mendous piece of rock and the prairie dog village at its base. No Burrowing
Owls were seen, however, nor was the Duck Hawk seen which was supposed
to nest on the perpendicular walls of Devils Tower; but Lewis's Woodpecker
was observed.

Going through the Big Horns and Ten Sleep canyon will be long remem-
bered as well as a brook-trout breakfast at South Fork Inn which fellow
Cedar Rapids vacationers there provided.

At Cody, of course, was the Shoshone dam and canyon, and we entered
Yellowstone by the East entrance, making our headquarters at Lake Lodge.
The bears seemed almost trained to greet the visitors on their entrance to the
park; but the real greeting the first morning was from three bull moose —
tremendous ones— who posed long enough for pictures.

To tell the truth, we had planned to spend most of our time in the Tetons,
but Yellowstone proved to be so interesting we spent five days there, a perfect
playground for nature lovers. We visited the geyser and hot spring phenom-
ena, we hiked to Grebe Lake, the home of two pair of Trumpeter Swans, and
we took some movies of them. We delighted in the views of Yellowstone
Canyon and Falls, we crawled to the edge of the south rim of the canyon to
take pictures of an Osprey nest. We saw Western Tanagers, Clark's Nut-
crackers and Ravens, we saw more Trumpeter Swans on Swan Lake. Pelicans,
deer, elk, moose and bear; also, four Sandhill Cranes. We enjoyed the ranger-
naturalist campfire talks, the several museums, the wild flowers, particularly
the fringed gentians, and the Indian paintbrush. And of course, had we gone
fishing, the trout were biting as they seldom had before.

Reluctantly we said goodbye to the park and started for the Grand Tetons.
that magnificent range of mountains a short distance south of the park. There
we stayed at Moran, Wyoming, on Jackson Lake with the painted backdrop
of the Teton range. It was another gorgeous area, and in this grand country
we visited a great naturalist and ornithologist. Dr. Olaus J. Murie, who lives
at Moose, Wyoming.

All too soon we had to leave the mountain coolness for Iowa heat, but an-
other long field trip lay ahead, And on the way home coming down the Wind
River Canyon we climbed to the top of a dry butte where two Prairie Falcons
were soaring and diving, dropping their prey and then diving, turning and re-
covering it. Home now, Jean and I both wish we had been gone three in-
stead of two weeks, — ROBERT F, VANE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

YELLOWSTONE PARK

My wife and I went on an 11 -day western trip, July 31 to August 10, ac-
companied by Mr, and Mrs. K. B. Harrington, of Winthrop, We drove to Yel-
lowstone National Park, by way of the Badlands, Black Hills and Devils
Tower National Monument. Our first new bird was the Western (Arkansas)
Kingbird, seen in eastern South Dakota, The Magpie was seen in the Bad-
lands, and later, in Wyoming, we occasionally saw flocks of a dozen or more
of these beautiful and very conspicuous birds, I also found the Rock Wren in
the Badlands. Our stay in the Black Hills was very brief, as we had covered
them pretty thoroughly on a trip in a previous year, and we were anxious to

UPLAND PLOVER IN MISSOURI VALLEY

49

be on our way. We drove to Mount Rushmore and admired the huge man-
made monument, and later viewed it from many angles on the scenic road up
Iron Mountain,

We crossed the Big Horn Mountains from Buffalo to Ten Sleep, and very
much enjoyed the trip through beautiful Ten Sleep Canyon, a drive that will
be much less thrilling in the future when the proposed three-lane, gradual-
incline highway on the opposite wall of the canyon is completed. As we cross-
ed Wyoming we saw Lark Bunting, Lewis's Woodpecker, Prairie Falcon, Sage
Thrasher. Desert Horned Lark and various other birds.

We entered Yellowstone Park through the Cody gate, a trip which in-
cludes driving through picturesque Shoshone Canyon. We enjoyed the
wonders of Yellowstone, with its hundreds of geysers and hot springs, its
beautiful mountains, lakes and vast timbered areas, and best of all, its cold,
crisp mountain air. We thought the grandest and most awe-inspiring spec-
tacle of all was the Lower Falls and Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. From
Artist Point we saw the nest of young Ospreys perched upon a lofty pinnacle
of rock *the nest that Dr. Vane photographed). In Yellowstone we were en-
tertained by the very tame Ravens, White Pelicans and California Gulls at
Fishing Bridge. There were Audubon's Warbler, Mountain Bluebird, Pink-
sided Junco, Western Tanager, Red-shafted Flicker, Mountain Chickadee,
Violet-green Swallow, Cassin's Purple Finch and numerous others to be seen.
One morning I spent an hour or tw’o in the hills behind Old Faithful trying to
find a Williamson’s Sapsucker. I heard his call many times, a “whee-yer,” at
a little distance, but when I came nearer I neither saw nor heard him, and I
never did get a look at the bird. At one point on this hike a large black bear
was surprised in the undergrowth. He looked at me inquiringly, grunted a
little, and ambled off a few yards ahead of me— adding a western touch not
found on bird trips in- Iowa!

We left the park through the south gate, then drove beside the beautiful
Teton Mountains for many miles. After that, we passed through the famous
Jackson Hole country, and stayed overnight at Jackson, Wyoming, a very in-
teresting wide-open town that is advertised as “the last frontier of the Old
West," We came home by way of Denver, Lincoln and Omaha, adding Brew-
er's Blackbird, Sharp-tailed Grouse and Franklin’s Gull along the road. On
our last night on the road we stayed with Mr. and Mrs. M. L. Jones, in the
Ledges State Park, Boone. On the other nights we occupied tourist cabins
and the Government-owned cabins in Yellowstone Park. Like the Vanes, we
could not wish for a better vacation, but a longer one! — FRED J. PIERCE.

PRESENT STATUS OF THE UPLAND PLOVER
IN THE UPPER MISSOURI VALLEY

By WILLIAM YOUNGWORTH
SIOUX CITY, IOWA

During the spring and summer of 1947, the writer had ample opportunity
to observe the status of the Upland Plover in the above mentioned area and
has herewith set down a few observations.

The Upland Plover is a bird of the prairies and is usually associated with
water, although not in all cases. However, we usually find them in the prairie
grass near some slough, lake or in a pasture or hay field with a small stream
coursing through or near it. The spring of 1947 was unusually wet and rather

50

IOWA BIRD LIFE— XVII, 1947

cool, and the result was pools of water in areas where none had been for
several years. A heavier growth of grass was found in many areas. These
factors caused Upland Plovers to come back to areas from which they had
been gone for some years, and would make the casual observer think that
the plover population was on the increase. However, the writer believes it
was a thinning out of more populated nesting areas, with conditions that were
nearly ideal for nesting elsewhere, that caused these birds to seek the old nest-
ing haunts.

The first record for the season, on May 4. was two plovers near Norden,
Keyapaha County, Nebraska. From that time on they were seen almost daily
on the Ainsworth Army Air Base, Brown County, Nebraska. We usually saw
one or two pairs around the Air Base. On May 10, I saw a pair of plovers
near Plainview. Pierce County. Nebraska. The main flight seemed to arrive
the following week and we saw several pairs along the Elkhorn River near
Inman, Holt County, Nebraska. On an all-day trip made on May 25, from At-
kinson to Swan Lake, Holt County, Nebraska, we counted 15 pairs and several
single birds. Crossing into Garfield County to the south, we counted seven
pairs of plovers and several singles before reaching the town of Burwell.
Returning northward, we saw three pairs of plovers south of the town of
Bassett, Rock County. On May 29, while making a trip to Sioux City, we saw
two pairs of plovers east of Bassett, eight pairs near Newport, Rock County,
10 pairs near Stuart. Holt County, and two pairs near Plainview, Pierce
county. Most of the above records were made somewhere near water, how-
ever, on June 7, we saw a pair of plovers near Orchard, Antelope County, in
the high prairie country. On June 10. a pair of plovers was seen near Tabor,
Bon Homme County, South Dakota, and two pairs along Emanuel Creek nortn-
west of Tyndall in the same county. No more plovers were seen while cross-
ing South Dakota, and several days spent in eastern Montana failed to reveal
anj' Upland Plovers, although two Montana biologists told me a few pairs
were still found locally in such areas as around Medicine and Bowdoin Lakes.
On the return trip, while coming down through eastern South Dakota, along
the James River bottoms, I found two pairs of plovers near Freeman. Hutch-
inson County, and saw two more plovers near Meckling, Clay County. I
haven't seen summer resident plovers in the Clay County area in many years.
On July 5, we saw a pair of Upland Plovers near Marshall, Lyon County.
Minnesota. This latter record is really in the Mississippi Valley, but is so
close to the Upper Missouri Valley watershed, that it is included for that rea-
son.

It is quite apparent to the writer that with favorable nesting conditions,
this species has a tendency to spread out its breeding range to include former
nesting areas, but that on the whole the species is slowly losing out in numbers
in most places except in the extremely favorable sandhill regions of Nebraska.
It is in this area that we can still find Long-billed Curlew, Avocet. Marbled
Godwit and Willet locally common in very small isolated areas. The harvest-
ing of blue grass seed has suddenly bloomed into a million-dollar crop in the
Nebraska sandhills, and with it come more hazards for our already harassed
plover, along with burning, plowing up virgin land, and over-pasturing. It
will be a question how long our larger waders can even hold out in their
Nebraska sandhill hideaway.

BOB-WHITE WHISTLES

51

THE BOB-WHITE WHISTLES

By ED HEUSER
DUBUQUE, IOWA

I believe that most bird lovers find an extra delight in those ex-
periences with winged life which have about them a special flavor of the
eternal unity.

On this occasion I had been enjoying a summer afternoon stroll over a
bit of green pastureland bordering the Mississippi a little south of Dubuque.

The lovely scene of river, hills, and trees was enhanced by a spotless blue
summer afternoon sky. Shellbark hickories scattered shady spots over the
tall growing grass, and there were yellow clumps of St. Johnswort in full
bloom here and there.

I sat on a stump to fully enjoy the picture. After a while, out of the
comparative silence of bird tunes more or less distant, there came sudden
and clear, the whistle of a Bob-white.

For me there is an exceptional beauty and sweetness in a Bob-white's
whistle. That began in my young boyhood when on early summer mornings
the Bob-white whistled down from the hill into my bedroom window.

So now we whistled back and forth while I contemplated seeing him
again, that experience not having happened to me for some time. Presently
I noticed the Bob-white's whistle growing fainter as though he was retreat-
ing through the high grass. I continued to answer and soon the call be-
came very faint. I estimated he had about reached the cornfield some
150 yards distant. Not wishing to miss a glimpse of him. I got up to follow,
I had taken but three or four steps when to my surprise and astonishment
the bird flushed not more than twenty feet away and, bob-whiting in quick
suceesion, settled on a nearby wire,

Only an outdoor lover full of glorius anticipations could have enjoyed
in full the thrill of that experience. The Bob-white, seeing me and hearing

I

BQB-Wlil
From a d .awing ly

E. W. SLefLn

I

IOWA BIRD LIFE— XVII. 1947

52

me, had been stalking me tor his own observation purposes, and with na-
ture’s instinct had successfully carried on the deception. The bird allowed
fairly close study before flying again, leaving me with some unusual joys
that seemed to have to do with eternal things, and which to an appreciable
extent have remained with me.

INFORMAL "CONVENTION" AT WINTHROP
INDICATES NEED FOR REGULAR
FALL MEETINGS

We have often heard our members say that they would like a fall meet-
ing. It has even been suggested that we hold two meetings a year— one in
May consisting entirely of outdoor bird trips, and the other in the fall when
there would be the usual indoor presentation of papers, the ornithologists'
banquet, etc. Planning and holding one convention a year is a big undertak-
ing, requiring the work of many persons, and the fall meeting, while often
talked about, has never materialized .

Editor Pierce and his wife were talking about this at the breakfast table
one September morning, the former mentioning that he would like a fall meet-
ing of the Union, and would even like to have a group of members meet at
his home, if that were possible. Mrs. Pierce said, "Why not?" That settled
the matter. Plans were quickly made for an “ornithological get-together"
at the Pierce home— without consulting any of the officers of the Union or
asking advice from anyone. Thirty personal invitations were sent, and with
each was a request to relay the invitation along to any others who might be
interested (this multiplied the invitation at least three or four times*. Sunday,
September 21, 1947. was the day named, and an afternoon and evening of in-
formal visiting and a reunion of old friends was all that was promised.

The response was immediate and gratifying. Everyone seemed ready for
just such a meeting. September 21 was clear and cool, with perfect weather
conditions. The first guests arrived early and by mid-afternoon nearly 60
had assembled. Some of them drove a considerable distance to attend. The
afternoon was spent in visiting, in browsing among the books in the book-
shop and in the larger collection in the Pierce home, and some short field
trips were taken along Buffalo Creek, which flows through the Pierce farm.
Lunch was served by Mrs, Pierce at six o'clock. In the evening President
Charles C. Ayres, Jr., gave an illustrated talk, using color films showing flood
scenes at Ottumwa and bird and nature subjects taken in Iowa and on the
West Coast, This finished a delightful evening and most of the guests depart-
ed about 9:30,

It was a most successful party. With so many of our officers and members
present, it was very much like a little convention of the Iowa Ornithologists'
Union. The informality of the entire affair made it unusual and thoroughly
enjoyable, A number of people remarked that it was like a big family reun-
ion, At any rate, it clearly showed that our Iowa people like parties of this
sort and welcome the chance to meet bird friends. It may also indicate that
a fall meeting of the Union could be very successful. We have already heard
people ask: “Are we going to Winthrop again next fall?” Mrs. Pierce says,
“Why not?’’

— F. J, P.

THE FALL PARADE

53

Attendance Register — BOONE, Barbara Jones, Mr, and Mrs, M. L. Jones;
CEDAR FALLS, Mr, and Mrs. Ray Dix, Dr, and Mrs. Martin Grant, Jean
Grant, Lois Conchita Grant, Mrs, Eugene Smith, Mrs. F M, Stevens; CEDAR
RAPIDS, Dorothy and Marjorie Brunner, Margaret Lahr. Lillian Serbousek,
Mr, and Mrs. E, W. Steffen, Iola Tillapaugh. Dr. and Mrs. Robert Vane, Myra
Willis; DES MOINES. Mrs. Jos, Chamberlain, Mrs. Janet DuMont, Mrs. H. R,
Peasley; DUBUQUE, F. E. Crossley, Mr. and Mrs. George Crossley, Henry
Herrmann, Ival Schuster. Mary H. Young; INDEPENDENCE, Mr. and Mrs.
Gordon Bly, Bob Cornwell. Randall Evanson, Gladys Shay, Timmy Van Ree:
IOWA CITY, Dr. and Mrs. P. P. Laude; MT, VERNON. David Ennis, Dr. and
Mrs. Harold Ennis: OTTUMWA, Chas. C. Ayres, Jr,. Chas. C. Ayres. Sr.. Mar-
ietta Eighme, Pearle Walker; WATERLOO. Lucile and Myra Loban, Dr. C.
W. Robertson, Katherine* Young; WINTHROP. Mrs. Minnie Campbell. Mar-
jorie Jones. Florence Pierce, Mr, and Mrs. F, J. Pierce. Mr. and Mrs. J M.
Pierce, Paul Pierce. Total registered, 57.

THE FALL PARADE

By MRS. W. C. DE LONG
LAMONI, IOWA

(With drawings by E. W. Steffen)

When I moved to the prairie town of Clarion in north central Iowa and
saw acres and acres of corn and oats surrounding me with no timber or river
within walking distance* I supposed my observation of the migrating birds
would be ended. What a surprise I was in for)

I have discovered that in the spring and fall of the year when the migra-
tion season is on, if a storm with rain develops in the early hours of the morn-
ing, migrating birds come down in great numbers, and because there isn't

much timber over this central prairit
are thus concentrated within a small
The year 1946 was the first
time I ever saw such a wave of
migrating birds in the fall, as
warblers, vireos, and flycatchers.

On September 7, in the early
hours of the morning long before
daylight, I could hear the twitter
of birds in the trees outside my
bedroom window. I could hard-
ly wait for daylight to come, for
on August 28 a similar storm had
forced birds down, and when
daylight came, eight Pine Warb-
lers, yellow-breasted birds with
white wing bars, were seen in
the spruce trees. What birds now
were outside my window? About
seven o’clock I looked out the
window and saw that the box el-
der tree was full of little birds.

It was very cloudy and visibility
was poor, but a Blue-headed
Vireo with a bluish head, white

belt, they find shelter in the town and
area where one can see them.

(

IOWA BIRD LIFE— XVII, 1947

54

throat, and white ring around his eye came near enough to the window for me
to see him. He snatched a worm from the branch of the box elder and had his

breakfast, .

Down in the kitchen, cucumber pickles which had been standing in salt
water over night were begging to be canned, plum pulp had to be run through
a colander, a crate of peaches was on the floor, breakfast had to be put on the
table, and migrating birds had chosen this day to stop in my yard.

The spring on the screen door was released from its hook and stood ajar
so I could dash down the steps and look out the back door occasionally. There
were times when there would be no life at all in the trees, and then again the

birds came from every direction and swarmed down.

A large box elder tree stands
in the middle of the back yard
with branches hanging far down
near the window. To the south
of this tree there are shrubs that
form a semi -circle, such as su-
mac. lilacs, mock orange, dog-
woods, plum thicket, grapes,
raspberries, walnut tree, and
more dogwood.

From one bush to the other
the warblers danced. The Black
and White Creepers were most
numerous, going up and down
the trunk of the walnut and box
elder trees. A Magnolia, looking
very different from the gorgeous
male I saw in the same tree this
spring, was dancing in the plum
thicket. His breast was very
yellow with only a few black
strip ings on the flanks, but I
knew it was a Magnolia because
bis tail wr: crossed midway by a
broad white band.

The Blue-heaced Vireo in the walnut tree found a fuzzy caterpillar and
he shook it and shook it- I wondered how he was going to manage to swal-
low it. I knew the plum jam on the stove should be stirred, but at the moment
1 was too interested watching the vireo shake the caterpillar. Another vireo
came and sat near him. This one had a very yellow throat and breast, yellow
ring around his eye and wing bars. Never had I seen a Yellow-throated Vireo
before, and this was no time to be stirring plum jam. The Blue-headed Vireo
must have been worried for fear the Yellow-throated Vireo would take the
caterpillar away from him. for he moved to a lower branch and took the worm
with him, I rushed up the steps and rescued the plum jam just in time to
save it from scorching.

1 parted the curtains of the window by the sink so I could keep track of
what was going on in the dogwood bushes while I washed the pint jars fo
the plum jam, Two Red-eyed Vireos were in the dogwoods eating the white
berries, A Catbird and Brown Thrasher were competing with the vireos fo-
the white berries.

THE FALL PARADE

l)<)

A bright orange and black bird
appeared in the walnut tree and
gave an abbreviated form of his
whistle — Baltimore Oriole it was
who had stopped on his way to Cen-
tral America where he will no doubt
spend the winter among the banana
plantations. Lady Baltimore was
with him and she liked the white
worms she found on the outside hull
of the walnuts.

In the afternoon, with the back
door as my observation point, I
watched the parade go by. I imag-
ined the warblers, vireos, and fly-
catchers the floats in the parade.

There were so many pretty ones to
see and such a short time to see
them as they rushed by so quickly .

There was a Chestnut-sided Warb- BALTIMORE ORIOLE

ler in his fall colors— greenish above,

white below, two wing-bars and a white eye-ring, a Wilson Warbler with a
jaunty black cap and an eye that makes one think of a black bead, the Ten-
nessee Warbler, Warbling Vireo, Olive-backed thrush, a mother Grosbeak and

flycatchers.

The flycatchers, dashing after
winged insects, looked much
alike except for size. I heard a
little song. "Pee-a-wee," so 1
knew there was a Wood Pcwee
among them. The Least Fly-
catcher was not hard to dis-
tinguish, for he was much the
same size as some of the warb-
lers. Whether the others were
Acadian or Alder was hard to
tell, for they made no sound.
The tiniest float of all was a
hummingbird. He perched on a
twig for a few minutes so I could
view his ruby throat.

In the late afternoon, a cold
drizzly rain descended. In the
evening between five and six I
again watched them, A beauti-
ful male Black-throated Green
Warbler with all his gorgeous
spring colors came down low to
clouds threw a shaft of sunlight
Warbler

OLIVE BACKED THRUSH

a branch close to the door. A rift in the
upon the orange throat of a Blackburnian

From the raspberry and lilac bushes out stepped an Oven-bird looking
first to the right and then to the left as though danger lurked behind every

56

IOWA BIRD LIFE — XVII, 1947

bush and corner. He kept advancing toward me. tipping his orange striped
crown as he walked on pink feet. Out stepped another Oven-bird and for
the next half hour I watched the two mince their way back and forth on the
lawn.

"To the forest— to the leaf buds
Comes the tiny oven builder.

Daintily the leaves he tiptoes
Underneath them builds his oven."

Twilight descended, the screen door was fastened, the parade was over-
in the morning they were gone.

GENERAL NOTES

Migrant Shrike —While walking along a country road near Hardy, Hum-
boldt County, on July 25, 1947. I came upon a lone mulberry tree near a rail-
road track, I saw two Migrant Shrikes in the tree, and about 6 feet from the
ground in the half-dead trunk I found a rather bulky nest made of twigs,
grasses and feathers. In the nest was the skeleton of a dead baby bird. I
saw the shrikes quite often after that, sitting on telephone wires, and heard
their harsh call notes. — DENNIS CARTER. Thor, Iowa.

Agelaius phoeniceus in Scott County.— Some question has been raised by
local ornithologists as to what form of Red-winged Blackbird occurs in this
area, I wish to place on record a specimen of . bj-ta 'us Mioeniceus phoeniceus
which I found dead on May 13. 1947. adjacent to Duck Creek. Davenport, Iowa.
The measurements compare with those of DuMont (Revised List of the Birds
of Iowa, 1934). It was a male in good plumage. This brings to mind the fact
that very little is known of the distribution and status of the Eastern, Thick-
billed. and Giant Red-winged Blackbirds in Iowa, Extensive collecting would
shed a great deal of light on this problem,— JAMES HODGES, Davenport,
Iowa.

Notes on Woodcock anti Pileatetl Woodpecker, — On August 12, 1947, in
White Pine Hollow, Dubuque County, I flushed a Woodcock. It was in the
deep woods, near a small spring brook that meandered through tall vegetation
and rather soggy silt and forest mold. This was my first record for the bird
in Iowa.

I noted the report on the Pileated Woodpecker in Clinton County in the
June issue. I have observed this big fellow in Jones County, along the Maquo-
keta River. This species was a resident in White Pine Hollow for a number
of years. On several successive visits to the Hollow over a period of years,
I seldom failed to see or hear the birds; but on three or four visits, during
the last three years, I have not found them Near the town of Orchard, on the
Cedar River, I watched a nest of Pileated Woodpeckers for a week while
camped within a few yards of their tree in July, 1923. The nesting hole was
about 4 to 5 inches in diameter and 16 to 20 feet from the ground, in a big
hackberry stub. There were three very active young in the nest and the
parent birds were exceedingly busy all week, feeding those fellows and re-
moving excreta from the nest. So far as I could observe, they never dropped
the “sweepings” near the nest, but always headed straight across the river up-
on emergence from the nest, — REV, ALBERT E. COE, Dysart, Iowa.

GENERAL NOTES

57

Another Carolina Wren Record from Sioux City.— It was shortly alter five
o'clock on the morning of August 26. 1947, that we first heard the loud, cheer-
ful call of a Carolina Wren. We had the pleasure of seeing the visitor several
times and hearing it until late in the afternoon. Unlike the Carolina Wren
we reported last year, which stayed around the neighborhood for several
days, this bird was not heard again after the first day. It is interesting to note
that the call of this species is very similar to the song of the Kentucky Warb-
ler. 1 believe that in some cases the songs are so nearly alike, a good look at
the songster would make identification more certain. — WM, YOUNGWORTH,
Sioux City, Iowa.

Bird Mortality in a Cyclone. — On July 27, 1947, we had a cyclone in Daven-
port and nearby areas that caused a great deal of damage. I took a field trip
right after the storm to discover the effect of the high wind and hard rain
on the bird life of Scott County. I found a dead immature Robin that was
killed in some manner. I found two nestling Rose-breasted Grosbeaks that
had been killed. These two birds would have left the nest in a few more days.
One of the nestlings had almost all of its wing and tail feathers torn out, and
the same was true of the other nestling but the wind also tore feathers out of
other body regions. I visited a city park which is a favorite roosting place
for many English Sparrows. I found a total of 78 of these birds killed by the
storm — 3 males, 70 females, and five of undetermined sex. — JAMES HODGES,
Davenport, Iowa,

Cinnamon Teal at Wall Lake.— On March 28, 1946, a male Cinnamon Teal
[Qv.frq'tdlnlG r anoptera) was observed with a small flock of Blue-winged
Teal ( O' rr/u at a i.iscors) off the east shore of Wall Lake, Wright County,
Iowa. A Cinnamon Teal was again observed at Wall Lake on April 9; this
time, with a male Blue-winged Teal, it was courting a female teal in a small
opening in the emergent vegetation around a muskrat house on the north-
west side of the lake. The courtship was repeatedly interrupted by fighting
between the two males and occasionally by pursuit flights lead by the female.
The male Cinnamon Teal was more aggressive in the fighting, chasing the
male Blue-winged Teal from the vicinity of the female again and again, but
the Blue-winged Teal returned with great persistence. A similar combination
of courting teal was seen at the same location again on April 16 and 18. On
April 18 the Cinnamon Teal male appeared to be even more energetic in
driving the male Blue-winged Teal away from the female, frequently forcing
the Blue-wing to take flight. The female teal could not be identified, but we
were agreed that it was noticeably darker in color than other female teal in
the vicinity No Cinnamon Teal was observed at Wall Lake after April 18. —
THOMAS G. SCOTT, CECIL P. HAIGHT and THOMAS S, BASKETT, Iowa
Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Ames, Iowa.

Whistling Swans at Goose Lake. — About 20 large white birds were seen on
April 11, 1947. near the center of the more open part of Goose Lake, near
Jewell, Hamilton County, Iowa. The birds were facing into a fairly strong
northwest wind and had arranged themselves in a line across the direction of
the wind. Time did not permit close observation of the birds at that time,
but they were thought to have been swans. At daybreak on April 12, 1947,
a special effort was made to observe the large white birds more closely, and
eight of them were found in a shallow bay on the northwest side of the marsh.
The suspected identity proved correct; they were swans. By careful stalking
it w T as possible to get within about 30 yards of where the birds appeared to be

IOWA BIRD LIFE— XVII, 1947

58

standing on one leg in the shallow water. Each seemed to be asleep with
its head beneath a wing, excepting when interrupted by some distur bing ele-
ment. One cause of disturbance was a Coot {Fitiica americatia) feeding on the
lee side of one of the swans. The Coot appeared to occasionally peck the
under tail coverts of its large associate. This usually caused the swan to with-
draw its head from beneath the wing and extend it toward the Coot in a men-
acing gesture. The Coot would swim off, but gradually move back to its
former position beside the large bird.

Further attempts to stalk the swans finally alerted them, and they swam
to the open water of the lake. They finally took to flight, quartering into the
wind and then circling to gain height. During this turn they could be heard
“talking” in a soft musical note, Although we were not familiar with the calls
of the Trumpeter Swan ( Cygnus buccinator) there was certainly nothing
horn-like about the notes of these swans. They left the lake, flying in an ir-
regular flock toward the west at a higher level than any of the ducks in flight.
It is probably safe to identify these birds as Whistling Swans ( Cygnus colum -
bianus) largely because of the restricted range and number of the Tiumpetei
Swans.— THOMAS G. SCOTT and MARGARET J. SCOTT, Iowa Cooperative
Wildlife Research Unit, Ames, Iowa,

A Ruffed Grouse Nest,— South of Waterloo, the northwest township of
Allamakee County, is Hanover, the roughest township in the county. Across
it from southwest to northeast the Upper Iowa River flows in great oxbow
loops between precipitous cliffs 300 feet high. Tributary to it are valleys of
perennial spring-fed brooks and dry runs. The bluff sides of both the rivei
valley and those of the tributaries are largely covered with trees and brush,
while the uplands are cultivated fields. This is good habitat for grouse.

On May 9. 1947, we were retracing the survey line of an old abandoned
road that ran diagonally down the north side of a not-so-steep bluff south of a
spring brook. This slope was covered with brush and scattered oak. basswood,
poplar, birch and cherry trees of all sizes, and many rotten logs. In chaining
one of the courses. I passed within 3 feet of a sitting Ruffed Grouse and she
went whizzing off through the woods and alighted in the brush not far off.
She left a nest full of eggs behind. A large limb broken off an old white oak
lay, supported by its smaller limbs, about a foot above the ground. Directly
under this in an accumulation of dead leaves was the nest. It was further
protected by a few smaller limbs and a couple of young trees, and thus es-
caped trampling by the half-wild, young cattle pastured there. As she flew
off. she scattered leaves over the nest with her wings and the eggs were part-
ly concealed. With a small stick we removed enough leaves to enable us to
count the eggs. There were 14— a nestful of beautiful, clean, brownish-buff,
unspotted eggs.

I visited the place again a week later, this time with my camera. I stop-
ped within 5 feet of the nest but did not immediately flush the bird. Her
protective coloration was so perfect that for a few seconds I failed to dif-
ferentiate the closely sitting bird from the surrounding leaves. It was per-
haps ten seconds before she scrambled off and went trailing her wings, act-
ing as if she were badly crippled and making queer noises. But I did not
follow her and at about five rods she took to wing. I photographed the nest
and eggs.

We finished our survey of the road that day and I had no further oppor-
tunity to visit the nest. Perhaps it was just as well, as too much attention
might have caused it to be abandoned. On the afternoon and night of May 28

CHRISTMAS BIRD CENSUS

we had a fall of from 7 to 9 inches of wet, heavy snow. As the grouse might
have brought off her brood by that time, I was concerned lest they perish.
By the next afternoon, however, the snow was largely gone, and the wise
mother bird doubtless knew r how to care for her little ones. — ELLISON ORR.
Waukon, Iowa.

RECENT BIRD BOOKS

A FIELD GUIDE TO THE BIRDS, by Roger Tory Peterson (Houghton
Mifflin Co„ 3rd Edition, Boston, 1947; cloth, 12mo, pp. i-xxiv & 1-290, 60 pis ,
numerous text figs. & silhouettes — 4000 illustrations, 511 in color; price. $3 .50 •

This revision of our standard field guide to the identification of birds will
be welcomed by all who are interested in ornithology, from the sentimental
bird lover to the serious student. As in former editions, primary emphasis
has been placed on field marks for outdoor identification, but important addi-
tions have been made which enhance its value as a pocket guide. Attention
is directed to flight patterns by the printing of plates showing most water
birds, shore birds, gallinaceous birds, hawks and some land birds in flight.
Another excellent feature, one which will be of great value to banders and
which we have long wished for, is the use of plates depicting the confusing
fall plumages of some species, especially shore birds and warblers. Altogether
this field guide is one of the most worth-while and worth-having books on
ornithology that has been published in many years,— C. J. S.

Dr. Warren N Keck, the Union's Librarian and a former President of the
organization, recently terminated many years of service as a teacher at Coe
College. Cedar Rapids, and has accepted a similar position at North Central
College, Naperville, Illinois. We wish him success in his new school.

Dr. Harold Ennis attended the American Ornithologists' Union meeting at
Toronto, Canada. September 9 to 11, and was the only Iowa ornithologist pres-
ent. He reports a very fine meeting and a fine time. His mother, Mrs. Edna
Ennis of Tama, accompanied him. The 1948 meeting of the A. O. U, is to be
held at Omaha next October.

Many members of the Iowa Union call at the Editor's home during the
year, coming by train, bus, automobile, bicycle or even hitch-hiking. On
September 23. I. C. Adams, Jr„ Columbia, Missouri ornithologist, arrived by
airplane. He piloted his plane and landed in a field adjacent to the Pierce
farm.

THE CHRISTMAS BIRD CENSUS

Our September issue is late, and it is possible that the December issue will
also be late, so it seems desirable to mention the Christmas census at this time.
We repeat the instructions given last year. The Christmas bird census
will be taken as usual between December 20 and 30. Study the form of cen-
suses published in previous March issues and follow details carefully. List
birds in the A. O. U. order, giving exact number seen, and include data on
hours, weather and ground conditions. Our spring and Christmas census re-
ports have been criticised because in group lists the name of the observer of
an unusual bird is seldom given, and it is impossible to tell who saw what
bird. Since this practice very seriously impairs the scientific value of the
list, we urge contributors to give the name of the person or persons who ob-
served the unusual species. Send your list to the Editor of ‘Iowa Bird Life’
not later than January 15.

I

I

iAnnouncing

Roger Tory Peterson’s

A Field Guide
to the Birds

Although this third, edition of
Roger Tory Peterson’s standard
Guide to the Birds has been com-
pletely reorganized, it still con-
tains the famous Peterson 'system
of field markings and color pat-
terns for easy identification from
a distance.

The new edition has more illus-
trations than ever — 1000 of them
with 511 in full color. All are com-
pletely new.

Tt contains all the birds — land
birds, water birds, birds of prey,
and game birds — that you can
see on a field walk east of the
Great Plains and west of Bermuda.

A new feature is a section under
each separate species colled “Simi-
lar Species”.

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COM PANT ■ PUBLISHERS

At all bookstores, 53.50

I