a Bide Official Organ of the SOMERSET HILLS BIRD CLUB BERNARDSVILLE, N. J. Aue 19 1914 ~~ OciB306888 voL. 1 AUGUST, 1914 NO. 2 CONTENTS PAGE TE BRIE OPP CATE TIA eee ae ee Seon Bees eet CO i Somerset Hills Bird Club Membership.....-......-- 2 List of Officers and Members... 3 Orchard Oriole (colored plate).....---.0..-0- to face + The Blue-Winged Warbler by Louis 8. Kohler 4 Picture, Robin’s Nest by Walter F. Chappell, Jr. 6 Some Costa Rican Ortoles by Lee S. Crandall...... i Egret (colored plate) RRR yal ted Narita Meee on A to face 0) Bringing Back the Plume Birds (with three photos) by T. Gilbert Pearson......... g ST hae. JOUCETC Bee er ee ee ccc cee eee are ek Hints for Better Game Protection by George D. Cross...-. .-....-- IZ Picture, Destruction Caused by Nuthatch by Is Derkuser ste ee 14 A June Day at Greenwood Lake, N. J. by Louis 5. Kohler-........-....- 15 Si/ie Ovnalas Op Va\ellem 18¥0l l basetereeee-ceesceerecaceersccoces 18 WifeaS wales by, Sally Sage msec eee nce ce ern. 19 WenGow0ird oye Conmelia OAC aia) anaes ee 20 UGE Go aie Pid Na aA ce tis eee tei agitate Raat 20 CB ASTIEND. CALL 1S CICHINS pee eres eee cer or cose cee 25 Copyright 1914 By Somerset Hills Bird Club, Bernardsville, N. J. SOMERSET HILLS BIRD CLUB MEMBERSHIP Active Members ($1.50 annually)..... an 41 Patrons: ($25.00 paid at one time) :.... ..2ee i Life Members ($10.00 paid at one time)....... | 5 Contributors ($5.00) annually) .5-,-. eee ts Subscribers to the Oriole ($1.50 annually) ...... 44 Total number; members and subscribers. 104 OFFICERS AND MEMBERS OF THE SOMERSET HILLS BIRD CLUB. TRUSTEES Miss Rutu B. Buss, President Miss Leira H. Burpen, Vice-President Avan Harriman, Vice-President Water F. Cuappex., Jr., Secretary Miss Cornevia Sacer, Treasurer Joun Dryven Kuser, Editor “The Oriole’, Member, Meetings’ Committee. Miss Marist Buair, Associate Editor Merepituw H. Pyne, Associate Editor Miss Mary V. R. Losttnarp, Member, Meetings’ Committee. Miss Mitprep Mitcuerzt, Member, Meetings’ Committee. ACTIVE MEMBERS Miss Eviru D. Buarr Miss Rosartize Moran C. Merritt Cuapin, JR. PRENTICE TALMAGE Miss Mary S. Cuapin FREDERICK CRoMWELL, III Kinestey Kunwarpr Miss Carou MirrcHEeLu Joun B. CrarKk Miss Marcaret LINDABURY Miss CarRoLiINnE STEVENS Ricuarp V. Lrnpasury, dr. Miss Tarrine BuIss Miss Freverica Buu Miss Satrty SaGe Miss Constance CHAPPELL Puitie GRAHAM Miss Virermnia MrrcHei Eno CaMPpBELL Hatey Fiske, Je. Miss Dorotuy DrypENn Ricuarp NicHoLs Miss Heten Bury Miss Exsiz STEVENS Switnin NicHo.ts P. R. Pyne, Je. Francis BERGEN - Miss Evizaseta Harpin Caehi Lian pin Miss ExizapetH ELiswortu HONORARY VICE - PRESIDENTS Hon. Turopvore Roostve.tT Frank M. CHarpmMan T. GitBert PrARson C. Wizi1amM BEEBE Wixtiiam T. Hornapay PATRONS Mrs. Joun F. Drypen Miss Cynruia G. Kuser Hatery Fisker Joun Drypren Kuser AntTuony R. Kuser Grant B. ScuHiEy Mrs. Anruony R. KusrEr LIFE MEMBERS Mrs. Gzorce Butss Water GrRaEME Lapp Mes. Watter P. Briss Dean SaGe Mrs. Wartrer GramMe Lapp CONTRIBUTORS Mrs. Joun F. Drypren Miss Cynruia G. Kusrer Mrs. Rospert D. Granam Joun Drypren Kuser AntHony R. Kuser Mrs. Dean Sace Mrs. Antruony R. Kuszr BLUE-WINGED WARBLER Helminthophila pinus By Louis S. Kohler On May 24th of the present year, while waiting for a train at Little Falls, New Jersey, I strolled south of the station platform into a copse of maples and oaks, thinking that, perhaps, by accident, I might happen across a nest of the Ovenbird or Redstart, the males of which species were in full nuptial song in the low shrubbery underneath the taller deciduous growths. While observing the male Redstart per- forming his gymnastic turns in a small maple sapling, a flash of bright yellow passed overhead and dropped into a clump of tall grass and as it alighted on an overhanging weed, I identified it as a female Blue- winged Warbler. This bird, having a wisp of dried grass in its bill, quickly disappeared in the depths of the grassy hummock and I immediately investigated and found it to contain a nearly completed nest. On approaching the nest, the female arose to an adjacent sapling and uttered a sharp metallic alarm note which brought its beautiful mate quickly to its side and both began uttering these alarm notes and con- tinued to do so while I was examining their future home. This nest was placed about three inches from the ground in the clump of grass and was composed of dead leaves of the maple and oak forming a deep cup-shaped container for the inner material which consisted of fine grasses, grapevine peelings and plant fibers delicately woven together so as to form a beau- tiful structure, although the whole presented rather 4 ORCHARD ORIOLE (Upper figure, adult male; middle figure, young male; lower figure, female) Order—PASSERES Family—IcTERID# Genus—IcTERUS Species—SPURIUS National Association of Audubon Societies the appearance of a much larger ground-nesting bird. | On visiting the nest on the 28th, found it to con- tain one egg and on the Ist of June the set of five were complete. These eggs were creamy white, heavily spotted with brown, lavender and pearly grey markings principally about the larger end where the markings formed a wreath which encircled the egg. These five eggs averaged .65x.55, which is slightly larger than the usual average for the eggs of this species. - The incubating of the eggs was performed wholly by the female during the eleven days immediately fol- lowing the 1st of June, and, although the male was very attentive to his patient little mate and brought her many tempting morsels, always quickly left the nest after depositing his prey on the nest rim, and flew into the taller trees and was continually singing its insect-like notes, which, to me, resembles the calls of the Grasshopper Sparrow, much subdued, and the ~ Black and White Warbler. On the morning of the 12th the young emerged from the shells and from that time on until June 224d, when the youngsters left the nest, both parents pro- vided an ample supply of insectivorous food for the nestlings, often making as many as twenty visits dur- ing an hour. ‘The young left the nest at noon on the 22d in a condition, which to me appeared at least four or five days ahead of an appropriate time for this pro- cedure, but on the morning of the date of this writ- ing were seen in company with the parents in the adjacent copse of trees much advanced towards the 9) maturer stages of growth, apparently having profited by their liberty and had secured a vaster quantity of food than their very attentive parents could gather for them while in the nest. While these notes were being gathered I made daily visits to the nest during the early mornings and thus was able to secure a few more sidelights on their home life than is usually accorded an individual nest. Also this is the most southerly nest of this species which has ever come under my personal observation. Bloomfield, N. J., June 26th, 1914. SOME COSTA RICAN ORIOLES By Lee S. Crandall To the mind of the casual reader, the title of this magazine suggests at once the familiar charmer of roadside and orchard—the Baltimore Oriole. To others, further advanced in knowledge of our native birds, the Orchard Oriole, singer of wonderful songs, may follow as an afterthought. But the fact that our two native species are but a tithe of the members of this beautiful and varied group would hardly occur to one unversed in ornithology. Of the genus Icterus, which includes the Baltimore and the Orchard, nearly fifty different forms have been described, covering the American continents from Canada to Argentina, Mexico alone having more than twenty. All of these birds, with one or two exceptions, beside the Orchard Oriole, are bril- liantly black and orange in color. In captivity, all are interesting pets, and for their melodious songs and endearing manners, are greatly prized by the natives whose country they adorn. Besides the true Orioles, the family Icteridae in- cludes many other birds, of which the Bobolink and Redwing are familiar examples. On a recent visit to Costa Rica, the writer had an opportunity of studying some of these species, and making many observations concerning their life histories. On the Caribbean slope of Costa Rica there are but two breeding species of Icterus—the Salvin and Lesson Orioles, although both the Baltimore and the Orchard winter there. Both of the former are found v in the banana plantations, although neither is very abundant. The Salvins were breeding at the time of the writer’s visit, cleverly sewing their nests to the under side of the great leaves of the banana. This bird, known locally as chorcha, is a very fine singer, and so valued by the natives that as much as fifty colones (the equivalent of $23.25), are sometimes paid for an exceptionally fine specimen. The most abundant Icterine birds in Costa Rica are the Giant Caciques, known to the people as Oropen- dulas. 'There are two species, the Montezuma Giant Cacique (Gymnostinops montezwmae) and the Wag- ler (Zarhynchus wagleri). The former is bright chestnut in general coloration, with brilliant yellow tail and long red and black beak. The Wagler is black with yellow tail and chestnut back, and is con- siderably smaller than montezuwmae, the males of which are nearly two feet in length. These great birds live in colonies of from a dozen to fifty individ- uals. Their relationship with our own Orioles is evinced by the structure of the nests—great, pendu- lous sacks of rootlets and Spanish moss, three to four feet in length, but woven in exactly the same fashion as those of the Baltimore Oriole. The trees chosen are always of great height, invariably with smooth. branchless trunks. As many as fifty nests are some- times seen in a single tree, looking like clusters of some giant fruit. A beautiful male of montezwmae was brought to New York, and may now be seen in the Zoological Park, apparently as contented, and certainly as well fed, as he was in the jungles of Costa Rica. 8 #S ‘ON ‘joyee] feuoneonpgy VLLENDA—satoedS SvIdouap{—snuey5 S9}}e}00S uoqnpny jo uol}E]OOssy jeUuOHRN ¥yalaauy—AIwey SANOIGONSP—A9pio BRINGING BACK THE PLUME BIRDS By T. Gilbert Pearson, Secretary National Association of Audubon Societies One of the lines of activity in which the National Association of Audubon Societies has been engaged for a number of years past, is the restoration of cer- tain species of wild water-birds which were threath- ened with extinction owing to their slaughter by the field-agents of the great millmery firms. Among the species that were in most danger of being wiped out in this country were the gulls, terns, grebes, pelicans, eider ducks, roseate spoonbills, ibises, and the two species of white egrets. When the As- sociation took up its work these birds could legally be killed in virtually every State of the Union. ‘The first duty of the Audubon workers, therefore, was to secure the enactment of laws making it illegal to kill non-game birds at any season of the year. The “Audubon Law,” for the enactment of which the Association battled furiously for many years, has been adopted by the legislatures of nearly all the States. This first step having been accomplished at- tention was turned to enforcing the law, particularly during the season when the birds would gather in their nesting-colonies. The Association, therefore, has collected funds for this purpose each season for a number of years. The Audubon wardens now guard virtually every colony of water-birds on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States, as well as about many lakes of the interior. 9 As a direct result of these efforts certain species of gulls and terns, which had become exceedingly rare over large stretches of country, have rapidly recovered in numbers, and in a few years will doubt- less be as abundant as they were in the old days be- fore the big killing began. The phase of warden work that has been fought with the most difficulties has been the attempt to guard the few remaining colonies of egrets in the southern swamps. It is absolutely necessary to watch these birds during the breeding season, for otherwise at that time they will be shot for the purpose of get- ting the “aigrette” plumes that adorn the birds only in the nesting period. Aigrettes are now worth actually twice their weight in gold, and many men in the southern swamps will undertake almost any risk to kill the birds. Every season attempts are made to raid some of the colon- ies, and the Audubon wardens almost every year have rifle battles with these poachers. Two of our war- dens while in the discharge of their duties have been murdered by plume hunters. The writer has recently returned from a trip of inspection to egret rookeries in Florida, and feels tre- mendously encouraged over the evident increase of egrets in the protected regions. There are some egret colonies we have not yet been able to guard, for lack of means. Now, although laws have been passed prohibiting the killing of birds of plumage, and war- dens are stationed at the majority of rookeries, some killing still goes on, and will doubtless continue to go on as long as there is a demand for their feathers. 10 This has made it important for the Association to take still another step, viz.: to stop the sale of feath- ers; and the “second Audubon Law,” prohibiting the sale of the plumage of American birds has been enacted in the States of Washington, Oregon, Cali- fornia, Ohio, Michigan, Missouri, Louisiana, Massa- chusetts, Vermont, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, after costly and stupendous efforts on the part of Audubon workers. Another great step in bird-protection was taken last year when Congress was induced to prohibit the importation of bird plumage. Ii The Association at the same time is doing its utmost to educate the public against the wearing of wild birds’ feathers. Educational Leaflet No. 54, describ- ing in detail the horrors of the egret traffic, together with colored pictures of the birds, will be sent free to anyone upon request. HINTS FOR BETTER GAME PROTECTION By George D. Cross To one who is interested in Nature study nothing can be more satisfactory than to see a country well stocked with so-called game birds, and it is a great pity that our country in the past has not done more to protect them. Compared to densely settled parts of Kurope, we have one bird where Europe has thou- sands, and these thousands are due principally to the great care which is given to protect them. Our section of the country in the past supported large numbers of quail and ruffed grouse, or par- tridge, and was the breeding ground of many migra- tory game birds, such as woodcock, snipe and upland plover—in fact, it is very probable that at some time or other, since white men have lived here, most of the birds peculiar to the temperate zone of the eastern United States could be found where we now live. There is no reason why this condition cannot be dupli- cated at the present time. All that is required is in- telligent effort on the part of all land owners and bird lovers. 12 Game birds become scarce in any locality from a number of known causes, such as too close shooting, the clearing off of good coverts or places of refuge, the presence of wandering dogs and house cats, and the starving and freezing of birds in Winter, simply because no provision is made to feed them during the severe weather sometimes experienced in this latitude. Right here it might be well to point out that few healthy birds, which have a chance to find food, are ever frozen; it is only birds weakened by starvation and disease which succumb. Much has been done for game birds by the law which prohibits shooting except during a short sea- son, when the birds are full grown and strong. Requiring every person who, during the shooting season, goes off his own property with a gun in his possession, to have a shooting license with him—which license must be exhibited to any one on request—also the high cost of a license to any one not a citizen of this State, has helped reduce the number of gunners. Every land owner should see that his property 1s posted with “Trespass” signs forbidding shooting and fishing without permission, and should take care that these signs are respected. In the days of stone walls, and post and rail fences, land was not cultivated so close to the boundary lines as is now the case when so many wire fences have been put up. The bushes and high growth of weeds and grasses which grew along the old style fences, provided for birds splendid nesting places, and also refuges from 13 hawks and other enemies. If you wish game birds to live on your property, you must provide homes and places of refuge for them. Simple shelters to which birds learn to come for grain and gravel are sasily built, with hardly any expense, and may be the means of carrying many birds through a hard Win- ter. Stray dogs and house cats are great enemies of game birds, particularly in the nesting season. Clear your fields and woods of these animals, and give the birds a chance. Dogs and cats are close hunters, and break up many nests and destroy large numbers of young birds. 14 Aside from the satisfaction of having game birds in a country, few people realize their great value to agriculture. These birds are busy all the time, search- ing for msects and weed seeds. The Department of Agriculture in Washington has conducted many investigations bearing on the life of game birds, and has found in the crop of as small a bird as the quail, many thousand seeds of various kinds of weeds, and in others, hundreds of insects which destroy plant life. Surely too much cannot be said in favor of the closest protection of game birds, for they will always be not only beautiful to look at and interesting to study, but these birds are truly the farmers’ friends. A JUNE DAY AT GREENWOOD LAKE, N. J. By Louis S. Kohler On arriving at Sterling Forest, New York, on the morning of June 20th, 1914, the first bird to greet me, as alighting from the train, was a beautiful male Chestnut-sided Warbler and his cheery “whee-choo” served as an appropriate avian “Good-morning.” Not alone was he, for a few moments’ observation in the adjacent shrubbery brought to light his less brilliant mate and in her company were four youngsters about twenty days old, which she was endeavoring to pro- vide with food and also having the time of her life to guard against a rather thick and healthy blacksnake, which quickly sidled off on seeing me in the adjoining 15 bushes, much to the relief of the anxious mother. She quickly took advantage of her enemy’s retreat and hurried her brood to another bush about fifty feet away and renewed her search for subsistence for the ever ready and hungry throats of her rapidly grow- ing family. On walking down the railroad towards the Glens a pair of Bronzed Grackles were observed walking about on the banks of the lake and feeding on the small crustaceans which were there in great abund- ance. In the eaves of the ice-houses and railroad shanties were seven inaccessible nests of the Phoebe and along the right of way numerous pairs of Song Sparrows were roving about in a restless manner as I passed the sites of their homes. Swifts, Tree and Barn Swallows were present over the lake and great numbers, and in the thick deciduous growth on the left were numerous Robins, Chipping Sparrows, Crows, House Wrens, Maryland Yellowthroats, and Catbirds. Goldfinches were seen performing their wavy flights on all sides and the twitter of their songs were continual throughout the day. A White-eyed Vireo, the only one of this species which I have had the opportunity to observe this year, appeared in a low birch within a dozen feet of me and displayed little or no fear of me or my proximity, but kept on feeding and uttering its song in a very subdued man- ner. In the river birches two families of Baltimore Orioles were roving about and feeding on the insect life which was very abundant. Near the Glens the Yellow Warblers were common as well as the Least Flycatchers and Red-eyed 16 Viroes. A Kingbird was observed here in battle with a solitary Crow. Ovenbirds were heard on all sides, and two nests were found, both of which had eggs well incubated. On proceeding down the valley of the Wanaque River a pair of Yellow-billed Cuckoos were found nesting in a low river birch and their nest contained two well incubated eggs. A pair of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks were also observed here and the male’s song often heard, but a careful search failed to re- veal their home. Along the banks of the Wanaque four male Louisiana Water Thrushes were observed, the first of which species have ever come under my personal attention. All of these four were walking about, sandpiper-like, and singing at frequent inter- vals. One male Scarlet Tanager was seen in com- pany with the Grosbeaks and was also singing fre- quently. Here another pair of Chestnut-sided Warblers were observed with young about fifteen days old. A Kingfisher was skillfully driving at this time and brought two small roaches to the surface which he quickly carried off in a northerly direction. A nest of the Black-throated Green Warbler was found here in a high bush huckleberry with a set of four eggs, all of which were well incubated. Both parent birds were about the nest and resented my intrusion by an incessant chirping and angry darts, which in so small a bird were rather ludicrous.