IOWA BIRD LIFE PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY THE IOWA ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION VOL. XVIII SEPTEMBER. 1948 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. J. Harold Ennis, Cornell College, 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 n t Ames, Iowa, February 2S. 1923, for the study and protection of native birds and to promote fraternal re- lations among Iowa bird students. The centra] 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, 1923T92tf: 'The Bulletin/ 1329-1930 ; Towa 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 I Entered as second-class matter February 9, 1332, at the post office at Winthrop, Iowa, under the Act of March 3, 1879. 42 IOWA BIRD LIFE — XVIII, 1943 PIED-BILLED GREBE A ne.it in shallow water surrounded by a lew growth of cat-tails * . . She ap- peared without a sound fn m beneath the surface .... and slowly swam toward the nest. She paused for a moment .... then climbed upon the moundlike nest and started to remove the m: ss which concealed the eggs" (upper view). - Then she settled upon them and the moss which concealed the eggs" (upper view). . Then she settled upon them and eyed the blind continu usly" llov.er view) Photographed by Dr. Alfred M, Hailey, near La Grange. Illinois. Reprinted from Wilson bulletin, September, 1029, issue, p, 198* MIGRATION OF AQUATIC BIRDS 43 THE 1947 FALL MIGRATION OF AQUATIC BIRDS THROUGH CENTRAL IOWA* By FRED A. GLOVER Observations on the 1947 fall migration of aquatic birds through central Iowa were made at Goose and Little Wall Lakes in Hamilton County, Goose Lake, a bulrush-cattail marsh of about 80 acres, is located one-half mile east of Jewell, Little Wall Lake has a somewhat larger area of approximately 230 acres and is one mile south of Jewell, In general its shape is an irregular tri- angle with open -water bays on the north, south, and east shores. Both are typical glacial lakes but are unique in being among the most southern in Iowa. In this study the migration dates and the approximate numbers were re- corded for 32 species. Emphasis was placed upon the ducks but supplemental data are given on associate species. Four-hour observation periods were made two to four times each week throughout the fall. Thirteen species were considered as breeding in the area and were classed as summer residents (Table 1). A noticeable increase in the waterfowl popu- lation began to be evident around September 10. Blue-winged Teal were among the first to assemble in large, fall flocks and by the last of September several groups of American Coots had more than tripled their summer popula- tion, A cold period near the first part of October seemed to move the birds from the north and numbers of Blue-winged Teal, Coots, Lesser Yellow-legs, Pectoral Sandpipers, and Black Terns were seen. Wood Ducks. Blue- winged Teal, Coots and the first wave of American Pintails dominated the scene early in the migration. When the hunting season opened on October 21, the Blue- winged Teal was the most common duck over the marshes. Green-winged Teal were second in abundance followed by Wood Ducks, Lesser Scaups, Mallards, Shovellers, Gadwalls, and Baldpates. It was difficult during the hunting season to obtain even a fair estimate of the waterfowl numbers as they were constantly moving or flying. After the first week of shooting, most of the Blue-winged Teal, Green-winged Teal, Wood Ducks, and American Coots had moved south. Inclement weather about November 1 brought hundreds of Lesser Scaups into the marshes but they stayed only a few days and then continued on their southward journey. Few migrating birds were noted during the week of November 11-18. How- ever, this brief period was followed by a very heavy flight of Mallards and the second wave of American Pintails. For three weeks the Mallards spent their time resting in the open water along the east shore of Little Wall Lake and feeding in the nearby cornfields. Low temperatures prevailed December 5-8 and the lake was soon frozen over. A day or two of light snowstorms followed. When an observation was made on December 10, only about a dozen waterfowl remained. A final check was mode on December 21 but no birds were seen. It appeared that the lack of open water was important in forcing the ducks to migrate as the birds seemed to be finding sufficient corn in the fields. PIED-BILLED GREBE— A few pairs raised their young on Little Wall Lake. They were never abundant in migration but were common up to the first part of November. Apparently the deeper water of Little Wall Lake was preferred for 76 per cent of the birds were observed there. Pierce’s (1938s * Journal Paper No. J 1576 of the Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station. Ames. Iowa. Project 496. In cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Iowa State College, Iowa State Conservation Commission, and the American Wildlife Institute. u IOWA BIRD LIFE — XVIII, 1948 findings indicated that this grebe may remain until the middle of November, which was two weeks later than in the fall of 1947. DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT— Two flocks were observed in flight over Little Wall Lake. An attempt to land was discouraged by the duck hunters and the birds continued flying in a southerly direction. GREAT BLUE HERON— One or two of these large birds remained in the vicinity of Goose Lake most of the summer and fall. They were last recorded on October 18, but Youngworth f 1937 > reported observing them on Floyd River as late as November 21. EASTERN GREEN HERON— More abundant than these data indicate, this heron apparently moves southward at the first approach of cool weather, BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON— Two groups were observed feeding in the shallow water at the north end of Goose Lake. One or more pairs probably nest in the vicinity each season. AMERICAN BITTERN— Few observed, but they were present until fall in limited numbers. CANADA GOOSE— Only one flock of 11 was seen at Little Wall Lake but during the week of October 25-30, large flocks could be heard passing over in the night. MALLARD— Two or three broods of young were raised near Goose Lake this year. They were joined by early migrants about the second week in Oc- tober. Several large flocks of over 50 birds arrived during the first part of November, but it was not until after hunting season that the main flight pass- ed through. A thousand or more Mallards then remained on Little Wall Lake until it was entirely frozen over on December 10, The peak of the Mallard flight was on November 28, which is approximately the same time as that reported by Bellrose 0944 1 for a five-year average in the Illinois River valley. GADWALL— Never abundant during the migration, they seemed to straggle through in small groups over a long period of time. BALDPATE— Only a few were observed during the middle of October. AMERICAN PINTAIL— Like the Mallard and the American Coot, the Pintail migrated over an extended period of time. Several scattered flocks were observed but usually they were in company with Mallards. This year there appeared to be two distinct groups or waves of migrants, The first ar- rived about the middle of October and the late arrivals the last part of No- vember. GREEN-WINGED TEAL— Over half of the total flight arrived in central Iowa during the last half of October. They were about one week behind the main flight of Blue-wings in heading south. The pressure of the first week of waterfowl hunting on the study areas was borne mainly by the Green - winged Teal, the Blue-wings having already migrated southward, BLUE-WINGED TEAL— Large flocks of Blue-wings were congregating as early as the middle of September and their numbers swelled continuously un- til a peak was reached on October 15 Only a small portion of the total flight was left by the end of October. Bennett (1933) reported that the heaviest flight took place in northwest Iowa from October 15 to October 22. Bellrose f 1944 > however, found that the major portion of the Blue-winged Teal passed through the Illinois Valley from August 24 to September 13. In 1947 most of the Blue-winged Teal flight had already moved southward before the hunting season opened and thus escaped the shooting. SHOVELLER — A few Shovellers were observed during the last half of October at Goose Lake and several were noticed in hunters' bags at Little Wall Lake. For the most part they were not common. MIGRATION OF AQUATIC BIRDS 45 Table 1. Migration data on some birds through central Iowa in the fall of 1947 Species Date first seen Main flight Date last seen Number seen Pied-billed Grebe SR Oct. 10-Nov. 5 Nov. 5 324 Double crested Cormorant .... Oct. 28 No data Oct. 28 21 Great Blue Heron SR No data Oct. 19 6 Eastern Green Heron SR No data Oct. 8 1 Black-crowned Night Heron. SR No data Oct. 18 12 American Bittern SR Oct. 5-10 Oct. 11 3 Canada Goose ... Oct. 28 Oct. 28-30 Oct. 23 11 Mallard SR Nov. 5-Dec, 8 Dec. 10 8,494 Gadwall - - Sept 17 Oct. 5-18 Oct. 18 50 Baldpate - ... Oct. 15 Oct. 15-18 Oct. 18 16 American Pintail SR Oct. 5-20 Dec, 7 79 Green-winged Teal Sept. 14 Oct. 10-28 Dec. 7 72 Blue-winged Teal SR Oct. 1-20 Oct. 25 2,547 Shoveller ... Oct. 8 Oct. 10-30 Nov, 4 23 Ring-necked Duck .. Oct. 11 No data Oct, 11 2 Wood Duck Oct. 8 Oct. 10-18 Oct, 18 165 Canvas-back , Oct. 28 Oct. 30-Nov. 10 Nov. 13 22 Lesser Scaup Oct 8 Nov. 5-10 Nov. 15 696 Ruddy Duck . Oct. 8 Oct. 15-25 Nov. 11 13 Hooded Merganser ... Oct. 21 No data Oct. 21 8 Sandhill Crane ... Oct. 18 No data Oct, 18 1 Virginia Rail SR No data Sept, 17 1 American Coot SR Oct. 8-30 Dec. 10 8.463 Killdeer SR No data Oct. 4 33 Wilson’s Snipe SR Oct. 5-15 Nov. 11 11 Greater Yellow-legs . Oct. 11 Oct. 15-25 Oct. 28 38 Lesser Yellow-legs ... Sept. 17 Oct, 1-30 Nov. 4 399 Pectoral Sandpiper .... Sept. 28 No data Oct. 4 19 Franklin’s Gull . Oct. 4 No data Oct. 18 80 Forster's Tern .... ., Oct. 18 No data Oct. 18 2 Caspian Tern . Sept. 14 No data Oct, 4 4 Black Tern SR Sept. 10-28 Oct. 1 12 SR— Summer Resident WOOD DUCK — A large flock of Wood Ducks arrived at Little Wall Lake the second week of October and remained in the vicinity until the end of the month. Wood Ducks formed a large part of the waterfowl population on the marshes on the first day of hunting Like the Blue-winged Teak the Wood Ducks moved south with the approach of cold weather. RING-NECKED DUCK— Two were observed at Little Wall Lake. CANVAS-BACK — The few Canvas-backs recorded were seen on Little Wall Lake. Not one was found in hunters’ bags, and while it is admitted that this is not necessarily a good criterion, nevertheless it seems that only a small number may pass through central Iowa in the fall. LESSER SCAUP— Large flocks of Bluebills appeared at Little Wall Lake after several very cold nights early in November. In one week 85 per cent of the total flight passed through the vicinity. Three or four flocks remained for two weeks after the peak of the flight, but for the most part, they moved routhward as a fairly compact group. Many of the bags of mid-season shoot- ers were filled by the Lesser Scaup. 4 <> IOWA BIRD LIFE— XVIII, 1943 BUDDY DUCK — Only a small number were recorded and usually they were associated with the earlier flocks of Lesser Scaup or Coots- The main flight was about October 20. None of the Ruddy Ducks was observed in flocks of more than four. HOODED MERGANSER — One flock was observed at Little Wall Lake on the opening morning of hunting season. None was seen after October 21, but Youngworth (1932) observed them up to the first week in November. SANDHILL CRANE — Since the numbers of this large bird are low* it was most gratifying and somewhat of a thrill to observe one flying low over the marsh at Goose Lake. Its outstretched! neck, trailing legs, and slow, rhythmic wing-beat provided definite identification. DuMont (1933) considers the Sandhill Crane a rare migrant in Iowa, but it has been recorded several times by other lucky observers. VIRGINIA RAIL — In September a few rails were calling from the dense bulrush-cattail vegetation at the south end of Goose Lake, but the only bird seen was in the tall grass near the outlet of Little Wall Lake. The secretive habits of the rails made it difficult to determine their numbers. AMERICAN COOT — The vegetation at Little Wall Lake was too sparse to provide good breeding cover, hence the summer population of Coots was rather small. Toward the end of September, large flocks of Coots suddenly appeared at Little Wall Lake, Their numbers increased steadily until the middle of October when in the following three weeks there was a concen- tration of Coots at Little Wall Lake. Most of the birds had moved out by November 10. The maximum number of individuals observed at any one time at Goose Lake was scarcely more than two dozen. KILLDEER— The peak of the Killdeer flight seemed to be around Oc- tober 2. This was three weeks later than was reported by Scott and Sooter (1937) for 1936 at Goose Lake. Twice as many Killdeer were seen along the shore of Little Wall Lake as at Goose Lake, WILSON'S SNIPE— Snipe were present irregularly at Little Wall Lake. Two peaks seemed apparent, one about October 8 and the other on November 11. Scott and Sooter (1937) observed many more snipe at Goose Lake than the writer and stated that the main flight occurred from October 2 to October 16. GREATER YELLOW-LEGS — Over twice as many individuals were uu served this fall as were reported for 1936 by Scott and Sooter <1937). The peak of the migration was from October 18 to October 25 with the numbers re- maining fairly constant during this 7-day period, LESSER YELLOW-LEGS — All the Lesser Yellow-legs were observed at Goose Lake, Several small flocks arrived about the middle of September and were joined slowly by others until the peak was reached on October 28 when 83 individuals were seen probing on the muck flats. It was not uncommon to observe Lesser Yellow-legs feeding and flying with the congregating flocks of Blue-winged Teal. On comparing the 1947 fall population with that report- ed by Scott and Sooter (1937) of eleven years earlier, it was noted that the writer saw twice as many as they. The Lesser Yellow-legs was the most com- mon shore bird observed, PECTORAL SANDPIPER— Two flocks were observed near the last of Sep- tember. They were not numerous enough to determine the time of the main flight. FRANKLIN'S GULL — A total of four loosely joined groups was obsex'ved flying south over Little Wall Lake on two different occasions. In one in- stance a half-dozen individuals left one flock and landed, apparently in need of rest or food. I BIRD STUDENTS ON VACATION 47 FORSTER'S TERN— A pair was observed along the south shore of Little Wall Lake on the afternoon of October 18. CASPIAN TERN— Two separate pairs were known to have passed through central Iowa this fall. All four were seen at Little Wall Lake. BLACK TERN — Common, noisy, summer residents of most Iowa lakes, they apparently started their southward migration early for only a few were present during September. The last individual recorded was observed at Goose Lake. LITERATURE CITED Bellrose, F. C. 1944 1933 DuMont 1932 1933 Sur., Vol. 23, Art. 2. northwestern Iowa. Duck populations and kill. Bui. 111. Nat, Hist. Nov., 1944. Bennett, L, J. Nineteen thirty-two fall flight of ducks in Wilson Bui., 45:85-86. P A. Some 1931 fall notes from central Iowa. Iowa Bird Life, 2 (l>:8-9. A revised list of the birds of Iowa. Univ. Iowa Studies in Nat. History, Pierce, Fred J. 1938 Late departure dates in the fall migration. Iowa Bird Life, 8 <2):25. Scott, T. G. and Sooter. C.A, 1937 Migration of shore birds at Goose Lake, Hamilton County, Iowa, during the fall of 1936. Iowa State Jour. Sci., 9:617 624, Youngworth. Wm, 1932 Notes on ducks for the fall season of 1932. Iowa Bird Life, 2 14). 56-57. 1938 A late fall record of the Great Blue Heron. Iowa Bird Life, 8 12) .25, IOWA BIRD STUDENTS ON VACATION BONAVENTURE ISLAND AND EASTERN CANADA Within sight of the village of Trois Pistoles, Province of Quebec, in the blue waters of the St. Lawrence, lie three islands, maintained as bird sanc- tuaries by the Provancher Society of Natural History. It was our good foitune to visit these islands on July 3 and 4, while on a trip through eastern Canada and the New England States. Going by boat about three and one- half miles, we landed on the first rocky Razade where we were soon introduced to the Eider Ducks. We found their numerous down-lined nests, in which were from three to nine pale olive- green eggs, hidden in the dense beach grasses. Some of the birds were hatch- ing, some had just left the eggs, while still others had put out to sea with their mothers. A few adult males remained We were told that most of them had already left for Labrador to await their families to join them for the fall migration We noted that the mother birds covered the eggs with down when leisurely leaving the nest, but if frightened she left them exposed There were hundreds of Herring Gulls whose screams continued while we were m the vicinity of their homes. Here as with the Eiders, we found eggs, downy young and birds in juvenile plumage. These immature gulls sought shelter from the bright sun in the shade of driftwood, rocks, and sparse vegetation. Black-backcd Gulls and Double-crested Cormorants were also among the island's inhabitants, but in much smaller numbers. A stop at the second Razade, two miles farther east, disclosed bird life and vegetation similar to that of the first island. IOWA BIRD LIFE — XVIII, 1948 4S Basque Island, which is the largest of the group, about one mile long, is two and one-half miles from Trois Pistoles, On it the Provancher Society maintains a well-equipped log cabin for members and visitors. Much of this island is heavily wooded, largely with coniferous trees, Plants in bloom when we visited the sanctuary included wild caraway, bunch berry, star flower, and pyrola. In addition there were ferns, mosses, and lichens. Here are three try-ovens, restored by the Society, about ten years ago. These unique struc- tures were used by the early Basques in rendering whale oil. A pair of Os- preys and their nest was our most interesting bird observation here, although it is possible to see many other species. Continuing our trip along the northern shore of the Gaspe Peninsula we arrived at Perce, and went by boat about three miles to Bonaventure Island, where we lived for several days. Of course, the Gannets are the main attrac- tion here. We refer you to Mrs, Harold Peasley’s interesting account of her visit to this island in Volume XVII, No. 3. of ‘Towa Bird Life," for a descrip- tion of the island and the story of the Gannets, At the time of our visit very few eggs had hatched. We were fortunate in seeing the Gannets diving from great heights for surface -feeding fish. In the more inaccessible cracks and crevices were hundreds of Murres and Razor-billed Auks. They presented an ever-interesting spectacle in their trim black and white plumage. The Black Guillemots or “Sea Pigeons" with their red feet and mouth linings were most striking and among our favorites. We saw them first at the Razades and again as far south as Bar Harbor. The dainty Kittiwakes, smallest of the gulls, were nesting on the cliffs beyond the Gannet colony, A number of land birds also nest on Bonaventure, although the attention of the visitor centers on the sea birds. Among these songsters are Kinglets, Tennessee and Black-throated Green Warblers, White-winged Crossbills, Purple Finches. Slate-colored Juncos and Song Sparrows. We constantly heard White-throated Sparrows singing in the woods. Savannah Sparrows were numerous and followed us by flying from post to post as we walked near their nesting sites. Pine Siskins sang in the willows in the dooryard. We left the island reluctantly, hoping to return some day to convince ourselves that there really are such birds as Storm Petrels and Atlantic Puf- fins, — MYRA WILLIS and LILLIAN SERBQUSEK, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, CALIFORNIA AND PACIFIC NORTHWEST Mrs. Steffen and I, accompanied by our nephew, Don Boyd, had an ex- tended and enjoyable trip into the northwestern part of the United States during the past summer. We visited ten states, seven national parks, and three bird refuges. The national parks visited were Rocky Mountain, Crater Lake. Lassen, Yosemite, Olympic, Mount Rainier, and Glacier, The bird refuges visited were Bear River near Brigham. Utah, Tulelake and Klamath region in southern Oregon and northern California, and Lake Bowdoin near Malta, Montana. In addition, we drove through and camped in a number of national forests which latter was a very interesting experience. Our trip covered a period of six weeks and we drove a distance of 7,344 miles. Birds seemed scarce this year. Observations were decidedly disappointing as to number of species. Bear Lake Refuge yielded by far the best returns. New to me were Whistling Swan, Franklin’s Grouse, Western Gull, California Woodpecker, Oregon Jay, California Murre, Band-tailed Pigeon, Sage Thrash- er, Varied Thrush. Russet-backed Thrush, Cassin’s Purple Finch, and Oregon Junco, BIRD STUDENTS ON VACATION 49 The highlight of the trip without question was the drive up the Redwood Highway and the camping among the incomparable redwoods in California s well- organised state parks. The road to Tioga Pass and the east entrance to Yosemite is something to mention. We ground up a one-way, unprotected road for 20 miles in second — a road filled with hairpin turns and steep grades where one had sheer cliffs on one side and eternity on the other. Again we walked on the tundra in Rocky Mountain National Park along the highest sustained road in the United States, the Trail Ridge Road, which runs for over four miles at an altitude of over 12,000 feet. In this inspiring region on the windswept mountain meadows exquisitely beautiful flowers grow in riotous profusion. Some mention should be made of Olympic National Park with its lush verdure and its beautiful Douglas firs and western cedars, where the mists come in from the ocean and the clouds drift low. One hundred forty inches of rain falls there and we experienced a small portion of it. We again came over the Going-to-the-Sun Highway through Glacier Park, this time from the west. We were just as thrilled again with the wild beauty of the scenery and the majesty of the rugged mountain peaks. At Logan Pass we enjoyed the flowers and the scenery and spotted two mountain goats. North Dakota provided something of special interest this time. This section of the country had had more rain than usual so that there were innumerable ponds along the highway. We had started driving at dawn and these ponds showed up plainly under the reflected light from the brightening east. We soon discovered that most of these ponds were well populated with ducks which appeared in silhouette against the light-colored water. As the sky be- came lighter we saw more ponds and more ducks. We then went briefly into Canada, sojourned a bit on North Shore, and came home tired but well satisfied.— EARNEST W. STEFFEN, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. IOWA, BLACK HILLS, YELLOWSTONE, WESTERN STATES We left Waterloo on June 12 and spent two weeks in a cabin at Backbone State Park in Iowa. Within a half hour after arriving we discovered a Rose- breasted Grosbeak’s nest about 15 feet from our cabin. From two of our windows we could look into the nest. In a few days three little bills were stretching up. We were especially interested in the responsibility taken by the father. At times we wondered if the mother had deserted as she stayed away so long at a time, and one day we scarcely saw her at all. However, it was "mother'’ who gave the most timid baby a final push of encouragement when she decided it was time for him to take off. He stayed in the nest almost a day longer than the other two nestlings. We stayed at a cottage at McGregor, Iowa, from June 26 to July 12, During this hot. dry period our bird bath was very popular. Birds came singly, in pairs and by families. Tit- mice and orioles were the families, five in each, Our rarest bird was the Cerulean Warbler, which was seen on three consecutive days. Wc also saw a Blue -winged Warbler, which was a new bird for us. Wc saw Scarlet Tanager, Pileated Woodpecker, and the Ruffed Grouse was seen several times. We started on our long trip July 12. We visited the Badlands of both Dakotas, Black Hills, Big Horn Mountains, Cody Dam. Yellowstone Park, Jack- son Hole, the Grand Tetons, Glacier Park, Yellowstone again, then out through the northeast entrance over the Beartooth Mountains, and through Montana and North Dakota to Lake Ponto, Minnesota, where we spent most of August. In South Dakota we began to see Magpies, Lark Buntings, Red-shafted Flick- ers, Burrowing Owls and Cliff Swallows. A small church in the Badlands was fairly covered with nests of Cliff Swallows, We had several excellent views of Swainson’s Hawk in Wyoming. 50 IOWA BIRD LIFE — XVIII, 1948 In Yellowstone Park we saw Clark’s Nutcrackers, California Gulls, one Bald Eagle, Ravens, Western Tanager and Mountain Bluebirds, White-crown- ed Sparrows were everywhere. Our biggest thrill was the sight of four Trumpeter Swans on a small shallow stream that bordered a meadow of lush grass near the highway just north of Jackson, Wyoming. Although we were perhaps 200 feet away, and just off the highway with our field glasses, they became quite agitated and trumpeted a few times. We looked in vain for a Water Ouzel and saw no signs of life near Eagle Rock in Yellowstone. We drove by several sloughs in Montana and North Dakota that were practically covered with ducks, but we were able to identify only a few species. We saw many other birds all along the way, but the ones we have mentioned were, to us, the most interesting. — MYRA and LUCILE LOBAN, Waterloo, Iowa. MAINE, MASSACHUSETTS, ETC. We spent three weeks of September visiting relatives in the East. We spent a day on the Fairfield beach near Southport, Conn., and saw a few birds. We also visited Wells Beach in Maine. We saw 33 egrets in one flock where they rested during the night in the salt marsh. Another interesting observa- tion was the sight of hundreds of Black-bellied Plovers in various stages of plumage, and about that many Semipalmated Plovers. While at Easthamp- ton. Mass,, we were able to watch a small section of the hawk migration near Mount Tom. We should have seen more hawks at that time of year but the weather had been too warm to influence migration. We did see about 350 hawks and seven Bald Eagles one day. At the height of the migration over 2,000 will be counted in a day and probably that is only a part of the flight.— P, P. LAUDE, Iowa City, Iowa. NEBRASKA AND WESTERN STATES There is never a dull moment for the bird lover. Driving to the west coast in June, we saw many species, some of which I had not seen before in the western states. Perhaps one of the most interesting species observed was the Nuttall’s Sparrow, of which we saw many in Golden Gate Park. A Chestnut- backed Chickadee entertained us as we ate our picnic lunch in that park. In western Nebraska we saw a Western Burrowing Owl perched on a post. In that region we saw many Lark Buntings, and there and farther west we saw American Magpies clumsily flying from the highway as cars approached. In Nevada we listed Raven, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Brewer’s Blackbird and the Avocet which was the prettiest of all shore birds feeding in the vicinity of the Humboldt sink, Nevada. Other western birds were Canada Jay, Steller's Jay, Red-shafted Flicker, Western Kingbird, Brown Towhee. Linnet, Bul- lock’s Oriole, Mountain Bluebird, Mockingbird, Allen’s Hummingbird, Cali- fornia Quail, etc. Crossing the desert we saw many Desert Horned Larks, which in the field look very much like our Prairie Horned Lark. To enumerate all the species would make too long a story. We saw Cliff Swallows nesting on rugged cliffs, and observed the Violet-green Swallow in Echo Canyon, Utah. Even “the wide open spaces” in Nevada had many birds and a certain charm. The Brewster’s Snowy Egrets there reminded me of Bryant’s poem, “To a Waterfowl” as they crossed ”the desert and illimitable air, lone wandering but not lost.” We visited two sanctuaries — the famous , Lake Merritt in Oakland and the sanctuary in North Platte, Nebraska. The study of birds in any state adds a great deal to one’s vacation.— MRS. RAY S. DIX. Cedar Falls, Iowa. \ BIRD STUDENTS ON VACATION 51 SOUTHWEST, CALIFORNIA, JACKSON HOLE This year Mrs- Schramm and I took our two children on a long auto trip through the Southwest to California and back through the Jackson Hole coun- try. We visited five national parks — the Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Yosemite and the Grand Teton— as well as a number of national monuments. Whenever possible we talked to park naturalists and others of like interest At Jackson Hole we had a memorable visit at the ranch home of Olaus J. Murie, the director of the Wilderness Society. Dr. Murie is devoting his dis- tinguished abilities very largely to the battle for the preservation of what little remains of our primitive wilderness areas. All along our entire route, we had the thrill of seeing new and strange birds or renewing acquaintance with others not found in Iowa that we had seen in the West in past years.— FRANK H. SCHRAMM, Burlington, Iowa. YELLOWSTONE, ETC. During the latter part of August the Ennis family drove approximately 3,300 miles from Mt. Vernon, Iowa, to Yellowstone National Park, and re- turned by way of the Black Hills and the Badlands of South Dakota, The route is roughly outlined by the following cities: Lincoln and Scottsbluff. Nebraska: Casper. Thermopolis, Cody and Gillette, Wyoming; Rapid City, Pierre, and Aberdeen, South Dakota; Ellendale, North Dakota; and Worth- ington, Minnesota. The ornithological highlight of the trip was the sight of two adult Trum- peter Swans and one cygnet on Grebe Lake in Yellowstone Park on August 23. In the Park we also saw Canada Geese, White Pelican, Oregon Junco, Clark’s Nutcracker, and American Crossbill, A distinctly western bird noted with some frequency was the American Magpie.— J. HAROLD ENNIS, Mt. Vernon, Iowa. YELLOWSTONE, MONTANA, NORTH DAKOTA We returned this year for a second look at Yellowstone after having found our first look last year rather inadequate. My wife, son, daughter, daughter-in-law and I left Winthrop on July 29, for a two-weeks vacation trip. We drove through the Badlands and the Black Hills, visited the Devils Tower National Monument, entered the Big Horn Mountains at the Buffalo, Wyom- ing, crossing and came down through Ten Sleep Canyon on the west side. We stayed overnight at Cody then entered Yellowstone through the east gate. After enjoying the many sights of this very popular national park, we drove to Mammoth and out through the north or Gardiner entrance. In Yellowstone we saw, among other birds, the California Gull, White Pelican, Raven. Osprey, Fine Siskin, Violet-green Swallow, Townsend's Soli- taire. Rocky Mountain Jay, Audubon's Warbler, Red-shafted Flicker, and two Trumpeter Swans on Swan Lake, One evening I sat on a log in an open-air theatre near Old Faithful and listened to a bird lecture by a ranger naturalist. Colored slides were thrown on a screen while the ranger described the var- ious park birds to a large and appreciative audience. With Old Faithful’s wonderful demonstration as a backdrop, the scene impressed me and gave me a thrill. I had read a good deal of the history and early exploration of Yellowstone. Here, high in the mountains where pioneers had once pene- trated with great difficulty, people were now coming by easy means of travel and were listening to the story of birds and conservation — this thought gave me a certain stimulus and made me glad that I was an American. After leaving Livingston, Montana, we crossed that state in a north- easterly direction and followed the route of the Lewis and Clark expedition IOWA BIRD LIFE— XVI11. 1948 in reverse order. We entered northwest. North Dakota and visited the Lower Souris federal bird refuge, where the refuge manager, C. J. Henry, very graciously took time from his official duties to show us the refuge. It had been a good year for the birds and ducks and other water birds were very abundant on the 60,000-acre tract Here we saw Black Duck. Gadwall, Red- head, Ruddy Duck, Mallard, Blue-winged Teal, Long-billed Dowitcher, Greater Yellow-legs, Marbled Godwit, Coot Western Grebe, Pied-billed Grebe, Yellow-headed Blackbird, Holboell's Grebe, Forster's Tern, Black Tern, American Bittern and others. Many of the ducks had broods of young and some of the species were represented by thousands of individuals. All along the highways in Montana and North Dakota pastures were lush and green through the influence of heavy summer rains. We saw Canada Geese in the middle of fields, and each of the hundreds of small roadside ponds seemed to have its quota of ducks. We enjoyed a side trip to Winnipeg, Manitoba, and spent two days on a small lake near Bemidji, Minnesota, where son Paul was thrilled at his first sight of a Loon. In Minneapolis we visited the new Natural History Museum on the University Campus. We crossed the Mississippi below Lake City and came down the Wisconsin side of the river. The river road is one of the scenic drives of the midwest. Its beauty was further enhanced by the sight of about 60 American Egrets scattered by twos and threes at intervals in the tributary ponds of the river. We visited the historic Dousman house (“Villa Louis”) at Prairie du Chien then crossed into Iowa — thus concluding a two -weeks -long “field trip” of nearly 4,000 miles. — FRED J. PIERCE, THE SECOND FALL MEETING AT WINTHROP The second fall meeting of Iowa Ornithologists' Union members and their friends was held at Winthrop on Sunday, September 19. Last year's meeting, which was in the form of an experimental “get-together” at the Editor's home, proved to be so enjoyable for all those present, it was decided that another fall meeting should be planned for 1948. Printed postal-card invitations (275 in number) were sent to the entire membership in Iowa and some to mem- bers in nearby states. The weather was perfect (clear, with temperature in the 90 s), and nearly 75 persons took advantage of the opportunity to drive to Winthrop. A large number of persons sent letters of regret at being unable to attend this year and expressed the hope that they could attend the next meeting. The first guests arrived at the Pierce home shortly before noon. Other groups followed and by late afternoon a large crowd had gathered. We were gratified to find that every officer of the Union was present except for one member of the Executive Council- In addition, four past presidents of the Union (Palas, Jones, Grant, Ennis) were in attendance. The afternoon was spent in visiting and renewing acquaintances. A field trip was organized and several carloads explored the country about Buffalo Creek for fall migrants. At 6 p.m. a basket luncheon with ice cream and cake was served in the basement of the Congregational Church, a block from the Pierce home. After luncheon the evening program was held in the church auditorium. Piesident Ayres presided at a short business session, in which George Crossley of the Dubuque Audubon Club announced the plans (not definitely decided) of the Club to sponsor the 1949 spring convention of the Union and hold the entire | meeting at McGregor. The feasibility of the meeting with its several prob- I REPORT OF THE LIBRARIAN 53 lems and angles was discussed, Mr. Ayres then introduced the speaker ol the evening, Br. Robert Vane, who entertained us with a half dozen reels ol his colored moving pictures. He described the different scenes as the showing progressed. Included were two reels on a trip to Yellowstone National Park, which Dr. and Mrs. Vane took during the summer of 1947, and others showing intimate bird life pictures at Swan Lake near Cedar Rapids. The pictures were very fine in all respects and attest to Dr. Vane's skill as a wildlife photo- grapher. His contribution was mdeed a highlight and added much to the success of the meeting. Several commented that Dr. Vane’s pictures and lec- ture were of the same caliber as the Audubon Screen tours now seen in so many of our larger cities. The moving pictures and the meeting at the church were finished at about 9:30 p.m., though quite a number of people returned to the Pierce home and departed for their homes at a later hour. It is hoped that there may be an- other informal fall get-together meeting in 1949. If the members want to come to Winthrop again, we are sure it can be arranged,— F. J. P, Attendance Register — AMES, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph W. Johnson; BOONE, Mr. and Mrs. M, L, Jones, Barbara Jones; CEDAR FALLS, Anna Adkins, Verna M. Davis, Lola H. Deal, Myrtle Gaff in. Dr, and Mrs. Martin Grant, Lois Grant, Elizabeth Wartlman; CEDAR RAPIDS, C. Esther Copp, Lavina Dragoo, Isabel Hoyman, Margaret Lahr, Ruth Purdy, Rose Richards, Lillian Serbousek, Mr. and Mrs. E. W, Steffen, Dr. Robt. Vane, Myra Willis; COGGON, Donald Harbaugh, Robert Pike, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Pike; DUBUQUE, Mr, and Mrs, Ed Heuser, Henry Herrmann, David Reed, Ival Schuster, Mary Young; FAR- LEY, F. E. Crossley, Mr, and Mrs. George Crossley; INDEPENDENCE, Ran- dall Evanson, Ruth Funk, Grace Leigh, Marlin Plank; IOWA CITY. Bruno B. Giernot; MT. VERNON, David Ennis, Dr. and Mrs. Harold Ennis, Dr. and Mrs. Charles R. Keyes; NEW ALBIN, Dr. Chas. A. Stewart; OTTUMWA, Chas. C. Ayres, Jr., Chas. C. Ayres, Sr., Marietta Eighme, Pearle Walker; POSTV1LLE, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur J. Palas, Fritz and Gretchen Palas; TAMA, Mrs, J. G. Ennis, Mrs. W, G. MacMartin; WATERLOO, Myra and Lucile Loban. Dr, C, W. Robertson; WINTHROP, Mr. and Mrs, F. J. Pierce, Florence Pierce, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Pierce, Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Pierce. Total registered, 68 INTERIM REPORT OF THE LIBRARIAN With the resignation in the Fall of 1947 of Dr. Warren Keck, Librarian of the Iowa Ornithologists' Union, that post remained vacant until the Annual Meeting in May, 1948. At that lime the writer was elected to the office. The materials in the possession of Dr. Keck as Librarian were, on his departure from Cedar Rapids, turned over to Dr. and Mrs. Robert Vane, and by them transferred to me in July, 1948. At this time two statements might well be made. First, the library of the Union consists of the following items: 1. Four bound volumes of ‘Bird Banding Notes,” Bureau of Biol. Surv. Complete through November, 1940. Gift of Drs. F. L. R, and Mary Roberts. 2. 'Bibliography of the Water, Shore, and Game Birds of Iowa” Iowa State Conservation Commission (2 vol., subject and author). 3. “Iowa Bird Life.” Complete through Vol. 15, No. 4. Unbound. 4. Reprints of Dr. Dayton Stoner’s ornithological writings. Gift of Mrs. Stoner. 5. Miscellaneous items, such as occasional copies of ornithological periodicals. IOWA BIRD LIFE— XVIII, 1948 54 Second, a brief comment concerning the work of the Librarian might be made. It should be the function of the Union's Librarian to supervise collec- tion and preservation of ornithological materials. While the library probably will never be very extensive, an effort should be made to make it as nearly complete as possible of Iowa materials and both Iowa and former Iowa writers. Materials relating to those States bordering Iowa should not be neg- lected. The limited financial resources of the Iowa Ornithologists’ Union make it necessary to depend chiefly on gifts from its members. Consequently the membership is urged to bear its share of the responsibility in expanding our present library. If any reader of “Iowa Bird Life" wishes to make a gift to the Union’s library, it will be gratefully received. Where possible, ac- knowledgment will be made in this journal. — J, HAROLD ENNIS, Librarian, Iowa Ornithologists’ Union. LOCAL BIRD CLUBS IN IOWA THE TRI-CITY BIRD CLUB. An announcement was made at the 1947 May spring bird concert, held at Credit Island, that if enough persons were in- terested, a bird club might be formed during that coming winter. It was not until February 1948, that a group of about 30 met at the Davenport Public Museum to organize what is now known as the Tri-City Bird Club since it embraces towns on both sides of the Mississippi River. Officers elected were President, James Hodges; Vice-President, Miss O. Ruth Spencer; and Secretary and Treasurer, Russell Siverly. The meetings are all more or less informal and usually include several movies dealing with bird life. Talks and reports are given concerning certain families or species with general discussions. Field trips are conducted during the more productive months of the year and they have been well attended on the average. Plans are being formulated for the 1949 May Dawn Bird Concert, which will mark the quarter century of this annual affair. An exhibit of modern bird paintings was held at the Museum during September and featured the newer artists. This served as a stimulant for people to become interested in ornithology. A bigger and better year is planned for 1949, Those who wish to obtain information rela- tive to meetings may address the President in care of the Davenport Public Museum.— JAMES HODGES. RECENT BIRD BOOKS BIRDS OVER AMERICA, by Roger Tory Peterson