IOWA BIRD LIFE

PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY THE

IOWA ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION

VOL, XVIII JUNE, 1948 NO. 2

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. J. Harold Ennis. Mt. Vernon, Iowa
Editor — Fred J. Pierce, Winthrop, Iowa

Executive Council:

Earnest W. Steffen, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Dr. Chas. A. Stewart, New Albin, Iowa
Paul Leaverton. Indianola, Iowa

The Iowa Ornithologists' Union was organized at Ames, Iowa, February 28,
1923, for the study and protection of native birds and to promote fraternal re-
lations Iowa bird students.

The central design of the Union’s official seal is the Eastern Goldfinch, desig-
nated State Bird of Iowa in 1933.

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-
ber, $10.00 a year; Supporting Member, $3.00 a year; Regular Mem-
ber, $1.00 a year; Junior Member (under 16 years of age), 50c a year.

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.

IOWA BIRD LIFE — XVIII, 1948

ARE THE HAWKS FOLLOWING THE PASSENGER
PIGEON TO EXTINCTION?

By CHARLES A. STEWART
NEW AT.BIN, IOWA

{With illustrations ljy E. W. Steffen)

It is a clear, sunny spring day in the valley between the hills. Outlined
against the blue sky are puffs of white clouds. The trees on the hills are
covered with the light green leaves of spring and the fields of the valley
show the brown of the freshly- worked earth. A placid stream wanders
through the valley. On its banks are the red barns and white farm house,
the home of the farmer. The white chickens are picking up insects in the
barnyard.

The farmer is leaving the house after partaking of his morning lunch.
Overhead are soaring a pair of hawks, crossing the valley from hill to hill,
back and forth. The farmer sees them as he leaves the house and calls to
his son: l ‘Hey, Johnny, get the gun, there’s another pair of those chicken
hawks in the valley". The men start over the hills to hunt down one of their
good friends. If they succeed in getting within range, another of the so-
called chicken killers is added to the game bag hanging on the barnyard
fence. The farmer thinks he is protecting his chickens. The victims are
displayed by hanging on the top wire to rot.

On many farms are found the museums illustrating the farmer’s prowess
as a hawk killer, maintained on barnyard fences. An examination of these
displays will show that the majority of the victims are Red-tailed Hawks,
with the Red -shoulders and the Broad- wings next in numbers. A few Rough -

legs are usually collect-
ed during migration,
and along the Missis-
sippi River now and
then an Osprey will be
found in the collection.
Rarely will be found
the Cooper’s Hawk and
never the Sharp-shinn-
ed, The farmer rarely
sees these chicken kill-
ers at their work.

On several occasions,
when I was talking to
farmers and trying to
point out the benefits
of our larger hawks as
rodent destroyers, I
have had them tell me
that they had seen the
large hawks take chick-
ens from their barn
yards. Unfortunately for
my case. I had to admit
that this was probably
true, as we know that
the Red-tailed Hawk
will occasionally lake a
chicken. The Red-tailed
Hawk sometimes finds

PROTECTION OF HAWKS

that chicken killing is easier than flying over the countryside after ground
squirrels, or the young hawks find how easy it is to take chickens and be-
come chronic chicken killers. In these cases shooting is the only answer.

It seems that the Red-shouldered Hawk is not so great an offender. The
nature of this species is more gentle. Several years ago I had occasion to
observe the nesting of this species from hatching to the time the young left
the nest. When the young hawks were still in their fledgling plumage a
pair of Baltimore Orioles started building their nest in the same elm tree
which the hawks had their nest, not showing the least fear. The other small
birds in the vicinity also showed no fear of the hawks. I might say heie
that the young hawks were raised almost exclusively on a diet of frogs and
garter snakes.

* * *

The sting of coming winter is in the air. The hills are covered with a
quilt of many colors— the bronze of the birches, the yellow of the maples,
the browns of the elms and the red. of the scarlet oak and sumac. It is fall
and the squirrel season is on. Roaming the hills arc the hunters, most of
whom are carrying 12-gauge guns. To the hunter with this kind of arma-
ment the value of squirrel meat is secondary to the joy of killing. A large
dark form flies over the hills, the squirrels are forgotten and the hunter
starts for an opening in the woods. There is a shot, and an American Rough-
leg Hawk, on his way southward, will hunt no more rats. The trophy is
taken home and proudly shown, with the remark. “Here is another game
killer that will kill no more game”.

In eastern Pennsylvania there was established the Hawk Mountain San-
ctuary a number of years ago. This is a mountain point which the hawks
and eagles pass on their migrations. But it has not always been a sanc-
tuary. Let me quote what was done by sportsmen under the pretence of
game conservation before it was made a sanctuary. This is the description
written by Richard Pough in “Bird-Lore” some time ago.

“Over one hundred men. armed with shot guns and rifles, were seated
among the rocks. Every hawk that came by was greeted by a barrage of
shot. Many suddenly collapsed, to travel no more. Others went into dizzy
spins and dropped among the rocks on the mountain far below,

“A long scramble took me down to where the hawks were dropping and
I found that a large percentage were
not dead but only winged, or wounded

in some other way. Many showed A tiWfrT*

signs of having suffered for days be-

fore starvation and thirst claimed
them. Those still alive^and there
were many — would try to hide among
the rocks. Failing to do this, they
would spread out their wings and fall
backward. With fear in their blazing
eyes, they tried to fight me off with
their talons. In a small space, on that
day, I picked up over one hunderd
birds, and the total dead easily ran
into the thousands. Nothing that flew
by was being spared as I found a Blue
Jay and Flicker among the hawks”.

v

Thank God that this has been stop-
ped and will occur on Hawk Moun-
tain no more. But now, over this

24

IOWA BIRD LIFE— XVIII, 1948

country, the slaughter of our hawks goes on, and in aggregate totals much
greater than on Hawk Mountain,

Our older bird books speak of the large flocks of hawks seen during
migration in the spring and fall, particularly in the northern part of our
country. Now we see only individuals during migration. Our younger
bird watchers treat as an event the seeing of a hawk, such as the finding of
a new species. Many members of our bird clubs can not identify the dif-
ferent kinds of hawks as they do not have the chance to see them often
enough.

Why do many farmers and the so-called sportsman persist in trying to
kill every hawk they see and can hit? The answer is faulty education. The
large, soaring hawks which the ornithologist calls buteos, receive the
credit for the killing done by Cooper’s Hawk and the Sharp-shinned Hawk,
and they are also blamed for the work of the four-footed killers. My
neighbor lost 65 pullets last spring. He is informed and can identify the
kinds of hawks and knows their value, but 65 chickens are 65 chickens, so
traps were set and three civet cats were captured. Also a fox was seen to
make away with a couple of old hens. But there is another answer to pre-
vent this kind of loss. Back of my home is a high, wooded hill on which a
female fox raised three young last summer, and I did not lose a single
chicken from a predator. They were kept in a screened house at night. This
is a better answer than a shotgun and brings results.

Most farmers are fine fellows and their aim is, as with all business men,
to do the things that mean money in their pockets. The problem is to get
the information to them. The U.S.D.A has issued a bulletin on rodent des-
troying giving the hawks and owls their proper place, but I am afraid that
the copies printed are gathering dust in the files in Washington, as I have
never seen a copy in the hands of a farmer. The educational work done
by the County Agents is remarkable in making the farmer a better farmer,
but they seem to have forgotten to emphasize the value of our hawks.

What shall we do to educate the sportsman? Many boys and men. when
they get a gun in their hands, seem to have an undisciplined urge to kill
every wild thing they see. The hunter, aside from the inherent urge to
kill which is a throw-back from his pioneer ancestors, has in the past been
exposed to a very vicious campaign advocating the killing of “vermin” by
sporting magazines. Many of the state conservation departments have taken
the same attitude in the past I am glad to say that this kind of attitude has

now been changed in most state game
departments. Campaigns by the hunt-
ing magazines against the hawks have
also undergone modification. There
have actually been articles published
telling the truth about the value of
hawks. The Crow has now become the
subject of the campaigns and is the
victim marked for destruction.

What can be done to halt the pro-
gress of our larger hawks towards ex-
tinction?

In many states the game laws have
provisions for the protection of all
hawks except Cooper’s and Sharp-
shinned. But these laws do not have
the required teeth because of the
failure of the authorities to enforce

RED-TAILED HAWK

PROTECTION OF HAWKS

them. With few exceptions the field
conservation officers that I have met
pay no attention to the provisions in
the law protecting hawks. One reason
for the lack of enformement of this
provision of the game laws, is that
our wardens are much overworked
men and cannot do everything they
are supposed to do. They enforce
what they consider the most import-
ant features of the law.

Even a partial enforcement of the
laws protecting hawks would be a
wonderful educating influence on the
farmer and the hunter. Perhaps some
pressure from the bird lovers and the
bird clubs of the country in game law
enforcement would help. It has been
pointed out that the wrong kind of
education started the slaughter of our
hawks by both the farmer and the
hunter. Educational effort that tells
the story of the value of our hawks
can do the same for their protection.

Much can be done whth individual
effort by word of mouth. Among my
farmer friends I feel that my personal
effort has borne fruit in changing their ideas about hawks. Another line of
approach is to volunteer as a bird counselor in a Boy Scout Troop. It has
worked with me. My troop is a farm troop who are sold on the value of
hawks.

Bird lovers and the bird clubs of the country can do much to save our
hawks and I am suggesting below four points of effort which will go a
long way toward doing the job.

1) In states not having game laws protecting the beneficial hawks, bring
pressure on your state representative to introduce such bills, and then enlist
the help of the bird clubs in your state to pass them.

2! In states having protective laws, work on your conservation officials
to enforce the law.

3» Try to have your state agriculture college and experiment station issue
a bulletin showing the value of hawks as rodent destroyers and the conse-
quent saving of food grains.

4) Do what you can by personal effort. Talk to the scoutmaster of your
local troop of Boy Scouts. If possible, sell the idea to the scout executive
of the Area Council in which you live. Remember, if the boys and girls are
educated they can do a very good job of educating their parents.

I do not wish to imply that nothing has been done to help our hawks,
but I do wish to point out that the need is still with us. As an older bird
watcher, the realization of this is impressive when I remember the hawk
population of 30 years ago and contrasl it with the number that can be seen
at present on a day's field trip.

26

IOWA BIRD LIFE— XV1I1, 1948

THE SIOUX CITY CONVENTION

By LILLIAN SERBOUSEK

Secy.-Treas., Iowa Ornithologists’ Union

The 26th annual convention of the Iowa Ornithologists' Union, held
jointly with the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union, at Sioux City, Iowa, Sat-
urday and Sunday, May 15 and 16 1948, was highlighted by the presence
of two nationally known ornithologists. The dinner speaker was Dr. George
Miksch Sutton of the University of Michigan, who gave an address on "The
Sum of Human Knowledge”. He urged members to amass a knowledge of
birds— to enjoy them, their color and song, and then share the knowledge
with others. One finds happiness as he pursues knowledge.

Dr. Sutton gave a very interesting account of the search for the eggs
of the Harris’s Sparrow which were unknown prior to 1931. Four Americans,
including the speaker and Dr. Olin S. Fettingill Jr., and four Canadians,
started their searching expedition in May of that year, near Churchill,
Manitoba. The climax was reached in about three weeks, when Dr. Sutton
was successful in finding a nest containing four eggs— the first Harris’s Spar-
row eggs ever to be found. Dr. Sutton pointed out the human aspect of the
work and told of the good sportmanship of his fellow workers. He concluded
by telling of his experiences with the Eskimos of Southampton Island, where
he spent a year. In his search for the nest of the Blue Goose while at
Southampton, he located the nesting grounds in July, 1930. This was the
second location, the first having been found on Baffin Island by J. Dewey
Soper in 1929.

Dr. Olin Sewell Pettingill. Jr,, of Carleton College. Northfield, Minn.,
was an afternoon speaker and presented an illustrated lecture of colored
moving pictures entitled "Growing Feathers". The theme of the film was
that of evolution. He explained that birds were descendants of reptiles
and grew feathers. He showed how a young bird develops from the time
of hatching to adulthood. In this account of the history of birds, the speaker
used a series of pictures of a Cedar Waxwing, an altricial bird, through the
five stages of development from the newly-hatched, cold-blooded young, to
the 15-day-old bird out of the nest. In comparison, he explained the growth
and development of precocial birds, showing pictures of Piping Plovers and
Upland Plovers. Continuing, Dr, Pettingill emphasized particularly the de-
velopment of external body structures, individual and social behavior, and
family relationships, with photographs of a wide variety of birds.

All in-door meetings were held in the Mayfair Hotel. Charles C. Ayres,
Jr,, President of the Iowa Union called the meeting to order and welcomed
members and friends from Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota and South Dakota.
Announcements were made by Dr. T. C. Stephens of Sioux City and Dr. R.
Allyn Moser of Omaha. Mr. Ayres appointed the following committees:
Nominating, M. L. Jones. Chairman. Miss Zell Lee, Mrs. Joseph Chamber-
lain. Resolutions, Geo. E. Crossley, Chairman, Miss Esther Copp, Mrs. R. S.
Ruegnitz.

Three films in color, "The Lower Souris Refuge”, by courtesy of the US,
Fish & Wildlife Service, were shown as the first number on the morning
program. The films explained the development of the refuge and showed
many migrant and resident birds, including the nests, eggs and young of
some species.

Miss Doris Gates, of North Platte, Nebraska, read a paper on "Distribu-
tion of Plants by Birds". She stated that birds distribute seeds by means

|

THE SIOUX CITY CONVENTION

of special structures, such as spines and hooks, by their droppings, by seeds
adhering to feathers, or on muddy feet of aQuatic birds; because of the fact
that seeds may be “planted” by birds that hide their food, we have growths
of such trees as oaks and nut trees. Some plants that depend almost en-
tirely on bird distribution are junipers, poison ivy (Rhus toxicodendron),
snowberries (Symphoricarpos), currant-gooseberry (Ribes), blackberry
(Rubus), members of the rose family, and to a lesser degree, bittersweet,
hawthorn, sumac, grape, wahoo. Stomach analyses show that many species
of birds utilize plants as food; 69 species are known to feed on prunus. 60
on dogwood and poison ivy, 146 on the blackberry group. 111 on the elder,
and 82 on grape. The Robin is probably the most important seed and fruit
eater, and consequently it is a great plant distributor.

Mrs. P. J. Patten followed with the reading of a second paper, “Carolus
Linnaeus”, prepared by Robert J. Walstrom of Nebraska. She stated that
Linnaeus, born May 13, 1707, in Sweden, was interested in plants at an early
age. It was his mother's desire that young Carolus prepare himself for the
ministry as his father had done; but his interest lay elsewhere. Mrs, Pat-
ten read of his early education, followed by later studies at the University
of Sweden where his intense interest and startling knowledge of botany be-
came evident. In 1730. Linnaeus made known his system of grouping plants
according to means of propagation. This revolutionized the accepted classi-
fication in Botany and laid the foundation of his future world renown. Some
time later his “Systemata Botanica" and “Systemae Naturae” were published.
Linnaeus traveled to Holland, England and France. During this time he
published many great works and carried his great reform through all
branches of natural history. He also popularized a nomenclature for the
science of Botany and received many honors in these countries and in his
native Sweden,

The last number of the Saturday morning session was entitled “Observa-
tions in California", by President Ayres, He showed colored slides of birds
he had observed in that state last winter and told many interesting personal
experiences with them.

“Foreign Birds of Fame and Fancy” was the subject of the first paper
presented Saturday afternoon. Dr. J. Harold Ennis of Cornell College dis-
cussed the use of bird pictures on postage stamps and displayed examples of
such use by different countries. He stated that 95 countries have issued
stamps with birds engraved thereon, and that there are 587 different stamps
showing the likeness of some bird. The group most frequently used is that
of the Vultures, found on 263 varieties of stamps, and of the Vulture group
the Condor is the most widely used. The Hawk family ranks second with
100 countries featuring these birds. Dr. Ennis passed out a mimeographed
catalog of birds that appear on postage stamps,

A Forum which followed Dr, Pettingill’s lecture and the business meet-
ing concluded the afternoon program. The Forum was conducted by Dr.
Charles A. Stewart, who acted as moderator, and he was assisted by Dr. T.
C. Stephens. R, Allyn Moser. Bird species discussed included American
Egret. Red-shouldered and Swainson's Hawks, Fileated Woodpecker, Scissor-
tailed Flycatcher, American Magpie, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren and
Prothonotary Warbler.

The annual Ornithologists’ Banquet was served at the Mayfair at 7 p.m.
Table decorations and placecards featured the bird motif. Miss Zell C.
Lee of the Sioux City Bird Club served as toastmistress. She called upon
Dr. R. Allyn Moser, President of the Nebraska Union, Dr. T. C, Stephens,
and Charles C. Ayres, Jr,, President of the Iowa Union, for brief talks. Mr.

IOWA BIRD LIFE— XVIII, 1948

Ayres read an original poem, "Birdology". written by his father, Charles
C. Ayres, Sr. Dr. Sutton’s address followed,

Sunday breakfast was served at 5 a.m. to those participating in the field
trips which followed. Three trips were scheduled, with the following lead-
ers: South Dakota trip, W. W. Barrett, R. D. Hissong, Dr. John Schott; Neb-
raska trip, Carl Wellhausen: Iowa trip, Herrold Asmussen, Dr. T. C. Stephens
planned and organized all trips. The South Dakota trip had the laigest at-
tendance. All the groups met at the Floyd Golf Course at the conclusion
of the trips at about 12:30 p.m., and a fine luncheon was enjoyed. The
composite list of birds as observed by the combined groups was compiled
at this time, with a total of 130 species, Shortly after this the convention
was officially adjourned, good-byes were said and members and visitors
departed for their respective homes. All agreed that this was one of the
finest and most successful in our long series of annual conventions. A small
group remained for Sunday evening and were entertained at the home of
Dr. and Mrs. T. C. Stephens. The Doctor is one of our most prominent Iowa
ornithologists, and the evening was filled with reminiscences and pleasant
visiting of the sort to make the occasion long to be remembered.

Both the Nebraska and Iowa Unions held business meetings separately
in the intermission preceding the Forum program. President Ayres called
the Iowa group to order. The Minutes of the 25th annual meeting were read
and approved. The Treasurer's report was read and accepted; the bank
balance of the Union's funds showed a total of $433.73. Mr, Crossley, Chair-
man of the Resolutions Committee gave his report. Mr. Jones, Chairman
of the Nominating Committee, submitted the list of officers for the ensuing
year (these as given on the title page of the present issue of “Iowa Bird
Life" i . The new officers were elected by unanimous ballot cast by the
Secretary upon motion of the voting members. Other matters of business
voted by the members included the following items:

1. That the President appoint a new chairman on the committee that is
to consider enlarging the Executive Council and the matter of affiliating
with the Wilson Oniithological Club. Mr. Ayres appointed Dr. J. Harold
Ennis as the new chairman.

2 . That the Executive Council set the time and place of the 1949 meeting
since no invitation had been received.

3. That all bills connected with the 194S meeting be allowed,

4. That the annual spring bird censuses be continued, and the results
printed in “Iowa Bird Life".

Those attending the convention had the privilege of visiting the Munici-
pal Art Center where were exhibited 80 original paintings by Louis Agassiz
Fuertes, This exhibit is one of a series of Traveling Art Tours of the Na-
tional Audubon Society. Fred J. Pierce had a display of books on ornithol-
ogy at the Mayfair Hotel, Considerable interest was evinced in this exhibil.
which added to the educational features of the convention. Although not
a scheduled feature of the convention, the last number in the series of Au-
dubon Screen Tours sponsored by the Sioux City Bird Club came on Friday,
May 14, the eve of the convention. Many of those who attended the con-
vention arrived in the city that evening in time to avail themselves of the
opportunity to hear Dr. Telford H. Work’s fine lecture accompanying his
colored movies on birds of the California coast. The screen tour was held
in Central High School, the auditorium of which was filled nearly to
capacity.

Resolutions— BE IT RESOLVED by the 26th session of the Iowa Orni-
thologists’ Union:

THE SIOUX CITY CONVENTION

29

1. That we express our appreciation to the Sioux City Bird Club for
its gracious hospitality and lor making arrangements for the convention.

2. Be it further resolved that we express our gratitude to the Nebraska
Ornithologists' Union for cooperating in making this fellowship between
the two Unions possible.

3. Be it further resolved that we thank all who contributed to the ex-
cellent program.

4. Be it further resolved that we thank the Exhibit Committee of the
Sioux City Bird Club for providing the Audubon Art Tour exhibit, and also
the Exhibit Committee of the Sioux City Art Center; Mr, Hoy Langley,
director; and Mr, Rush, assistant, for hanging the 80 paintings of Louis
Agassiz Fuertes.

5. Bo it further resolved that the membership gratefully acknowledge
the work of Mr, Pierce as Editor of “Iowa Bird Life”, and of Mr. Ayres in
tabulating the Spring Bird Count-

6. Be it further resolved that we thankfully acknowledge the coopera-
tion and assistance of the Sioux City Chamber of Commerce; of Mrs. Edith
Dakin, convention secretary; and also Mr, William Wachler, manager of the
Mayfair Hotel, convention headquarters.

7. Be it further resolved that we express our appreciation to the Floyd
Park Municipal Golf Course for the use of the Club House for Sunday
luncheon.

Respectfully submitted by the Resolutions Committee.

George Crossley, Chairman,

Miss C. Esther Copp
Mrs. Robert Ruegnitz

Attendance Register. —

California — PACIFIC PALISADES, Dr. Telford H, Work.

Iowa. — BOONE, M. L. Jones; CEDAR FALLS. Frances Crouter. Dr. and
Mrs. M, L. Grant, Mrs. Oren Paine, Mrs. Russell Rugg; CEDAR RAPIDS.
C. Esther Copp, Lillian Serbousek, Mr. and Mrs. E. W, Steffen, Myra Willis;
CRESTON, Mr, and Mrs. Uncas McGuire; DAVENPORT, H. B, Yeaton; DES
MOINES, Mr. and Mrs, A, C. Berkowitz, Mrs. A. J. Binsfeld, Mr, and Mrs, W.
H, Brown, Mrs. Jos. Chamberlain, Mrs, W. G. DuMont. Lester Faber. Jack
Musgrove, Mrs. Harold Peasley, Maynard Reece, Estella Reynolds, Bruce F.
Stiles; DeWITT, David Luckstead. Jack Perkins; DUBUQUE, Mr. and Mrs.
Geo. Crossley, Howard Hintz. Mrs. Robt. Ruegnitz. Ival Schuster. Mary Young;
FAIRFIELD* John D. Goodman; GRINNELL. Mr. and Mrs, E. A. Kurth,
Jerry Laros; INDEPENDENCE, Randall Evanson, Marlin Plank; INDIANOLA,
Paul Leaverton; LE MARS, Mrs. A. E, Olson; MT, VERNON. David Ennis,
Dr, J, Harold Ennis; NEW ALBIN. Dr, Chas. A. Stewart; NEWTON, Bradley
McMain, Mr. and Mrs. John Paul Moore; OTTUMWA, Marietta Eighme, Chas.
C. Ayres, Sr„ Chas. C. Ayres, Jr., Pearle C. Walker; ROCK RAPIDS, Judge
and Mrs. O. S. Thomas; SIOUX CITY, Mrs. Mary Bailey, W, W. Barrett, Mrs.
Helen Barrett, Mrs. Inez Blackstone, Mrs, Ethel Cord, W. R. Felton, Carl
Fritzsche, R. D. Hissong, Mrs. Isa Jeep, Grace Jones, Mrs. Adaline Lambert,
Bob Lambert, Zell C. Lee, Mrs. F. D. Martin, Althia Moore, Robt. Nickolson,
Iver G. Nore Gladys Palmer. Ruth Sampson, A, H. Schatz, Dr, John L,
Schott, Richard Schillinglaw, Dr. and Mrs. T, C. Stephens, Ruby M. Thomp-
son, W. W. Trusell, Gertrude Weaver, Carl Wellhausen, Harry H. Wilcox,
Jr., Mrs. H. H. Wilcox; TAMA, Mrs. J. C. Ennis; WATERLOO, Grace Brain-
ard, Russell Hayes; WINTHROP, Mr, and Mrs, F. J, Pierce.

I

IOWA BIRD LIFE— XVIII, 1948

3(1

Michigan. — ANN ARBOR, Jeanne E. Moore, Dr. George Miksch Sutton.
Minnesota, — NORTHFIELD, Dr. Olin S. Pettingill, Jr.

Nebraska. — AURORA, Mrs. Glen Chapman; BLUE SPRINGS, Mrs. F.
J, Patten; CHADRON, Geo, Blinco; CRETE, Janet Rapp. Wm. F. Rapp. Jr.:
FREMONT, Mrs. Lily R. Button; GRAND ISLAND, Verneil E. Griffin, Mrs.
George Houser, Mrs. Myron L. Singer; HASTINGS, Mrs, A. M. Brookings,
W. E, Eigati, Mr. and Mrs. A. M. Jones, Mrs. A. H. Jones. Vera Maunder;
LEXINGTON, Carol Kinch; LINCOLN, Mrs. Ruth M. Fleming, Robt. Flem-
ing, Mrs, Geo. Smith, Mrs. Myron H. Swenk; NORTH PLATTE, Mrs. Carl N.
Collister, Doris Gates; OMAHA, Jos. Armstrong, Mary Ellsworth, Wm, Fer-
guson, Jane M. Moser, Dr. R. Allyn Moser. Mrs, S, A. Perkins, Wade Vogel;
SUPERIOR, Mrs. H. C. Johnston: WAYNE, Katherine E. Merry, Charlotte
Nast.

South Dakota. — SIOUX FALLS, Wm. Behringer, Mr. and Mrs. H. F,
Chapman, Dr, and Mrs, J. D. Donohoe, Mr. and Mrs. Scott Findley, Mr, and
Mrs Chas. S. Hill, H, Wayne Trimm, John Tutbill, C. L. Tuthill; VERMIL-
ION. Mr, and Mrs. Claude Van Epps.

Total registered, 140.

Birds Seen on the Field Trip — Various areas within a short distance of
Sioux City, in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota; three different trips and
several groups of observers; May 16, 1948,

Horned and Pied-billed Grebes, White Pelican, Great Blue and Green
Herons, Am. Bittern, Mallard, Gadwall, Baldpate, Green-winged and Blue-
winged Teal. Shoveller, Wood Duck, Redhead, Lesser Scaup, Ruddy Duck,
Red-tailed, Marsh and Sparrow Hawks, Ring-necked Pheasant, Virginia and
Sora Rails, Coot, Semipalmated Plover, Killdeer, Wilson’s Snipe, Spotted,
Solitary, Pectoral, White-rumped, Baird's, Least, Stilt and Semipalmated
Sandpipers, Western Willet, Greater and Lesser Yellow-legs, Dowitcher, Wil-
son's Phalarope, Ring-billed and Franklin’s Gulls, Forster’s, Common and
Black Terns, Mourning Dove, Yellow-billed and Black-billed Cuckoos, Great
Horned Owl, Chimney Swift. Belted Kingfisher, Flicker. Red-bellied, Red-
headed. Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers. Eastern and Arkansas Kingbirds,
Crested, Yellow-bellied and Least Flycatchers. Phoebe, Tree. Bank, Rough-
winged, Barn and Cliff Swallows, Purple Martin, Blue Jay, Crow, Chickadee,
White-breated Nuthatch, House and Prairie Marsh Wrens, Catbird, Brown
Thrasher, Robin, Wood, Hermit, Olive-backed, Gray-eheeked and Willow
Thrushes, Bluebird, Migrant Shrike, Starling. Bell’s, Yellow-throated, Red-
eyed and Warbling Vireos, Black and White, Tenn., Orange-crowned. Nash-
ville, Yellow, Myrtle. Black-poll, Palm, Conn., Mourning and Wilson’s Warb-
lers, Oven-bird, Grinnell’s and Louisiana Water-thrushes, Northern Yellow-
throat. Redstart, Western Meadowlark, Yellow-headed and Red-winged Black-
birds, Orchard and Baltimore Orioles, Bronzed Grackle, Cowbird, Scarlet
Tanager, Cardinal, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Dickcissel, Pine
Siskin, Goldfinch, Red-eyed Towhee, English, Savanab, Chipping, Clay-color-
ed, Field, Harris’s White-crowned, Gambel’s and Lincoln’s Sparrows, Slate-
colored Junco, (A Lazuli Bunting, or perhaps a hybrid, was observed by
Mrs. Harold Peasley, Mrs. Janet DuMont, Dr, Chas. Stewart, Paul Leaverton,
Mrs. Jos Chamberlain ,and Dr. Telford Work. Mrs. Peasley described it as
being lighter blue in color, with white wing bars, white breast, with no color
band on the breast. Dr. Stewart saw color on the sides.) Total, 130 species.

THE SIOUX CITY CONVENTION

c. C. ("POP' ) AYRES, SK.

We tire glad to present the likeness
i>{ a genial character who has attended
number of our recent conventions —
" Pop" Ayres, father of our President
Ayres.

Mr. Ayres is a retired lawyer who
amuses himself by building bird houses
and writing poetry. The below poem
from his pen was read by President
A v res on the banquet program of the
Pu ion at Sioux City, May 15, 19 4 S. Ap-
propriate and timely, it was thoroughly
enjoyed by the large crowd present.

“Pop Ayres celebrated his 84th birth-
day on June 10. We hope that he will
continue to write poetry and will at
tend many more conventions.- F, J.t*.

"BIRDOLOGY"

By C. C. AYRES. SR.

OTTUMWA, IOWA

Looking back over my family tree
I find no trace of insanity.

So I conclude that on that list
There never was a “birdologist”.

Had I been informed some years ago
Of certain things which I now know,

I would have said, “It cannot be.

Such limbs grow not on my family tree."

Perhaps it’s best we cannot see
What our future is to be.

My boy showed signs of intelligence
With a smattering of legal sense,

So I thought a lawyer he should be
And in my footsteps follow me.

Life passed as with an old sweet song
Till this “birdology” came along.

Since which time my hectic dreams
Prove life is not what it seems.

My basement is cluttered with owls and bats,
And also night herons, or heronettes,

Rooms filled with skins of and mounted birds.
Many of which I have never heard.

My house is infested with “birdology” cranks
Who pilfer my larder and tender no thanks.

I

I

IOWA BIRD LIFE— XVIII, 1948

Davy Crocket and Boone, in their palmiest days,
Could not have copied ‘“birdologist” ways.

They travel the great wide open spaces
Regardless of danger, terrain, or places,

They sneak through the woods like a wraith,
without sound,

With the eye of a pointer, the scent of a hound,
No figure or form escapes, not one;

They find birds even where there are none.

Some mornings I get up at 4 a.m.

To help them start out birding again.

And now in the front yard at my home

They’ve erected a telescope to look at the moon.

And at all hours of every night

They are looking for birds through that peep sight.

Oh Lord, I wonder why should it be

Such a limb should sprout from my family tree!

BANDING BIRDS

By JAMES HODGES
davenpokt, IOWA

The life of a human being is measured by certain events or steps taken
towards some particular goal. Such is true in the study of bird life, which is
measured by one’s first bird book, first record of a certain species, first lec-
ture, bird club or publication, and so on down the list of “firsts,” In 1947
I took another step in my study of birds, when I began bird-banding. I had
tried for several years to secure a banding permit but was rejected because
of my age. But at last I was given the go-ahead sign, and so I began to in-
vestigate bird life through banding. It didn’t take me long to learn that band-
ing work is done by many different methods. Some set a few traps in their
backyard and wait for the birds while others go and search for them. I was
one who preferred to seek out the birds. By the time I started banding, all
the birds were raising broods, so I made It a point to band as many nestlings
as I could.

The first job was to find the nests. This was a simple thing to do, but
the difficulty was that most of the nests I found were those of previous years.
Many a time I have climbed a tree to examine a nest only to find that it was
one from the last year. If there were genius enough in me, I would invent
an instrument that would enable me to look into a nest at any height from
the ground But I am not the inventive type and for a few months of the
year I'll expect my hands to be calloused and my shins and legs black and
blue from climbing rough-barked trees.

If a visiting anthropologist should come upon me swinging from beam to
beam beneath a bridge, he would probably think he had found the anthropoid
missing link. How shocked he would be to learn that it was only a bird-
bander trying to band some Phoebes nesting beneath the bridge!

Wind velocity is a matter of importance. When one is on the ground
a 2D m.p.h. breeze is quite refreshing, but when he is in the top of a large pine
tree banding Bronzed Grackles, it can also be a catastrophe, When one is in
a treetop blown by the wind, and the parent birds are making dives at the
bander’s head while he uses both hands to place a small band on the fragile
tarsus of the bird, he begins to meditate about the choice and fees of a phys-
ician! I have also learned that it is wise to be discreet as to where I climb the

GENERAL NOTES

■ >

trees. If it is in a city park, it is best to see the Park Commissioner before
starting or the long arm of the law may interrupt banding activities for a short
period of time.

From early childhood I have heard the adage, ‘'Don't count your chickens
before they hatch." The author of this maxim could very well have been a
bird-bander, for it is very true. Many the time I have found a nest containing
young that should have been ready to band on such-and-such a date and I
would return only to find that the nest and its contents had been destroyed by
some feline or other marauder.

Banding nestlings is perhaps the most difficult kind of banding work.
Placing the band on the bird is a simple operation, but it is not so simple a
task to return the bird to its nest and see that it remains there. One afternoon
a pair of nestling Mourning Doves just about prevented my doing any more
banding. Every time I put them back in the nest and removed my hand it
was only a matter of seconds until they were back on ‘'terra firma", much to
my dismay. 1 finally mastered the situation by placing a piece of dark cloth
over them when they were returned to the nest. This seemed to quiet them.

Many times w T hen birds are being banded the parents will not interfere.
This is not true of all species, for Bronzed Grackles and Catbirds will call con-
stantly and make threatening gestures. They make such a fuss every nesting
bird in the area is soon raising a clamor. The only thing for the poor bander
to do is make a hasty retreat. Adult birds, especially those of the Finch fam-
ily, will grasp the fingers with powerful mandibles and will hang on even
after they have heen banded and the hand opened to release them.

Many times while doing banding work 1 have been approached by well-
meaning individuals who inquire about my odd behavior I usually try to
explain my work and exhibit the newly-banded bird. I also tell them what
to do if they should ever find a dead bird wearing such a band. They always
act very much interested but perhaps this is because of politeness or curiosity.
When they depart they usually leave a hint, sometimes a rather strong one.
that the July sun is very hot and it would be wise for me to rest in the shade
for a while! Such experiences add zest and thrills to the study of birds and
the sport of bird-banding.

GENERAL NOTES

Swans in Butler County. — A flock of 15 Whistling Swans stayed for four
days, March 27-31, 1948, on Brett Slough, owned by Charles Thompson, lVz
miles west of Shell Rock, Butler County, Iowa. Since the slough is clearly
visible for over a mile in all directions, the times of arrival and departure
of the birds were easily cheeked. A number of young birds, as indicated
by the grayer plumage, were in the flock. Although the swans kept to them-
selves, there were several hundred ducks on the same pond, mostly Mallards,
Shovellers, and Pintails, as seen March 29. — MARTIN L. GRANT, Cedar
Falls, Iowa.

Observations of the Hudsonian Godwit in Northern Iowa.— On May 15,

1948, we observed two Hudsonian Godwits at the south end of Silver lake,
Dickinson County, Iowa. Both birds were in gray plumage. A single bird
in full plumage was seen about five miles south of Silver lake on the same
day in company with a flock of Golden Plovers. A flock of six Hudsonian
Godwits, all but one in full plumage, were seen May 16 at the south end of
Silver lake, and were feeding with a flock of Dowitchers. — JACK W. MUS-
GROVE and MAYNARD REECE. Dept, of History & Archives, Des Moines,
Iowa.

:u

IOWA BIRD LIFE— XVII I. 1948

Osprey and Arkansas Kingbird, — On May 8. 1948. at Credit Island, an
Osprey was twice seen soaring over the river at a height of 50-70 feet. On
May 23, while birding in the bottomlands of the Wapsipinicon River in Clin-
ton County. Norwood Hazard and I identified an Arkansas Kingbird. —
RICHARD SCHAEFER, Davenport, Iowa,

A Summer Record of the Ring-billed Gull in Scott County. — On the after-
noon of June 15, 1947. I found one adult Ring-billed Gull at Credit Island,
Scott County; on June 30 I found a pair of these birds on the same island.
This pair might have been nesting along the Mississippi River, either on the
Iowa or Illinois side, but I am positive they did not nest on Credit Island.
They could not have been late spring migrants as the last migrants of this
species and the Herring Gulls pass through the latter part of March. This rec-
ord. while not a breeding record for Iowa, does seem to be the only recent
summer record of the Ring-billed Gull in eastern Iowa, DuMont (Revised
List of the Birds of Iowa, 1933) stated that there are no breeding records of
this species for Iowa. — JAMES HODGES, Davenport, Iowa.

Bird Notes from Wheatland. — The Pileated Woodpeckers along the Wapsie
near Wheatland have been mentioned several times recently in ‘Iowa Bird
Life. ' During the summer of 1946 they were often seen about eight miles
north, near Massillon. In September, 1947, we heard them south of highway
No. 30. and in October there were two about a mile north of the highway. In
the same area beavers had been gnawing birch, willow and cottonwood trees.
In April, 1947, I saw a Henslow’s Sparrow perched low in a willow along the
roadside. It was a new bird for me, A Bewick's Wren fed two fledglings in
the same tree from which I picked cherries in June. I don’t know where
they nested, but I had heard them previously. Cedar Waxwings built nests
in a mulberry and a peach tree in our town. The first nest was abandoned,
probably because of annoyance by English Sparrows and Starlings. Eight
miles south, at my sister's home in Dixon, waxwings reared four young at a
nest 20 feet high in a weeping willow. I have known them to nest in maple
and ash trees also, 6 to 10 feet above the ground. — C. ESTHER COPP. Wheat-
land, Iowa.

Bird Observations at Marble Rock. — There was a male Wood Duck along
our creek for a couple of days in the middle of May, 1947. On May 9 and 11
I saw a Virginia Rail along this creek, and on the 12th a bird of this species
was in the edge of a grove about a half mile from the creek, A pretty sight
was formed by six Cedar Waxwings that lit in a small apple tree in full bloom
on June 3, They picked at the blossoms and stayed long enough for a good
study of them; the tree had a fine crop of apples on it later. We were favored
in 1947 with a visit from a Tufted Titmouse in March and April, a Blue-gray
Gnatcatcher in August, and an Osprey which we saw at a distance. May 19
to 22 were the peak days of migration, in my estimation, as were September
12 and 13 in the fall migration. As usual, there were records for strays that
lost out in the migration. On December 16 there was a Fox Sparrow at our
place, and on January 7. 1948, I studied a Field Sparrow that had somehow
managed to winter here. The large flocks of blackbirds of various species
and the Robins were later than usual in leaving. I counted 60 Robins in one
group on November 4. We saw a lone Rusty Blackbird on December 15.—
PEARL KNOOP, Marble Rock, Iowa.

I

GENERAL NOTES

The Mirror as an Aid in Bird Study.— A mirror can be a great aid in
pointing out and helping to identify birds. A piece of heavy mirror, a com-
pact mirror, a hand mirror, or even a piece of brightly polished metal, can
be used to reflect sunlight on a bird sitting in a tree and thus point it out
rather easily. In Sioux City I used it to pick out a Pine Siskin sitting in a
pine tree where the sunlight could not reach it and thus enabled the folks
on the convention field trip to get a very good view of the bird, even bring-
ing out the colors so that it was about the same as if it were sitting in the
sunlight. Dr. Stephens told me that he had never heard of this use of a
mirror. Pointing out a bird in the tree is often quite difficult, and 1 have
found this method a great help. — CHARLES C. AYRES, JR., Ottumwa, Iowa.

Observations in the White Pine Hollow Reserve, Dubuque County.—

On February 22, 1948, I spent three hours walking through part of the White
Pine Hollow area observing its bird life. The temperature of 23 degrees and
the cloudy sky were not particularly conducive to much bird activity, but
I did see four Crows, six Black-capped Chickadees, one White-breasted nut-
hatch, three Winter Wrens, three Cardinals, and three Goldfinches. In addi-
tion, one large owl was seen, but the distance was too great for complete
identification. At three different spots 1 found the deep, rectangular work-
ings of the Pileated Woodpecker. One of these w*as quite fresh and was
found in a live white pine. Of special interest to the writer were the three
Winter Wrens. The root-protruding stream banks capped with over-hanging
grass formed ideal feeding grounds for these interesting birds. I have found
them regularly for several winters also in the Palisades-Kepler State Park.
— J. HAROLD ENNIS, Mt. Vernon, Iowa.

Mockingbird and Winter Birds at Coggon. — We maintain numerous bird
feeders at our home in Coggon, and have been able to attract many birds in
winter. Our daily visitors have numbered as high as ten species. On De-
cember 30. 1947. our 12-year-old son rushed in and exclaimed that there was
a Catbird in our grape arbor. The bird was gone by the time I got outside
and our son decided that he wasn't sure it was a Catbird for it had white in
the tail, I saw the bird on New Year’s Day, and it was a Mockingbird. We
then saw it almost daily and had many wonderful studies of it within 15 feet
of our kitchen window. I compared this bird with a specimen of Mocking-
bird in the Coe College Museum and noted all details of plumage carefully.
We saw it January 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. We didn’t see it for several days
and thought it had either left or perished in the cold, for we had sub-zero
weather then, but we saw it again on the 14th. On April 24 I found the body
of the Mockingbird. It had evidently perished during the second dip in the
sub-zero weather. The last time I saw the bird it was on a stump near the
house, and its body was less than 10 feet from there,

A flock of five Mourning Doves wintered south of Central City. They
were seen almost daily from February 5 until early March. After a heavy
snowstorm my husband scattered grain along the highway for them and was
pleased to find that they were hungrily eating it when he returned later
in the day.

We put a quantity of nut meats in our feeders. I was amused to see a
Blue Jay gallantly picking out nuts and feeding another Jay, just as a Robin
feeds its young. This suggests an early mating of a pair. We have had a pair
of Red-bellied Woodpeckers as regular boarders. With their gay red heads,
and our four Blue Jays and three Cardinals, we have had wonderful coloration
against the snow. — MRS. HELEN G. PIKE, Coggon, Iowa.

I

IOWA BIRD LIFE— XVIII, 1948

Bald Eagles at Keokuk— There was an unusual number of Bald Eagles
below the Keokuk dam during the past winter. Although there have been
eagles below the dam every winter, there seemed to be a larger number dur-
ing the past winter than for many years. I personally saw up to 17 birds, but
I heard of counts of 41 to 59 Bald Eagles, and more than 60 were reported at
one time. Although the larger number were adult birds with white heads
and tails, a few young birds in dark plumage were present, The eagles did
not seem to be wary, as one of the trees used as a perch is on the Illinois
shore not more than 100 feet from the bridge over which cars were passing;
the eagles paid no attention to the stream of automobiles. In addition to
the perches in the trees along the Illinois shore, many of the eagles rested on
the ice which stretched out from the Illinois side just below the dam. I also
saw them fly over the Iowa shore north of the dam, but the largest concen-
tration was below the dam where the river is always open.

The Keokuk “Daily Gate City," on February 17, 1948, carried this comment
on the eagles: “Keokuk this winter possibly has the biggest bird feeding sta-
tion for the biggest collection of big birds along the Mississippi River. For
a number of years Bald Eagles have been congregating below the dam during
the winter months and subsisting on a diet of fish, but until this winter ten
or a dozen of the birds was considered a large number. In recent weeks
many persons have counted 25 or more in sight at one time, perched on the
limbs of trees along the dike road, soaring on huge wings over the open water
or teetering along on the ice. The eagles spend most of their time farther
north, but when the Mississippi becomes ice-locked in those localities, they
fly down to Keokuk where they are certain to find open water below the dam.
Heavy icing to the north is probably the reason why so many have made the
trip this year .... Obviously lazy and congenital thieves, the eagles make
no effort to hunt their own food. Instead they drift leisurely along until some
hard-working little gull plunges into the icy water for a fish and then swoop
down on it with such violence that the frightened gull drops its prey for the
eagles to devour. Seen at rest or floating on 7- or 8-foot wings, however,
the eagle is an inspiring sight and worthy of the most idealistic symbolism,"
—ALOIS J, WEBER, Keokuk, Iowa.

Records of the Montana Junco and the Cassiar Slated-colored Junco for
Iowa. — The collection of three specimens of juncos that appeared in life
distinctly different from the Slate-colored have upon identification proved
to be the Montana Junco and the Cassiar Junco. One specimen of the Cas-
siar Slate-colored Junco (Junco hy anal is cismontanus Dwight) a male, was
taken February 2, 1947, in Polk County, Iowa. Two specimens of the Mon-
tana Junco ( Junco orajanus montanus Ridgway) both males, were taken
January 16, 1947, in Polk County, Iowa.

The Montana Juncos were studied for several days at close range and
compared with the Slate-colored while both species were feeding together.
Close examination showed distinct differences in the coloration of the two
species. The casual observer could easily miss the markings that separate
the two, as the colorations are not as outstanding as might be expected and
would be difficult to see except at close range or when the birds were on
snow, which had a tendency to brighten the coloration. With the birds in
the hand the differences in coloration were not easily detected except by
close comparison. Field identification would be difficult because of the
many like characteristics, additional species and subspecies, sexual and age
differences of individual specimens.

{

GENERAL NOTES

■> <

The coloration of these birds is as follows: Junco orettmus montanus
Ride way — Montana Junco— Head, neck and chest blackish slate, darkest on
the top and sides of head and sharply defined from back and side plumage
Back and scapulars olive-brown. Rump and upper tail coverts dark neutral
g ra y. Sides and flanks cinnamon drab. Under parts white. Outermost
retrices white. Second retrix chiefly white. Third retrix dusky with white
on terminal portion of inner web. Remaining retrices slate. Feet red-brown.
Bill light flesh color. Iris dark brown.

Junco hyemalis cismontanus Dwight— Cassiar Slate-colored ^ l ” lC0 “7
Similar in many respects to J. o. Montanus but lighter m tone. Head and
throat grayer lacking dark blackish appearance. Back and scapulars gray
with an olive cast. Sides and flanks with distinct light drab cast showing
some cinnamon drab. Under parts white. Outer most retrices white. Second
retrix with dusky markings on edge. Third and remaining retrices dusky.
Feet red-brown. Bill light flesh color. Iris dark brown.

References to cismontanus can be found in the 20th Supplement of the

A.O-U. Check-List, Auk, Vol. 62, page 449, July 1945,

These specimens were identified by Dr. John W. Aldrich, Section of Dis-
tribution and migration of Birds, U.S, Fish & Wildlife Service.— JACK W,
MUSGROVE. Museum Director, Dept, of History & Archives, Des Moines. Ia.

Notes from Cedar Falls.— We had many bird visitors at our feeding sta-
tion during the past winter and we very much enjoyed watching them. A

pair of Tufted Titmice came to my back porch for feed during the winter

and they were trapped and banded. The male entered one of my traps a

second time. A small flock of Cedar Waxwings fed occasionally on our
highbush cranberries. During Christmas week my son and I watched a flock
of Bronzed Grackles in our back yard. I did not see them again until Jan-
uary 23. when one of them entered one of my traps. On March 10, with sub-
zero weather prevailing, eight Bluebirds (five of them males) perched by
the window on our sumac and on the back porch, and were very pretty in
the late afternoon sunlight. On the morning of March 27, 1948, a Junco sat
on the staghorn sumac within 2 feet of my dining room window and preened
itself for five minutes. Its sides were definitely rusty and the head gray.
The back was duller than the head. From my Guide to Western Birds, by
Roger Tory Peterson, I concluded that this could well be the Pink -sided
Junco. Slate-colored Juncos visited my feeding station almost every day,
and I banded a number of them. — MRS RAY S. DXX, Cedar Falls, Iowa,

Brewer's Sparrow in Eastern Montana. — The sage brush area of western
North America has many forms of bird life which are distinctive to the en-
virons of sagebrush only and are not often found elsewhere under normal
conditions. It was one of these species that the writer sought in June of
1 948 — the inconspicuous Brewer’s Sparrow. But it was with some trepida-
tion that I made the long trip, as I shall explain below.

Brewer’s Sparrow is closely related to the more common Clay -colored
Sparrow in looks and habits, and in eastern Montana where the two birds
are found in the same sagebrush habitat, the former bird would go unnoticed
among the ranks of the much more common Clay-colored Sparrow, if it
were not for its distinctive song. With the problem of physical characteris-
tics so akin I turned to my last hope— the song. Here I was again at a loss,
as I looked through several sources and all gave the song of Brewer’s Spar-
rows as a flat “buz-buz-buz”, similar to the Clay-colored Sparrow’s song.
I was beginning to wonder if actual collecting would be the only way to
distinguish the species, when I reached my next source, Dawson’s “Birds of

I

IOWA BIRD LIFE— XVIII, 1948

38

California”. Here I gained hope again, for Dawson gives the song as en-
tirely different from the Clay-colored Sparrow, as follows: ‘Weeeezzz Tubi-
tubitubitubitub”. He even compared the song to that of imported canaries.
Be that as it may, I memorized the printed song and took off for Montana,
still in a very dubious mood.

After two or three days of working every likely looking patch of sage-
brush as I progressed from the Wyoming line to near the Canadian border,
and finding Clay-colored Sparrows and listening to songs which varied from
only two “buz-buz” notes to three or four, I began to feel that Brewer's Spar-
rows were not common in eastern Montana. I even un limbered a pair of
24-power binoculars on ever sparrow that buzzed at me, but it was always
the same answer: the distinctive face marks always indentified a Clay-colored
Sparrow. Finally early one morning rear Wolf Point, Roosevelt County. I
started to work through a patch of sagebrush and right in front of me a bird
gave the song I had been memorizing on the whole trip. He was a confiding
little fellow and allowed me to approach quite closely, so that I had no trouble
in noticing the lack of face marks and knew that I had Brewers Sparrow
before me. I spent most of the morning studying this bird and several of
his fellows, as they apparently nested in a loose colony. Clay-colored Spar-
rows were common in this field and Vesper and Lark Sparrows were also
flushed in my prowling around through the sagebrush.

I did not again hear the song of the Brewer's Sparrow as I work south-
ward in the eastern part of the state, but did find another nice colony in the
Lake Basin country west of Billings, which is about south-central in Mon-
tana. There are probably other scattered colonies of Brewer’s Sparrows in
eastern Montana, but they are certainly not common as I learned from my
search. However, as Coues has said, a day is well spent when one sees
a new bird and adds it to his list. So I felt that I was well paid for my trip
when I heard the friendly little song of the Brewer’s Sparrow and made the
acquaintance of another intriguing bird. — WM. YOUNGWGRTH, Sioux City.
Iowa.

Swains on’s Hawk and other Birds near Waterloo. — On April 11, 1948. I
was fortunate enough to see a Swainson's Hawk at Golinvaux Slough. As
I walked along the edge of the slough, I saw a hawk coming over. At
first I though it was a Marsh Hawk, but as it came over I was puzzled.
The hawk flew back and forth over me at close range, giving me several
good views at different angles. The dark band was prominent and I got a
good look at the very light throat. The bird then gave a cry much as
Peterson's Guide describes it. I also saw the patch above the tail. While
they are not rare, I have seen this species only once before. Later in the
day I saw a Red-shouldered Hawk feeding on something on a fencepost,
and an Osprey flew directly over me twice. Blue-winged Teal, Lesser Yel-
low-legs, a female Buffle-head, Tree Swallows, blackbirds and Coots were
also seen at the slough. — RUSSELL M. HAYS, Waterloo. Iowa.

The Kentucky Warbler in Northwest Iowa. — On July 9, 1948, while mak-
ing a short field trip up the Little Sioux River valley, the writer had the
pleasure of finding Kentucky Warblers near the town of Peterson. The
birds were seen along the boundary line of Clay and Buena Vista Counties,
so the record should be good for both counties. One singing male was seen
and several others were heard in this area. The last record for this species
in this general area was one recorded by DuMont, in his Birds of Iowa
(1933), from a specimen taken in Plymouth County, April 28, 1916. This
specimen is now in the Remer collection, at LeMars, Iowa. Oven-birds were
also found as fairly common in the upper Little Sioux River Valley on this
trip.— WM. YOUNGWORTH. Sioux City, lawa.

NECROLOGY

39

NECROLOGY

Miss Emily Steffen, of Cedar Rapids, died of a heart attack in a Water-
loo hospital on May 30. 1948, following an illness of several months duration.
She was born at Reinbeck, Iowa, January 15, 1892, and lived there until
the age of three, when she moved to Traer with her parents. Miss Steffen
attended business college in Marshalltown and became a legal secictaiy,
which profession she followed in Cedar Rapids for 28 years. Her inteiest
in birds and nature study was keen and continued through many years of
her life. She became a member of the Iowa Ornithologists Union in 1942.
Funeral services were conducted at Traer and burial was in Buckingham
Cemetery at that place.

John H. Bailey, the genial director of the Davenport Public Museum,
died on July 5, 1948. He" had undergone a major operation and had been
in ill health for some time. In his passing the Tri-City area lost one of its
most valuable citizens. While he was director of the Museum he met count-
less thousands of persons. He was a popular speaker and was constantly
engaged in that capacity. A native of Danesville, New York. Bailey was
born May 23, 1909. In 1933 he was graduated from Cornell University after
taking undergraduate work at Rochester University. The following year
he joined the staff of the Rochester Museum of Arts and Sciences. He be-
came connected with the Champlain Valley Society in 1937 and came to
Davenport three years later when he assumed directorship of the Davenport
Museum. On October 12. 1940. he was married to Gail Wulwood. who sur-
vives with two sons, John Wulwood and James Albert, both at home. In
the eight years that he was director of the Museum many important changes
have been made and the many collections enriched by countless specimens.
He rearranged and modernized the exhibition facilities in many depart-
ments. He also expended the policy of co-operation with Davenport schools
and was responsible for many other improvements in the museum. He was
a person who was interested in everything, hence he belonged to a large
number of organizations which included the Contemporary Club, Rotary
Club, History Club. Quad-city Stamp Club, Tri-City Archaeology Club, and
the Tri-City Bird Club. His two loves, however, were stamp collecting and
archaeology; on both of which he was considered an outstanding authority.
He was an army reserve officer but did not see active duty during World
War II. Since he was interested in natural history, he became a member
of the Iowa Ornithologists’ Union in 1945. His only publication was on the
Davenport May Dawn Bird Concerts in the September, 1945, issue of "Iowa
Bird Life.” For the past eight years the planning and organization of these
May Bird Concerts were under his direction and their success may be at-
tributed to his ability to carry on such work. The museum's ornithological
library was increased through exchanges and purchases he made. It is dif-
ficult to appraise a man and his work by another but it is agreed that John
Bailey served the Davenport Public Museum and the community well. In
his passing we have lost a very kind, understanding and sympathetic friend,
a gentleman and a scholar. — James Hodges

MEETING AT WINTHROP

The informal meeting at Winthrop last fall was so much enjoyed by all
persons present. Editor Pierce and wife are planning to have another such
meeting in September, with Sunday, September 19, tentatively set as the date.
They have moved to a larger home in Winthrop and will be prepared to en-
tertain a larger group than last year. An announcement and invitation will
be sent to each member in early September,

40

IOWA BIRD LIFE— XVIII, 1948

RECENT BIRD BOOKS

THE BIRDS OF NANTUCKET, by Ludlow Griscom and Edith V. Folger
(Harvard University Press, Cambridge Mass,, 1948; doth, 12mo, pp. i-ix &
1-156, with 17 illustrations from photographs: price, $3*25).

This compact little volume is the first of a series of faunal studies from
the historical Massachusetts area known to all from the writings of William
Brewster and others. The purpose of this volume evidently is to show the
comparison of bird life of the middle eighteen hundreds and the present lime
on Nantucket Island and the adjacent islands of Tuckernuck and Muskeget,
and several other areas that are near the main Island of Nantucket.

The book is divided into three main parts. The introduction comprises
the first part; this deals with the climatic factors, historical summary, land
bird migrants, changes in bird life, and a summary of ornithological pro-
blems. In my estimation this is the most impoi’tant portion of the book as
it presents problems that may be found in the study of the bird life of any
area. For example, the statement “A stranded singing made does NOT de-
note a breeding pair”, may cause one to doubt some of the “breeding” records
that have been made, the only evidence being that a male was heard sing-
ing during the nesting season.

The second part deals with each species in a systematic way, giving the
bird's status, past and present, dates of migration, and any other pertinent in-
formation about the species. Treated in this manner are 274 forms. The final
portion of the book presents a complete bibliography of publications that re-
late to the bird life of Nantucket, a total of 104 publications. This volume is
fully indexed. Of the 17 photographs illustrating this book, 16 are by Allan
D, Cruickshank while the other is by Lewis Wayne Walker, all from the files
of the National Audubon Society.

This volume should stimulate thought on the bird life of the reader's
area and should serve as either a guide or a stimulant for such a study in
some field of Iowa bird life, — James Hodges.

Let us know where you went on your vacation, what the highlights of
your trip were, and what interesting birds were added to your list. If enough
of these vacation items come in, we shall probably devote a section to them
in the next issue of “Iowa Bird Life.” We also appreciate having news notes
for our “Membership News'' department. The Editor cannot make up this
department and report on the activities of the members unless this informa-
tion is sent to him. Let us hear from you — regularly.

A. O. U. MEETING AT OMAHA IN OCTOBER

It is not too early to call attention to the annual meeting of the American
Ornithologists' Union, which this year will be held at Omaha. This national
organization seldom holds its meeting in the Mid -west and we shall thus
be given the opportunity to attend a very fine and important convention near
at home. The dates of the meeting are October 11 to 15. Headquarters will
be at Hotel Fontenelle, where business sessions will take place on October
11. Registration will commence on October 12, in the Joslyn Memorial Art
Museum, where all general and public sessions will be held. The meeting
closes with a field trip on October 15, A very worthwhile program is being
planned, details of which will be made available later in the summer and
may be obtained from the Chairman of the Committee on Arrangements, Dr.
R. Allyn Moser, R.F.D, No. 1, Omaha 4, Nebr.

I