The Chat BULLETIN OF THE NORTH CAROLINA BIRD CLUB PUBLISHED AT RALEIGH. N. C. John H. Grey, jr.. Editor 1719 PARK DRIVE VOL I MARCH, 1937 No. 1 FOREWORD This first issue of THE CHAT goes to two hundred people in North Carolina, and outside the state, who have shown an interest in our birds. Following issues will go only to members, and to certain libraries for permanent record. THE CHAT will publish two types of information about birds. The first type will be information v/hich is of scientific value helping us know more accurately the life history of particular species. This data will deal with the scarcity or abundance of this species throughout the state, migration dates, nesting data, sub-species and the like. Much of this information must be gathered regularly by someone in each community: therefore we welcome all field notes and will publish such notes by localities. The value of such notes will depend upon their accuracy. The other type of information will be of a popular nature. All of our people are not interested in doing work of the first type, and some have not yet learned enough about our birds to gather much data. All of us are interested in the aesthetic values of birds and in the sheer pleasure v/hich they bring to us. Therefore we hope to publish articles which will stimulate our interest in our birds, help us know more speeies, and perhaps lead us into that keener interest which will spur us to gather information of scientific value as well as aesthetic. You will recognise that an article may contain both types of information, for the two types are not mutually exclusive. £-u£,e 2 March 1937 ■ THE CHAT The Apr il II amber . The next issue of THE CHAT will appear about the middle of April. The feature article will be by C, S. Brimley, President, on the "Additions to the IJorth Carolina Avifauna." The article will deal with the thirtyfour additions to oar check-list since the appearance of THE BlRDb Of IJORTH CAROLIIJA in 1919. Briraley is revising this booic in preparation for a second edition. Included also will be all field and banding notes received by April 6th. These will emphasise March observations, bat vM.ll include any made before then ana not yet published. b ingle copies of any number may be secured from the editor for twentyfive cents. Organizat ion Meet ing of IJorth C arol ina B_ird_ Cl qb beventyfive people came from all over the btate to form a state-wiae society of ornithology. The meeting was called by the Raleigh Bird Club and was opened by Mrs. Charlotte Hilton Green, Presiuent of the Club. Tuose present were asked to introduce themselves, stating their community and the following were repre- sented: A-heville, Statesville, \l inst on-balen , Greensboro, bauthern Pines, Pine jjI off , Sanford, Oxford, Cary, Rocky Mount, Wilson, Greenville, Washington, Tarboro, Raleigh, Syracuse, II. Y., Belfast, II. Y., ana Lexington, Virginia. The purpose of tne meeting was stated and ^rs. Green asked tne Aev. Mr. J. J. Murray of v irgin3a to tell of the worse of the Virginia bociety of Ornithology and other groups. Murray has been Editor of THE RA 7 Eil_> bulletin of the V.S.O. for seven years, is the Secretary of the national “ssoc iat 5 on of Audubon Societies and was last year elected to full member snip in the American Ornithol ogist 1 t, Hiiion- of wnich there are less than 150 full members. He stated that tneir society began seven years ago with eighteen members wnich were increasea to forty charter members. Meetings are held annually in various cities to increase interest. Tne Society has gather eu data for a state book on Virginia birds, stimulated* interest in the value and protection of birds and has probably saved tne btate ton thousand dollars a year in preventing the return of the bounty on hawks and ovfls. He said that any state could maintain such a club if twelve people were vitally interested in the woron ^ 1W7 ( mo ro and bettor vor^^^ ^ these things are rep * b hoped that the - instead undertaken. However ^it population will mere not bo repeated ana of decline. Earl H# Hall _ t t Murray eall Statesville I ? as 0 deli £ htcd to nishpcech*beforc^tho^ state- the Song Sparrow ni ^ vcr3 in Raleigh. ^ J^nent residents for v ? ide meting or birdi^n^ on the list ox pormajent^ ^ heprd until recent! ^ yea rs ago c. member of sclose d a nest in his^son^throug^theluOTnor. Investigation^ d the ^ ^ the incroase x fcU Throu;h tho mis^ Elo°^f r ^ c f discont mSlo^P'out Z£lTl hTnoy-suSle hedge ;i f<>ot -lant feat thrusts^^poar^hrou.^ ^ ladon , trilling his a trig, foa repetoiro „ ..Grace Anderson . Sav; small flock Rusty Bit ^l^^rather unusual view. Ho ^“% f t % 3 P nro Chipping Sparrows, latter are .....Francis H. Craighill Page 12 THE CHAT March 1937 Lenox vi 11c • feet wide Plans arc non underway to have a fire lane fifty "cut around the Lonoxville Rookery to protect the ngrots and Herons which use there V 'orr. In 1935, Capt. Goodwin, unable to check r woods nr cad The f 1 aine s to warden of the Audubon Association, via fire which started southeast of the rookcr the rookery and it is inrnatu.ro birds were b to nest in 1935. Since the rookery is such an important one the Audubon Association is making every effort to secure the fire lane estimated that thousands of nestlings and n.kcd alive. Tho birds which escaped returned ---THE BEAUFORT NEWS 2-27-37 Beaufort . day to our v’indj pane s till it fi for a long time visa ts wor c kop Abou t the fi rst and I am w ond : r that not a. grea. Tho first we ok starlings and J: c-st we a the r . Ralei ah. on L rice Johnson Late last fall a Mockingbird camo several times w trying to get in. It would fly against the oun.d it could not come inside, then il on tho window sill before fly in : aw a rould sit i ay. Those up for two weeks or more, then it disappeared, if March a Mockingbird cone to the feodin tray, ig if it is the same one. Our place is so public variety of birds visit the feeding trays or yard, i March a lone Robin camo for a few days. Only Mrs. L. Folton 10-35 to 3 - 16 - 37 ; Water birds - Ducks wore noted jcke Raleigh from 10-10-33 thru 3-16-37, most numerous species was Ring-necked, which occurred during whole period in numbers from. 12 to 60. Ruddy wore the next commonest , not more than 15 or 1C observed on one day except 10-28 (50). Black wore third commonest. Mallard-one 12-21 and 2-15. Ba.ldpatc 10-27- (12), 11-24 (8), 3-16 (pr. ) on Bonevard Lake. Pintail 12-10 and 14 (1 each). Shoveller 3-16 (or.) Bone-yard Lake. Wood duck 10-27 (15). Blue-winged Teal (pr.) Lake Myra, 2-19 (Grey). Canvas back (1) 12-10, 14, 21. Lesser Scaup a few from. 10-24 to 1-26, and 3-17 (1). Golden-eye one to three 12-1 to 3-9. head 12-14 (1 fern.) full plumagcd m. and 2 fern. 5-15. Old squaw 12-21 (1). Pied-billed Grobos were seen all through tho winter thus definitely changing their status from that of transient to that of winter visitors. Horned Grebe, 12-10 (Grey); Groat Blue Herons wore soon about once a month but Kingfishers only on 12-21 and 1-26. (Observations by: R. Collie, Grey and 0. S. Brimley.) Raleigh . Land Birds: Marsh Hawk 3-9 (Grey, Collie, Brimley) Purple Grc.ck.le 3-9- (2). Yellow- throated '"arblcr 3- 9- singing, seen Buffle- Q , next day (Mrs. Green). SIskins-55 on 2-2 and 125 on ( Brimley ith intervening records by Um, Craven, Green and Joe Biggs). Pago 13 THE CHAT March 1937 Blue -headed Viroo near Lake Johnson 3-9 (2, Collie, Grey, Brimley- aeon same placo and date last year). Chipping Sparrow 2-28 (Win. Craven) The Siskins were the first noted in Raleigh since Spring 1923. C. S. Brimlcy BIRD BANDING Ocracoke. A bird, said to bo a Labrador Gull a net in Pamlico Sound, 1, 1937. The bird bore Survey reports it was a mile or two east of Ocracoke, a band numbered 3S-C43530. Die c augh t in about Feb. Biological Herring Gull, bonded July 26, 1936, at ent’s Island, New Brunswick, Canada by W. A. 0. Cress, ---Harry T. Davis, Raleigh Raleigh. In the ln3t published BIRD BANDING NOTES (Aug. ’36) sent out by the Biological Survey but <\pe Brown-headed Nuthatch was banded in the v/hol country. Jesse Primrose oi Raleigh did that one. In the seme issue only 10 Summer Tanagers were reported banded for the entire country - 7 of these were the ones I bonded last summer, two of them adults and five young a week out of the nest. Following the heavy snow of 2-20-37 we trapped and banded 12 Myrtle Warblers, also Pino Warblers, Juneoe, '.Tbito- throated P/hit e-bre as ted Nuthatch. Made Sparrows, Carolina irons and a ‘vniuc-oreasuea jkuw first record for brown creeper, (a bird difficult to trap) caught it in a tree-trunk trap 1—1—31 Have returns on 10 of the 46 Vfh.it e throats banded at our station last real --Charlotte Hilton Green The Chat BULLETIN OF THE NORTH CAROLINA BIRD CLUB PUBLISHED AT RALEIGH. N. C. John H. Grey. jr. Editor 1719 PARK DRIVE VOL I APRIL, . 1937 No. 2 ADDITIONS, CORRECTIONS TO NORTH CAROLINA BIRDS C . S . Brimley Since the "Birds of North Carolina" was published (1918) a number of species and subspecies have been added to the list, the rank of one form has been changed, and two others should prob- ably be dropped from the list so that a short article on the sub- ject seems timely. First as to the treatment of subspecies. In the book these were put on the same level and both included in the count. It seems however that only full species should be counted in the total and this was actually done by Dr. T. Gilbert Pearson when in his introduction to the "Birds of America" he gave the number of birds recorded from North Carolina as 331, while the "Birds of North Carolina" lists 343, the difference being that Pearson dropped subspecies from the count. Furthermore, in the Preface to the "Birds of America", this statement occurs "This subspecific distinction is often based upon very inconsiderable differences of little or no signif- icance to the lay student of birds while the character of the bird remains unchanged". Thus a Pine Warbler and a Palm Warbler, though very much alike, differ from one another in a much greater degree than a Palm Warbler does from a Yellow Palm, or a Wayne's Warbler from a Black- throated Green. Page 2 THE CHAT April 1937 The total number of birds listed in the "Birds of North Carolina is 343, (the last bird. Bluebird, is numbered 342, but the two preceding are both numbered 341), oi these 321 are listed as full species, but one of these has since been reduced to sub- species of a form also included, reducing the number of full spe- cies to 320, two species should in addition be dropped from the list reducing it still further to 318, and eighteen full species have been added bringing the total up to 336, or five more than Pearson lists in his "Birds of America". The itemized list of additions and corrections follows. A. Species not previously recorded from North Carolina 1. Yellow-billed Tropic Eird ( Phaethon lepturus catesbyi Brandt). One seen by a party from the tf. S. Fish Commission Lab- oratory 20 miles off Cape Lookout, on or about August 12, 1906. R. COLLIE. 2. Groat White Heron (Ardea occidentalis Aud.). One killed at Crystal Lake near Durham, July 8, 1926, by unknown person who got scared when he found the killing was- illegal and started to bury it. The body was rescued and skinned by some Boy Scouts, who sent it to C. S, Brimley, who made up the skin. Identified by Dr. T. Gilbert Pearson and afterward by the U. S. Biological Survey. Now in the State Museum collection. 3. Glossy Ibis ( Plegadis falcinellus Linn.). Captain Til- let of the Bodie Island Coast Guard Station told Rev.^P. H. Craighill of Rocky Mount, in Juno, 1936, that he had in the past seen five curious birds and killed one of them, they wore de- scribed as follows:- "Bill like a curlew, legs like a heron, a little smaller than a heron, scarlet red color". On a later visit. Dr. Craighill found out that the birds had been killed in August or September, 1926, and on showing Captain Tillott the picture of a Scar lot Ibis in Reed's Bird Guide, he at once said it was too red, and picked on the Glossy Ibis as being the right color. Two other men who had seen the birds also picked out the Glossy Ibis, no one of them knowing at the time that the others had done so. Information from REV. P. H. CRAIGHILL. 4. Roseate Spoonbill ( A.ja.ja aia.ja Linn). One was seen on Smith's Island at the mouth of the; Cape Pear in the spring of 1919 by Edward Fleischer of Brooklyn, N. Y., who communicated the news in a letter dated April 7, 1919, to T. GILBERT PEARSON. 5. Ruddy Sheldrake ( Casarca ferruglnea Pallas). Three killed out of a flock of five at Waterlily, Currituck county, sometime in 1886, recognized as this species by Mr. Fred Simonds of Roading, England. (G. B. Grimncll, Auk, Auk, Vol. 36 (1919), p. 561. This record is accepted in the Fourth Edition of the A. 0. U. Check List. Page 3 THE CHAT April 1937 6. European Teal ( Nettion crocca Linn.). Given in the Fourth Edition of the A. 0. U. "Check" List as "Casual or accident- al in -JHH*North Carolina". 7. Lapwing ( Vanellus vanollus Linn.). A single specimen of this European spocics killed by Edward T. Noel near Siler City, November 12, 1926, and sent to State Museum in flesh. It is now mounted in the Museum. H. E. BRIMLEY 8. Pomarine Jaeger ( Stercorarius pomxvrinus Temm,). One sent to State Museum in flesh i'rom Ocracolco, October 19, 1933. .It is also recorded from Capo Ilatteras on April 18, no year given, by A. C. Bent in Life Histories of American Gulls and Terns, 1921, p. 13. H. H. BRIMLEY 9. Iceland Gull ( Larus loucopterus Vicil,). One seen Feb- ruary 24, 1918, off the North Carolina coast, it followed the ship till it was off the Cape Fear, about 90 miles from shore. W. T. HELMUTK, Auk, April, 1920, p'. 251, 1920. 10. Arkansas Kingbird ( T yr annus vor t i c al i s Say). One seen near Lake Mattamuskoot , Oct, 1, 1935, by EAR IE R. GREENE (Auk, vol. 53, p. 83, January, 1936) 11. Starling ( Sturnus vulgaris Linn.). This introduced bird was first taken in the state by W. F. Pate, who killed one out of a flock of three at Willard, December 12, 1919. Since then it has spread all over the state, the first seen at Raleigh, being on April 19, 1923, It broods throughout its range. 12. Kirtland's Warbler ( Dendroica kirtlandi Bd. ) . One seen at very close quarters at Roc lay Mount, September 2, 1936 by Rev. FRANCIS H. CRAIGHILL. 13. Brewer's Blackbird ( Euphagus cyanocephalus Waglcr). Ob- served at Asheville Nov. 25, 1930, (one taken) , April 6, 1931 (two seen in flock of Rustys), also Nov. 16 to Dec. 31, 1932, and Feb. 25 to Apr. 12, 1932. THOS. D. BURLEIGH, Wilson Bulletin, Vol. 45, pp 111-113, Sept. 1933. Also observed on the campus of Asheville School, Nov. 19, 1935, by R. B. WALLACE, Auk, Apr. 1936. 14. Evening Grosbeak ( Ilosporlphona vospertin a Cooper). A male and female killed at Chapel Kill, March" 8, 1522 from a flock which had stayed around the campus for several days, by Dr, W. C. COKER. Also seen at Salisbury, of the same year on Mar. 25 and Apr. 1, by E. M. HOFFMAN, E. E. BROWN, ot als. 15. Dickcissel ( Spiza america na Gmclin). A pair seen at Raleigh, on May 19, 1928, by L. II. SNYDER, L. A. WHITFORD and C. S. BRIMLEY. Also heard singing by J. C. CRAWFORD at Henderson- ville, on Aug. 6 of same year, at least two birds being hoard. In that same year there was quite an invasion of the Atlantic Coast states by this species. Page 4 THE CHAT April 1937 B. Species extinct at least in North Carolina, and men- tioned but not deemed entitled to recognition as North Carolina birds in the "Eirds of North Carolina” r. 1. Passenger Pigeon (Ectopi sted mlgratorius Linn,). Some additional data has come tc’"Tighw on this species. They were ob- served near Durham, (Higgs Mountain) as late as 1880 feeding on the acorns of a variety of dwarf oak. E. A. SEEMAN. Large flocks were seen flying over in Guilford County in Nov. 1880 and a num- ber stopped to roost in a clump of pines. One boy killed seven. J. J. BLAIR (March S, 1934)- I war also informed by G. M. GARREN that when a boy (in the eighties) he had seen enormous flocks near Asheville, but according to his mother they were small com- pared to what she had seen in the past. 2. Carolina Paroquet ( Con urc psis carolinen 3is Linn.), "Birds of North Carolina, p,”*T8"3. : , , 3 ivory .bUkd lAjcndp,. frr fcimfokxlu C A*OL,»+ />' '** C. Hybrid Warblers 1. Brewster's ’far bier <" Vewnj v ora le ucobronchialis Brewster). Raleigh, Sopt. 6, 1883, female, taken by H. H. BRIMLEY- Chapel Hill, one seen Aug. 25.. 1932.. oy E. P* 0D T JM . 2. Lawrence’s Warbler (Vemivora la wrer.cei Herrick). Rocky Mount, one seen June 20, 1138 by tie v , E~ JTl CtvAtGHILL and HUGH BATTLE, JR., and determined by oeing compared with the picture in Reed's "Bird Guide”. Another seer, next day be Dr,. Craighill. The bird on each occasion was busily engaged in picking insects from the base of the flowers of the Trumpet Creeper. Both were seen at close quarters. D- Additional Subspecies 1. Hutchin's Canada Goose (F-r anta canadensis h ut chi ns i Richu) One taken on Currituck Sound in iLPO. v '4 L. McATES, Auk, Vol. 43, p. 251-2, 1926, 2. Black Duck. Now divided into two subspecies, the Red- legged Black Duck ( Anas rubrlpe s rub rlpe s Br„), and the Common Black Duck ( Anas ru b rlpes prlstis Br , • .. ’ Both occur in North Caro- lina in winter, and the latter breeds sparingly ir coastal section. 3. Toxas Bob-white ( Polin a ~ vlr glr iair us soxan us Lawr . ) . In- troduced of late years into* central North Carolina to increase the population of "quail". I think ail our specimens came from northern Mexico. 4. Eastern Screech. Owl ( Otus asl o na ovius C-m.)., The Screech Owl has been divided into two races in theT east , the present one inhabits the western part of the state and northward, while the Southern Screech Owl ( Otus asio asio Linn.) occurs in the south- eastern states as far north as eastern Virginia, Page 5 THE CHAT April 1937 5, Florida Barred Owl ( Strix varia alien! Ridg.)„ One taken on Pamlico . River in ' Mid-iT ;xx ary, • 1336, 'ey Dr. ALEHArOLR. WI TMOaG. 6. Florida Night hawk ( Jnordeli os minor chapman! Coues). Breeds from central North Carolina Vcuthwnrd according to the Fourth edition of che A. •>. *7- Hock fir; 7. Southern Flicker ( Coir]:. t os auratue lut eus Bang 3 ) Our breeding birds belong hove."' t .n :; vFTrTVr bares ore probably mostly the Northern Flicker ( Co laptes Au.ran'.s aura tue Linn:.). 8. Florida Blue Jay ( ? y v .c c itta er hu hata f lo .-inco lo. Cones). Occurs on the coas o of North ii clTna"’~ar/l southward . according to A. 0. U. Checlc List, fourth edition, S. Southern Crow ( Corvu-c braoi.'.: rr y iehos waulus Howell ) .From lower Potomac and Ohio Valle/? So ah* Tin's woula "Wemingiy in- clude the breeding crows over nest of the Soane, while che winter birds would be at least mainly 1 in. e Br stern Crov (Corvus brachyr - hynchos brachyrhynchos Brchm) , 10. Prairie Marsh ./re r .'T- ims corg tec pains iris aissaeptus Bangs). Casual in migration.? W ~Jortl "‘'fa; olfria*. a 67 V, Check List, fourth edition. (V/c.yre hs Marsh Tlrsn ' Toinatodyt.es palustris v/ayne i Dingle and Spru.no should replace Marten's Harsh Wren, No. 324 of the "Biror s' T erta Ge ef Ir a ' ' 11. W ayn o ? s W a»b 1 e r f 1 erdiu. is • \ y i r e. breeding Black- 1 hr anted Or cerl 'Sero.7<~r '6~o: the east belong here-., uJ. »o the very carl; March and early April), yayr. ei Bangs) The f.ne cypress swamps of 'birds at Raleigh (in 12. Northern Ye? low- throat ( ieethlypls crl chas brachidactyla Sw. ) • I refer here tc the migratin', fTirds th7c**pass through Raleigh in early Ma ,r and have the reproductive organs undeveloped. 13. Athena Yellow 'threat i. Ge othiyp is tr icha s typhxcola Bur- leigh). Described since the last VVit Ion of the a, 0. T J -“‘Chock List. Mr. Burleigh includes V rds Hon the North Carolina coast from Tyrrell to New Hanover coi -r.bier and c there from Marion and Asheville. If this form is nci a [.Lowed bv the A. 0. U . Committee, our resident birds or. the c anal so 1 lid. presumably bo referable to the Florida Yellow-id red (Bern hir? c_ trichas. tvon cola Chapm. ) • 14. Alabama Tov.hee ( P ip h e 3~y Hpoht halnue -nxas bsr Howell). The breeding birds of idle" cousTe l * pi's, in Tel eng her*. , “but the White - eyed Towhee extends as far up at least as Bo.auf or r , , 15. Atlantic Song Sparrow ( Alolospiuo me India atlantica Todd). The breeding birds cf the "Banks’ 1 1. Viang’ F5r7 .**" Page 6 THE CHAT April 1937 E. Forms listed as Soecies in "Birds of North Carolina" but now considered subspecies of other forms also listed. 1. Nelson's Sparrov 1 i / .imr o j p j. 2 a c audacut a no 1 s on i Allen). Listed as a full species buT ’i'j , considered a companion subspecios of the Sharp- tailed Sparrow i. t t v . p lza caudacuta caudacuta Gm) which also occurs on our coast. F. Species drcepvc f..'or; the List. 1. Barrow's Goldeneye (Glaucionotta islandica Gm; ) • No authentic North Carolina records. 2. Swainson's Hawk ( Buteo swains oni Gm.), Although listed by Cairns from Buncombe County in his 1887 list, it was omitted in his later one and is therefore dropped. These additions and corrections make the total number of species on record 336 as stated in the first part of this pa- per, and in addition two forms usually considered hybrids but actually well marked forms whatever their statxis. This number will however be grought up to 378 if we count subspecies. WHY OF BIRD NESTS! H. H. Brimley It would seem reasonable to suppose that closely allied species of birds, of similar habits, would select nesting' sites and build nests more or loss uniform in character, but the facts do not boar out such supposition. Why do the five most common species of flycatcher that spend the summer in this part of North Carolina all build differ- ent types of nests in different situations? The Crested nests in a hollow tree or limb, frequently - perhaps in a majority of cases - using a piece of shed snake skin in the construction of the nest; the Wood Pewee saddles its compactly-built nest on a comparatively heavy limb; the Acadian Flycatcher selects for a nesting site a very slender horizontal fork near the end of the swaying branch of a Dogwood, or other similar tree. In this fork it constructs a frail little cup so slight in structure that the eggs can sometimes be seen thru the bottom of the nest from below; the Phoebe picks out the side of a disused well, the supporting beams beneath the planking of a bridge, a shelf on the side of an overhanging boulder, or some similar situation for a nesting site, and it use3 a quantity of soft mud for binding the structure together, while the Kingbird builds just a plain every-day bird's nest in just a plain every- day bush, or small tree. Among the hawks, tljc Duck Hawk, where such sites arc available, prefers a rock shelf on the face of an overhanging Page 7 THE CHAT April 1957 oliff, while the Marsh Kawlc nests on the ground. Other spocios of hawk nest in trees. The Scrcoch Owl and the Barrod Owl prefer a natural hollow for the purpose of raising their young and the groat Horned Owl more often than not deposits its eggs in a last year’s nest of some large hawk, or that of a crow. The Earn Owl has departed somewhat from the hollow- tree habit and often adopts the upper story of disused buildings for its nursery. A church stoeple is also a rather favorite site. The Snowy Owl and the Short-oared Owl nest on the ground while the Burrowing Ov:ls deposit tboir eggs and raise their young underground. Why 1 BIRD STUDY, GREENSBORO SCOUTS Scoutmaster Lacy L. McAllister. The course itself is a rather simple one. We arc devot- ing four meetings to the subject of bird study. At the first week's mooting wo had talks on how to study birds, and the re- quirements for the bird study merit badge. We also gave out Guil- ford County check lists to the boys. The second meeting will bo devoted entirely to the mak- ing of bird houses, the troop furnishing the lumber and nails, and each patrol bringing tools, etc. At the third mooting patrols will report on lists of identified birds said any nows items regarding feeding stations and bird houses. We will use a storcoptican at this mooting to show pictures of a composite list of birds seen during the month and additional birds to look for. A storcoptican will also be used to show pictures of twenty birds of value to agriculture, ten birds of value as destroyers of rats and mice, ton birds as destroyers of tree scale and lice. The fourth meeting will be devoted to checking up on what has been accomplished with also a talk on the subject of "What a Scout Can Do to Help Protect Birds". The main event of tho month will bo a trip to Raleigh by the entire troop on Easter Monday for the purpose of visiting the Museum. Probably one of the most helpful features will bo weekly bird hikes by patrols. Each patrol of eight boys will bo accom- panied cither by an adult or junior loader who has done specialty work in bird study. Those hikes will probably bo conducted on Sunday mornings, and I know one or two patrols are planning to got out early enough to cook breakfast. Page 8 THE CHAT April 1937 FIELD NOTES Rev. Francis H. Craighill ROANOKE ISLAND : It is well known that some birds, such as the Towhee, Barn Swallow and Song Sparrow, breed in the moun- tains and on the coast, but are absent in the breeding season from much of the intervening territory. Perhaps the Cowbird may be added to this class* On Sept. 4, 1935, a large flock was seen near Nag's Head feeding with cattle - probably a migrating flock as in the rest of the state. But on June 27, 1936, a single adult male was 3een on the narrow beach on the Sound side of Nag's Head, and later in the same day four Cowbirds were seen and clearly identi- fied feeding around the feet of cattle near Manteo. Flocks of 8 or 10 were seen on June 28 and 29, feeding with the cattle and perching on wires. Several small flocks, possibly the same bird3, were seen in the air at the north end of the island. The majority of those seen with the cattle had the appearance of young birds. Feb. 25, 1937, a flock of about 40 was 3een and studied perched in trees in the town of Manteo, and the next dc.j a Boy Scout bird student at Wanchese reported having shot three out of a flock and said that he found a Biological Survey band on the leg of one of them. He and his companions considered them as year round resi- dents, and called them by the local name of "Lice Eaters", prob- ably from their association with cattle. ROCKY MOUNT : The Pileated Woodpecker is already a rare bird in North Carolina , and squirrel hunters are making them rar- er; but they are still widely distributed. One observer has seen them this year in four counties, from the coast to the mountains, Tyrrell, Hyde, Edgecomtee and Henderson. Pine Siskins were seen frequently in Nash County during February, feeding on the ground and in sweet gum trees, but not in pines. One straggler chummed with a lone Myrtle Warbler and stayed in a back yard in the heart of the city from February 14 to March 3. At the point where Beech Branch crosses Highway 301 near Battleboro, Nash County, there is a wet meadow which is a favorite resort for Wilson's Snipe. They were there constantly this winter and even the snow and ice of last winter did not drive them away. On March 17th, fifty were seen in a space of about an acre. A flock of fifteen in close Sandpiper like formation came swinging in, and immediate inspection proved that they were really Snipe. The first Yellow- legs of the season, a solitary bird, was seen there on same date. The male birds of Redwings and Purple Grackles were well settled at their annual nesting places in Nash County by March 17th, and a few females were also present. Cowbirds and Rusty Blackbirds are also in evidence on their annual pilgrimage. Pago 9 THE CIIAT April 1937 DUCKS AND GEESE H. II . Brimlcy On the morning of March 13, 1937, on a boat trip up Nov/ River, Onslov; County, N. C., from the mouth of French's Crook to the mouth of Sou 'west Crook, a distance of about six miles, the following species of wild fori v/oro observed, the approximate number seen of each following the name of the species: Canada goose, 75; Canvasback, 100; Scaup - species indeterminable - mostly tho Lessor Scaup, 2,000; Ruddy Duck, 700; Bufflohead, 500 Goldeneye, 5; American Scoter, 5; others not identified, 500. I had never before observed Bufflohead in locks. PURPLE MARTINS Seen in two sections of Pamlico County - in migration(?) March 19, 1937, GEO. B. LAY. Scon in Elizabeth City, March 9, 1937. Mayor JEROME B. FLORA, in Ncv:s and Observer, At tho monthly mooting of the Raleigh Bird Club Monday, April 19, Dr. Z. P. Metcalf talked of "Warblers And Their Iden- tification" and Mr. J. H. Primrose talked on "Adventures With Birds". Dr, Motcalf furnished mimeographed keys for tho Identifi- cation of Warblers . THE BANDING OF HAWKS AND OWLS A request for cooporators in a hav.de and owl banding pro- ject has come to us from Mr. Richard H. Pough of tho National Association of Audubon Societies, He v.Titos: "The ordinary bird bander practically never has an opportunity to band hav.’ks ... If hawks and oris arc to be banded in significant numbers, it must be done by hundreds of field observers, each of whom knows the location of a few nests and will get someone with tree climbers to go up and band tho nestlings. Handicapped as it Is by lack of funds, the bird-banding division of tho Biological Survey cannot possibly issue regular banding permits to the number of people who might be in a position to assist with this valuable work. To overcome this difficulty, I have been issued a permit and bands for all sizes of hawks. "Ion 1 1 you urgo your readers to send to mo for any quantity from one up, that they can place on birds this spring, specifying species so that I can send correct sizes. A card will go with each band and will bo returned to me when the band is placed on a bird, and I will clear all records, both with tho Survey and the bander, when a return is recorded. Brooding grounds, wintering grounds, spring and fall migration, length of life, average yearly mortality---all these ' questions arc awaiting more liawk banding to furnish the answers* . .This will be a good test of tho willingness of tho amateur bird man to make the ef- fort necessary to help advance a branch of ornithological know- ledge through cooperative effort." THE RAVEN Page 10 THU CHAT April 1937 ADDITIONAL CHARTER MEMBERS N. C. B. C. J. C. Allison, 117 Ilillcrest Road, Raleigh, N. C. C* D. Benbow, Box 128, Tarboro, N • C® Miss Cicely Browne, 408 Dixie Trail, Raleigh, N« C® Dr. ’7m. Hand Browne, Jr., State College Station, Raleigh, N. C* Mr. C. M® Carson, 324 S. Tryon Street, Charlotte, N. C. Mrs. S. N. Clark, Tarboro, N. C, Mrs. 0. J. Daniel, 2021 Fairview Road, Raleigh, N. C. Mrs. Harry T. Davis, Raleigh, N. C. Mrs. M, A. Davis, Washington, IT • C. Wade Fox, Jr., West Court Street, Greensboro, N. C. N. Gist Gee, Greenwood, S. C* The Rev. 0. E. Gregory, First Presbyterian Church, Morganton,N.C • Mrs. W. E. Hamnett, Edneyville, N® C, Bertha Knox, Salisbury, N. C. Mrs. J. C. Little, 1210 Hillsboro St®, Raleigh, N. C. IT. C. Oberholser, Washington, D, C. E. P. Odum, Cleveland, Ohio. Miss Ann Westmoreland, Goldsboro, N. C. A. S. 'Wiliams, Pinehurst, N. C® SALISBURY and B LOWING ROCK: House Wren (3 pairs) nest- ing in bird box at Salisbury. Barn Swallow nesting at Blowing Rock. BEAUFORT : One of the property owners objected to the improvements to the property in the proposed fire line to protect the Lennoxville Heron Rookery, and the fire hazard still exists. ORTON: Churchill Brag aw reports Water Turkey and Herons have arrived at this favored spot in New Hanover County, HENDERSON bird lovers are planning a Henderson Bird Club, according to “a communication from Miss Claudia Watkins Hunter The Audubon Society, New York, acknowledges - with thanks - THE CHAT, and proffers the Club good wishes and coopera- tion. The Virginia Ornithological Society extends us a welcoming hand across the border. N. Gi 3 t Gee, Greenwood, S. C., sends us Bird Notes for his State. With ornithologists at the Charleston Museum and else- where in South Carolina, a similar State organization should take form there. EDITOR »S NOTE: Reminding : The North Carolina Bird Club was organized on Mar. 6, l'9’37 , with a State-wide attendance of 75. It Invites all those interested in birds to join. The cost is $1,00 per year, and the CHAT is the official publication. Charter members are accepted until May 6, 1937® TIE CHAT April 1957 Pago 11 With Editor John Grey in Scotland - in pursuit of birds now to him and his Doctorate - this issue of the CHAT is being prepared and mailed by the State Museum staff, with any necessary apologies . Members over the State are reminded to make their in- teresting contributions for the CHAT, And let some ornitholo- gist be so gracious as to make some concrote suggestions to be- ginners who earnestly wish to learn about our birds. THE ANNUAL MEETING: V. S. 0. The Seventh Annual Meeting of the Virginia Society of Ornithology will bo held in Richmond, Virginia, Friday and Satur- day, April 23 and 24, The Jefferson Hotel will be the headquart- ers and all meetings will be held there. There will be two pro- gram sessions on Friday, at 2:00 and 8:00 P, M., with the annual dinner in between. The Field Trip, to which only the morning on Saturday will bo given this year, will cover the Curie's Hock Region along the James River, where we had such an interesting trip during the former Richmond Meeting. Migrants should then be moving in full force through that part of the State. The starting time for the Field Trip will be announced at the Friday evening session. Mrs. Jurgens, Mrs. F. IV. Shaw and Miss Sara Snook have graciously invited the members going on the Field Trip to be their guests at a picnic field lunch at the close of the trip. ——THE RAVE1I The price of "Florida Bird Life" by A. H. Howell, pub- lished in 1932, ha3 boon reduced from "56 to '|33 postpaid. The bool: contains 579 pages and 37 color plates from original paintings by F. L. Jaques. Copies may bo obtained from the National Associa- tion of Audubon Societies, 1775 Broadway, New York City, or the Commission of C-amo and Fresh Tat or Fish, Tallahassee, Florida. — The Survey, January, 1937. THE RAVEN LEXINGTON: Prairie Horned Lark - nest and fledgeling with adult female on Golf Course - April 13, 1937, NELSON G. HAIRSTON, CHAPEL HILL NOTE: Tho most southern nesting records for nesting are East Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Southern Illinois, Southern Indiana, West Virginia, Eastern Pennsylvania, and possibly Now Jersey, (From "Birds of America" H.H.B.) The Chat BULLETIN OF THE NORTH CAROLINA BIRD CLUB PUBLISHED AT RALEIGH. N. C. John h. Grey, jr. Editor 1719 PARK DRIVE VOL I MAY- JUNE 1937 Nos • 3 — 4 BIRDS OP AN ATLANTIC VOYAGE John H. Grey, Jr. Three things surprise you about the birds seen on an ocean voyage. First, birds arc to be soon all the way across the ocean. Second, a severe storm which drives passengers indoors makes lit- tle difference to the birds; in fact, they seem to enjoy it. Third, most of the birds which you see are the ones that are sel- dom seen on land except when a storm drives them ashore. Our ship sailed from Norfolk on April 2, 1937, reached Le Havre, France on the 12th, then crossed to London the next day. The return trip started at Southampton May 18 and tho ship docked at Norfolk on the 27th. On each trip there was only one day on which we did not soe birds; the day on which we were a thousand to fifteen hundred miles from the English Channel. Other observers have seen birds on each day of their trip. It is probable that gulls follow ships most of the way across and turn back with ano- ther ship when near land. As far as I could observe, this did not happen with us. Herring Gulls followed us out of Chesapeake Bay and were observed as far out as 1200 miles. The flock that start- ed with us were about equally divided between mature and immature birds. This is easily noticed for the plumage of the mature bird is so different. Two days later there were no immature birds, and next day the only one we sighted was a bird with a broken foot which had not been with us previously. On the outbound trip from Norfolk, we had a northeast gale that blew for five days. The wind often exceeded 60 miles an hour. Handlines had to be put up for the crew to cross the aft deck which was an open one. In spite of the storm and rough sea, there were five species of birds that followed the ship from time to Page 2 THE CHAT May-June 1937 time. Often they would set their wings and catching a current of air sail into the wind much faster than the ship could sail. At night they settled down on the waves and rode them as securely as a cork floating on a millpond. Next morning they could overtake the ship in a short time. One gets a thrill in seeing birds which are rarely seen on land except when a severe storm drives them toward shore. My test way to identify them was .with’ thfe help of it# T. Peterson '3 A F’ield Guide to the Birds (Houghton Mifflin $2,75). This is the best bock for field worlT^ It is a pocket-size volume with illustrations in color and in black and white, with brief descriptions of the mark- ings and habits which differentiate one species from another which is similar. It helps you to know what to look for in identifying any bird. Capt. Cross of the SS CITY OF BALTIMORE was also inter- ested in birds and lent me his copy of Alexander's Birds of the Ocean (Putnam $4.50), This is the authoritative book on oceanic birds. Peterson's book was my best help, for with it one can iden- tify most of the birds he is likely to see. All the way over I looked for the Petrels, or "Mother Carey's Chickens" as the sailors call them. Only two were sighted and these were too far away to identify. They are much like our Purple Martins with a broad white band across their rumps. These birds are seldom seen near land, spending their waking hours on the wing or "walking on the water." This latter habit got them their name by its suggestion of the Apostle Peter trying to do the same thing. They nest in a burrow which they dig in the sand or turf of Islands far out in the ocean. On the trip home they wore abundant for four days. The first we re sighted when we were 1500 miles from Norfolk and the last I saw were skimming over the waves as night settled down when we were 150 miles from Cape Henry. Leach's Pet- rels were seen first. These have forked tails and a butterfly- like flight. When we got nearer shore none of these were seen and the first Wilson's Petrel was sighted. The two species did not overlap on this trip. Wilson's has a rounded tail, feet extended a little past the tail in flight, and a habit of flying more on a level than the Leach's. Wilson's have been recorded for North Car- olina upon three occasions; 1893, 1899 and 1936. Another family of birds seldom seen near land is the Shear- water. This is a gull-like bird, sooty brown or two toned, brown above and white below. Their distinctive habit is their flight just above the water in which they flap their wings rapidly several times and then sail. The Sooty Shearwater was more common. This is the one which is brown all over. We also saw many Greater Shearwater, the top of the head is blackish and sharply defined against the white of the throat. Some of the Shearwaters were us- ually in sight except when we were within a few hundred mile 3 of land. The Fulmar is somewhat similar to the Shearwaters, but has an entirely different flight. Its wings are spread as stiff as a board and it will remain poised against a stiff gale or glide through the air with beautiful grace. Suddenly it will glide down to pick up some oily refuse in the wake of the ship. Page 3 THE CHAT May- June 1937 In the English Channel we saw our first Gannet, a great white bird with black wing tips, and lemon color on each side of the head. This bird at times will rise to a good height and dive into the water after a fish. Sailors are said to nail a fish to a plank and tow it behind their boat to tempt the gannet who will dive for the fish and have its bill driven through the plank by force of its dive. The only ones seen were near the Channel. Two other birds were of particular interest; Jaegers and Vel- vet Scoter Ducks. The Jaegers are dark falcon-like sea birds that are said to chase and plunder the gulls. I saw only the Parasitic Jaeger, and not many of them. The Velvet Scoters were abundant in the harbor of Le Havre. In every direction they were to be seen as black corks bobbing on the water. As the ship drew nearer they rose and flew a short distance before alighting. As they rose the white wing bars were almost startling in contrast to the black body of the duck. The most common birds seen are the gulls. While gulls are really birds of the coast they followed our ship half way across the ocean. In come cases they have followed ships all the way across. Herring Gulls were the most numerous, then came Ring- billed. When we were 1200 miles from Norfolk on the outbound trip the Kittiwske Gulls began to circle around tho ship and were in sight for the rest of the trip. Farther along we saw many of the Great Black-backed Gulls. On the homeward trip one lone Herring Gull followed us for a day out of Southampton and one day out of Norfolk another Herring flew over the ship, but gave us scant no- tice. No other gulls were seen till we reached Old Point Comfort. Some Nests and Eggs of the Loggerhead Shrike Prom "The Reporter" Spring Number 1935 The Washington Field Museum - Washington, IT. C, (Used by permission) The Loggerhead Shrike ( Lanius luaovi cianus ) our only shrike typical to the Coastal region occurs at Washington quite frequent- ly, in winter. It begins breeding toward early spring, the breed- ing birds building their nests in shrubby growths several feet from the ground. As far as we have observed, the shrikes have a preference for sycamore trees as nesting sites in this vicinity. Tho domain of the Loggerhead at Washington is a certain local- ity containing rather young or low-growing sycamores averaging fif- teen or twenty feet in height. Nests are usually situated on the lateral branches about fifteen or twenty feet above the ground. Specimens examined wore made of the following materials: (1) Twigs (Sycamore); (2) Bark; (3) Leaf Stems (possibly of Sycamore leaves); (4) Paper; (5) String - two sizes found; (6) Rags; (7) Grass Stems, Coarse twigs constitute the bulk, while dried grass stems and a few feathers form the linings. Shrike nests while of coarse Page 4 THE CHAT May- June 1937 construction are certainly solid and of good make, ft might be added that on such twigs prey may conveniently be hung, especially during the nesting season. As the Shrike impales its little vic- tims, leaving them for possible future U3e, it has earned the name of "Butcher-bird.” While the nest3 of proceeding years are not re-occupied, it is evident that they are used in the building of new one s • On March 26 of this year (1935) the first eggs were observed. Since the female had been flushed from the nest on the preceeding day, we might refer to March 25 as the first date. The contents of the nest were five eggs of a light gray color. They were spot- ted rather thickly with purple. It is needless to state the dif- ficulty of observing these eggs. A continued snapping of the bills of these birds, mingled with a harsh chatter were the notes of welcome given by both parents. These conditions left a.n un- easiness in the mind which could only be quenched, by a retreating climb from the tree f ' January and February are the months when our Loggerhead Shrike is usually heard in song. Harsh, croaking notes form its only musical qualities. The song of these birds has been likened unto the noise made by a rusty windlass. As to the food habits of shrikes, we may add that ground snakes are to be found in its menu, while at Washington. Among the visitors to newly-plowed fields in spring, the shrike undoubtedly destroys untold numbers of insect pests. It is, however, more ire quently associated with the smaller fields or garden plots, where it renders a good deal of service to the small cultivator. This bird, so often confused with the Mocking Bird, is best identified by its drooping tail when it rests, dark band through the eye, and habit of flying very low after an abrupt decent from. its respective perch. It has been rightly accused of hanging its victims (some song birds) upon thorns to decay, although its gooa qualities should overrule this cruel trait. Our shrike is some- times termed "French Mockingbird". We must refer td our breeding bird as the true Loggerhead, it being the sub-species nesting in the coastal, region. The other form, the Migrant Shrike, has oeen. found breeding up the state. 101 Charter Members The Secretary has received the names and dues of 101 people who joined the N.C.B.C. before the deadline of May 6. No members have been received since then. The membership is drawn from thirty communities scattered over the whole state and Virginia, South Car- olina, Louisiana, District of Columbia, Ohio, New York and Maine, A good beginning for any club. The additional Charter Members are listed below: Page 5 THE CHAT May- June 1937 H. Churchill Brag aw, Washington, N. C. C. H. Brannon, N. C. Department of Agriculture, Raleigh, N. C. Ralph Brimley, Central High School, Winston-Salem, N. C. Miss Louise Busbee, 1818 Park Drive, Raleigh, N. C. Coit M. Coker, Box 950, Chapel Hill, N. C. Mrs. L. J. Francke, Glen Head, New York G. M. Garren, 15 W. Lenoir Street, Raleigh, N. C, George Seth Guion, 1701 American Bank Building, New Orleans, La. Mrs. John V. Higham, Carroll Drive, Raleigh, N. C. Miss Claudia Watkins Hunter, Henderson, N. C. Joe Jones, The Chapel Hill Weekly, Chapel Hill, N. C. Virgil Kelly, 212 Maple Avenue, Fayetteville, N. C. Mis3 Marion C. MacNeille, Pinebluff, N. C. Miss ^Flossie Martin, R. J. Reynolds High School, Winston-Salem Mrs. Jasper L. Memory, 405 Washington Street, Whlteville, N. C, Mrs. H. D. Pritchett, Box 1622, Charlotte, N. C. H. A. Rankin, Jr., 228 Hillside Avenue, Fayetteville, N. C. Miss Blanche Ross, Morganton, N. C. Maurice E. Stimson, Logan Stimson and Son, Statesville, N. C. Miss Ada B. Swan, Bryant Pond, Maine Mrs. Isaac M. Taylor, Morganton, N. C. Dr. James W. Vernon, Morganton, N. C. D. L. Wray, N. C. Dept. Agriculture, Raleigh, N. C. Omission in April CHAT On Page 4 of the April number of THE CHAT, insert under "B"- 3. Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis, Linn.) BIRDS OF NORTH CAROLINA p. 18TTT~ Information Wanted for Next Issue The next number of THE CHAT will cover all data thronigh July, and will appear in August. We would like to have any data regarding the spring migration; what birds you saw and when, the first time seen and last time. Also we would like to have a lot of information about nests: what bird nests did you find, were there eggs, young birds, or did you see tho parents feeding young birds just out of the nests. The dates of these nestings are important so please in- clude them. Also send in any other data you have. Some Good Bird Books BIRDS, Julius King, Bird Paintings by Allan Brooks. 10/ each for three volumes, 60 pag03 each. The best book that is cheap - buy them at Woolworth's Ton Cent Store. Colors are good, made from plates lent by the Audubon Society. Page 6 THE CHAT May- June 1937 BIRD GUIDE, Chester A. Reed, Douhleday, Page & Co., 230 pages, 75^. Handy for the pocket, but color not so good. A FIELD GUIDE TO THE BIRDS, R. T. Peterson, Houghton Mifflin Co., 167 pages, *2.75. The best book for anyone who wants to iden- tify birds, handy for the pocket, many illustrations and brief description of points to look for in identifying. BIRDS OF AMERICA, T. G. Pearson, Doubleday Doran & Co., 1936. 561 pages, 106 plates in full color, §3.95. A beautiful book which will increase in value in a few years. The Prairie Horned Lark Nest In the April issue of THE CHAT, Nelson G. Hairston had a note about finding the fledgling and adult of the Prairie Horned Lark ( Otocoris alpestris praticola ) at Lexington. This is not only the first record of this bird nesting in North Carolina, but also the most southern record for the Atlantic slope. In 1934, Dr. J. J. Murray and I found four nests of the Prairie Horned Lark at Lexington, Virginia. The year before it had been found across the mountains at Lynchburg. Dr. Murray claimed for these nests the southern limit up to that time for the Atlan- tic slope, (AUK Vol . LI, p. 380). The same year another nest was found thirty miles south of Lynchburg at Naruna (AUK LI, p. 524). Last year the AUK carried a note of a nest found at Washington, D. C., the first for the District (LII, p. 346). Since these birds often have two or more hope to hear more from Lexington ere long. The Henderson Bird Club Henderson organized their bird club with Connell is the President. Miss Claudia Hunter have been most active in getting the new club they have had several field trips and carry a HENDERSON DAILY DISPATCH. nests in a year we thirty members. Jas. and Mrs. Andrew Davis under way. Already "Bird Corner" in the Field Notes Pinebluff: Black- throated Blue Warbler and Rose-breasted Grosbeak were observed and identified by me April 18, 1937. ii-;;- Mrs • W. D. Shannon Lewiston : Purple Martins seem to bo growing fewer and fewer with They come each year between March 15 and 25. Their gourds us . Pago 7 THE CHAT May- June 1937 and boxes are always cleaned out, painted and stand on good strong poles whore cats and rats cannot "break through and steal", yet today I have only six couples in my Martin Apartment which could house fifty four. Can any member of the Club tell mo what is hap- pening to them? Also had no Goldfinches on my feeding table this spring. I have for the first time hundreds of what I think. are Pine Warblers. SHHHfrR . A. Urquhart Carteret County ; "The Open Grounds" On May 23, Harry Davis and I made a trip through the "Open Grounds", a very peculiar tract of country lying northeast of Beau- fort, between South River, which empties into Ncusc River estuary, and North River, which flows south into -Gore Sound. Wc drove for approximately twenty miles through this wild tract, which takes its name from the complete absence of trees 9 nothing but low bushes, ferns and other low growth showing over a territory that I estimated to be forty or fifty thousand acres in extent. Of course there is a growth of higher bushes along the banks of some of the larger drainage canals that intersect the tract; otherwise, it might well be called "barren grounds". I have known of the place as a fine torritory for door hunting for many years, and Davis had been through it before, but this was my first experience thore. Davis had already told me of the scarcity of bird life in this area, but I could never have imagined that a drive of twenty miles through any wild section of eastern North Carolina could have resulted in the identification of only throe species of bird3, and very few of each species seen. Even though driving at a very moderate rate of speed, we saw only the following: Crows (7), Red-winged Blackbirds (3 or 4), Quail (1). We also observed a medium-sized woodpecker - probably a Red-bellied, and one small bird that looked like a sparrow of some kind was seen to fly down the road ahead of the car. As this place has been stockod with Mexican Quail, the one seen very likely be- longed to that race. Verily, the "Open Grounds" offer little to the bird lover! -:;--:hh:-H . H. Brimloy Rocky Mount: First observations for spring migration # 1937. Chip- ping Sparrow (3/4), Rusty Blackbird (3/8), Cowbird (3/10), Purple Gracklc (3/ll), Yellow Logs (3/16 - Spoclcs ?), Purple Martin and Bittern (3/22), Maryland Yellow Throat (3/23), Black and White Warbler and Great Blue Heron (3/29), Whlto-cyod Viroo, Louisiana Water Thrush and Rough-winged Swallow (4/l), Osprey (4/2), Blue- gray Gnatcntcher (4/3), Ye How- throated Warbler (4/8), Water Thrush, Hooded Warbler and Yellow- throated Viroo (4/9), Chimney Swift (4/11), Long-billed Marsh Wren, Tree Swallow and Black-crowned Night Heron (4/12), Kingbird and Spotted Sandpiper (4/14), Houso Wren (4/l6), Redstart (4/l7), Wood Thrush, Prothonotary Warbler, Red-eyed Viroo, Greater Yellow Logs, Yellow Palm Warbler, Little Page 8 THE CHAT May-June 1937 Blue Heron, Solitary Sandpiper and Prairie Warbler (4/19). Catbird (4/20), Grasshopper Sparrow, and Crested Flycatcher (4/21), Rose*- breasted Grosbeak (4/22), Orchard Oriole (4/23), Bobolink and Yel- low-breasted Chat (4/24), Barn Swallow (4/25), Golden-winged and Parula Warbler, Summer Tanagor (4/26), Nighthawk, Scarlet Tanagor and Yellow Warbler (4/27), Green Heron and Ruby-throatod Humming- bird (4/28), Wood Peweo (4/29), Blue Grosbeak (4/30), Ovenbird (5/l), Egret (5/2), Indigo Bunting, Black- throated Blue Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, Bicknoll's Thrush and Voery (5/3), Yellow- crowned Night Heron, Gray-chcokcd Thrush and Cuckoo (Sp. ?) (5/l0), Blackpoll Warbler (5/ll), Pectoral and Least Sandpiper and Kentucky Warbler (5/13). Last Observations: Pine Siskin (3/4), Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (3/ll), Fox Sparrow (3/22), Golden-crowned Kinglet, Brown Creeper and Purple Finch (4/3), Pigeon Hawk (4V8), Song Sparrow (4/12), Ruby-crowned Kinglet (4/l3), Junco (4/15), Horned Grebe (4/l6), Hermit Thrush (4/19), White-throated Sparrow (4/20) (C. D. Bonbow), Blue-winged Teal (4/21), Red-breasted Merganser and Wilson's Snipe (4/26), Picdbilled Grebe (4/29), Myrtle Warbler (5/5), Savannah Sparrow (5/7), Greater Scaup Duck (5/14). *:hhh;-F. H. Craighill Raleigh : Loon (5/18), Piod-billod Grebe (5/20) (R.C.), Solitary Sandpiper (5/7-20), Greater Yollowlegs (5/l6) (R. C.) Least Sand- piper (5/18-20), Somi-palmatcd Sandpiper (5/18), Yellow-billed Cuckoo (5/15) (R.C.), Wood Powce (4/l9), Acadian Flycatcher (5/l) (R.C.), Pino Siskin ( 4 / 2 ), White-throated Sparrow (5/l8), Swamp Sparrow (5/2), Indigo Bunting (5/l), Scarlet Tanagor (4/30-5/18), Cedar Waxwing (5/l5), Prothonotary Warbler (5/l6) (R.C.), Magnolia Warbler (5/18), Worm-eating Warbler (5/18) (R.C.), Water Thrush (4/27-5/18-.), Yellow-breasted Chat (5/l), Catbird (4/23), Wood Thrush (4/21), Veory (5/3 - in back yard) (Dr. Wm. Hand Browne, Jr.), Gray-cheeked Thrush (5/18-22) (R.C.) ■SKRHi-C • S. Brimloy and Roxie Collio 4 i The Chat BULLETIN OF THE NORTH CAROLINA BIRD CLUB PUBLISHED AT RALEIGH. N. C. John H. Grey. jr.. Editor 1719 PARK DRIVE VOL I July- August 1937 Nos .5-6 WORLD-WIDE PROTECTION OF BIRDS By Dr, T, Gilbert Pearson, New York City Chairman The International Committee for Bird Preservation was founded on June 20, 1922, when in response to invitations by the writer, promi- nent ornithologists of England, France and Holland met with him in a plan for stimulating international cooperation in After due deliberation. Lord Edward Grey of Fallodon "that for the purpose of coordinating and encouraging of birds, it is desirable that an International Com- London to discuss bird protection, offered a motion the preservation mittee should be such a Committee constituted and that steps should be taken to have terested in the a Committee." formed by asking societies in different countries in- preservation of birds to nominate members to form such The motion was unanimously adopted. On subsequent occasions, in order to arouse interest in extend- ing the organization, the writer visited thirteen European countries, some of them several times. Leading scientific and conservation or- ganizations have now formed national sections in twenty- eight conn tries distributed through all the continents, as well as in Australia and New Zealand. It has been my pleasure to preside over the meetings of this movement held on an average of about every two years. These assemblies have been in London, Peris, Luxembourg, Geneva, Amsterdam, Oxford and Brussels. The next international gathering is planned to convene in Rouen in May 1938. The Vice-chairmen of the Committee are the well-known ornitholo- • gists, Jean Dolacour of France and Dr. P. G. Van Tienhoven of Holland. The chief secretarial office Is in Brussels, in charge of Loon Lip- pens. The Sub-secretary is Miss Phyllis Barclay-Smith whose office is at the London Zoological Gardens. Page 2 THE CHAT July- August 1937 In Europe, the work of the Committee has dealt with many prob- lems, notably oil pollution, market and shipments of migratory Quail, the western European wild-fowl situation, and especially deliberations concerning amendments to the Paris Bird Treaty of 1902. This treaty, the first in the world for bird protection, although it contains many good points ha 3 proved to be very inadequate. After many years of discussion a tentative agreement regarding necessary changes was adop- ted by the European Sections of the International Committee at their three-day session held in Vienna during July of this year. Since retiring as President of the National Association of Audu- bon Societies in October 1934, after thirty years constant service in its behalf, I have been devoting my entire time to this International Movement, especially as it affects birds in the Western Hemisphere. This work is also officially one of the branches of the National Asso- ciation of Audubon Societies. Of late it has been possible, with the aid of the United. States diplomatic and consular service, to secure copies of all the laws affecting bird-life in the West Indies, Central America and South America. With few exceptions there are appallingly few laws to protect wild birds and mammals. Ten of these countries have not the slightest protection for birds, and in many others tho laws are very inadequate. For example, in Honduras the only place wild-life is mentioned in the statutes i3 in a sentence which makes it illegal to hunt game with rifles of the same calibre as used by the Honduran ArmyJ The only countries in the Americas that have anything like a serious system of bird and gome laws, increasingly supported by public opinion, are Canada and the United States. There has been a pronounced awakening on the subject in Argentina and to some extent in Brazil,, but in most of the other countries there is little done in the way of bird preservation as we in this country understand the subject. The bird treaty between the United States and Canada, which be- came operative in July 1918, was in March 1937 amended to include sim- ilar treaty regulations with Mexico. To stimulate further cooperative activity between the throe countries, the annual convention of the International Association of Game, Fish and Conservation Commissioners was hold in Mexico City, August 23-27, 1937, which the writer was privileged to attend. Many state game department and federal officials, as well as representa- tives of conservation organizations, were at this important gathering. To my mind, it is clearly our duty to acquaint the people of other American countries with tho experiences of Canada and tho United States in dealing with bird-preservation problems, to tho end that their peoples may profit by our succes30ss and our many errors. Furthermore, we have a very great personal interest at stake. . Many of our birds pass nearly as much of the year in countries to the south of us as they do in thoir summer nesting and their migration territories* If the birds are preserved only here and arc killed with little restraint after they cross our southern boundaries in autumn, what doth it profit us in tho long run? Page 3 THE CHAT July- August 1937 Large numbers o.f twonty-ono species of our wild ducks migrate south of our ^ country, some going oven to Chile. Of the Plovers, Yel- Snipe, Curlews and other Shore-birds, the bulk of forty-five kinds breeding in Canada or the United States leave us for about six months. With the exception of the Wilson's Snipe, these species are- protected at all times while with us, but virtually none of them re- ceives the slightest protection in the West Indies or in any country south of the Rio Grande River. This spring I found Blue-winged Toal in Puerto Rico being shot four months after the season for hunting them in the United States had closed, and about the same time found Shore-birds being killed in the -‘- saano - s » On the other hand I witnessed in Puerto Rico in April oi this year the passage of an up-to-date game lav;. By this action, ^ lt ?° becomes the first island in the West Indies to enact such an ci f active law. It was largely brought about by the work and influ- ence of that fine young Virginia ornithologist, J, Adgcr Smyth, at the present time connected with the Insular Department of Agriculture and Commerce. The writer - would be much ploasod to communicate with any one who xias made any observations regarding the undue killing of birds in var- ious countries. Letters may be sent to tho International Committee for aird Preservation, Room 841, 1775 Broadway, New York City. •*- n concluding I may mention that this international work, which „ have done what I could to foster, has of necessity cost some money j.or various expenses. To the present time the amount thus expended by J -°rk office has boon something like $35,000, the collection of which has been one of the wri tor's various duties. A DECREASE IN THE PURPLE MARTINS By Mayor Jerome B. Flora Elizabeth City, N. C. Through obsc rvation and from contact with others interested in ™ a rtins, there has been, in the past year, a marked decrease in the number arriving in the spring. I have also been in conversation with a Purple Martin fan from Newbury, S. C., and he told me that this year one pair arrived in the spring where heretofore his boxes were filled, ~ asked him to what he attributed the shortage. He advised that he read in some farm paper or journal that this condition wa 3 general ° V< ? r ^u area occupied by these birds on their visit to North America and thac the shortage was due to a poisonous spray that was being used by uhe Brazilian coffee growers. It seems that the Martins feed off oi particular insects that were found over the coffee plantations, and .-. spray was used to protect the coffee from a disease. These insects ^bsorbed this poison and the Martins in turn suffered fatal results, Jntil I learned this I was of the opinion that maybe the Martins, in tneir migration, had come in contact with the tropical storms, or hur- ricanes, that originate in or around the Gulf of Mexico. Rage 4 THE CHAT July- August 1937 In regards to the migration of these birds, I have noticed no particular difference in early migration of the adult bird or the young. I am at a loss to explain their early leaving this year from this vicinity, I noticed ton days later Martins in and around their boxes near Kill Devil Hill Life Saving Station on Dare County coast. However, every Martin in Elizabeth City loft the week of July 20, I saw by the newspapers that the Martins began to gather in and around Beaufort around the middle of July, If you wish to trace the poison theory that I mentioned, I refer you to Mr. Thomas 0. Stewart, 905 Commercial National Bank Building, Charlotte, N. C. Mr, Phillips Russell in his "Carolina Calendar", in the Raleigh NEWS AND OBSERVER has often quoted Mayor Flora on Purple Martins, We wrote him asking about the relative number of Martins this year as com- pared with past years, and the above is his reply, R. A. Urquhart of Lewiston, N, C,, asked last spring if many others had noted a decrease in the number of Martins, as his boxes could house fifty-four couples and had only six. Recently in "Carolina Calendar" someone challenged the statement of Mayor Flora that the Martins had left the section around Elizabeth City the week of July 20, They cited seeing Martins while at Manteo the week of August 20, I also noticed a number of Martins in Currituck County and at Roanoke Island on August 20, While they wore fairly numerous, they were all immaturo birds. The young bird.3 are light on the breast and undorparts like the adult female, The young males do not have the dark underparts like the adult male until the next molt. In all the birds I saw there was not one with dark underparts. This would elimi- nate the adult males from these birds, though it would not prove that there were none of the adult females, because of the similarity of col- oring with these and the immaturo birds of both soxes. It is highly probable that all of the birds wore immaturo ones that had migrated from farther north, and that all the North Carolina birds, both the adult and the young had already moved southward. The week of August 23-28, 1937, the Martins wore abundant on the south shore of Chesapeake Bay between Capo Henry and Ocean View, On Monday, the 23rd, I saw a flock of over a thousand perched on the light wires , They had been numerous that week before, but not as abun- dant as this. The flock increased all through the week until on Thurs- day they wore over two thousand. On Friday, the 27th, they wore not scon and less than a hundred wore soon all day, and on the 28th I did not notico any. Of e.ll this numbor, there was not one that was an adult male. Nor wore any of them flying around the numerous Martin boxes that had boon used by the birds all summer. Those observations would seem to indicate two things. First: the local Martins had already migrated and those birds were not the ones that had nested there this summer , Second: the adult birds . migrated this summer before the immature birds. Now . Page 5 THE CHAT July-August 1957 what we would like to know is whether this is common or not. None of our bird books throw any light on the matter. -Editor BREEDING HABITS OP THE LEAST TERN By Mrs. Gertrude W. Page Aberdeen, N. C. On May 18, 1937, great numbers of Least Tern ( Sterna an till arum antillarum ) were seen laying their eggs on a low barren sandy pointy which' is the north shore of New River Inlet, Onslow County, N. C, No doubt I should have said they were nesting but there was no smallest sign of a nest, not even a depression in the sand. When our party ar- rived we saw a great flock of these small tern swarming like bees all over the sand spit to a height of about thirty feet. On very close inspection we found hundreds of eggs carelessly laid on the sand; some were in pairs and in one case we saw three together. They were barely above high tide lino a.nd were as close as two to three feet apart, each valiantly guarded by an anxious bird that knew her own nest un- erringly and ran off other bird intruders as well as human and animal. Our boat was anchored on the inland side of this sand spit for^ four days, by which time all the nests had two eggs and quite a number had three beautiful grey eggs larger than a robin’s and covered with un- even brown spots so they took on the appearance of the tiny high lights and shadows of the sand itself. The birds kept up an incessant screaming from dawn until dusk and made many short restless flights. We noticed that they never roso directly from the eggs but ran off some little distance before taking wing, and returned to their nests in the same indirect way. During tho heat of the day the birds were never on the eggs but when a shower came up they covered them at once. On June 19, we returned to the sand spit and found the birds still there though not in 3uch great numbers. Some of tho eggs we re much as we had left them, some had boon washed away by unusually high tides, and many had hatched into the most amazing patches of down , marked exactly as tho eggs had been, with small dark brown blotches. The parents guarded these very closely though made no actual attack on a human intruder who chanced to have a koen enough eye to discover the motionless downy youngster. Wo were on our knees examining one of these closely when suddenly it roso up on its big feet and ran like a deer, to squat invisibly ton or fifteen yards away. Two weeks later we went back and found most of the birds gone though there were some not quite grown that could fly only a few yards tut could and did outrun the wind. The parents seemed to ho with those and did much to distract attention from the young. It was all a most interesting bit of bird life to have witnessed although wo were sorry that no one in our party had sufficient know- ledge of birds and their habits to make intelligent observation of these boautiful tern. ® THE CHAT July-August 1937 A NEST OP THE RED-EYED VIREO By Miss Grace Anderson Statesville, N. C. hangs a nest between a Willow Oak’s forked twig. mad.e beau- 17 , we • i , o. MJ.HUU uaji’a xux‘K.«U twig, ribaned paper, lichen and spider’s web. On June There tiful with £S n !?J U ?M fi0ld Susses on quivering leaves high above and saw the ^ed-eyed hreo sewing her nest, using the overhand stitch, until it a 4 ny basket of weed stalks, grasses and inner barks °f h t * , S *J e a ^ a P® d the whole in soft trim of white paper-lichens- S JJ?' oth ® d and plucked them, approved the effect with head turnings * 3 any woman plucks and approves a frilly dress, intermittently xor three days we watched the builder quietly working, layer of hair was brought her joy burst into° uAeet twitterings. She is the architect while her mate is proficient a tongwinded., pleasant-voiced orator, or as a new-fangled musician. Is he talking, or is he singing? The day her work was done, her mate, of the doubtful profession, rose to near the top of thoir tree and in his pleasantly-serious , mo- notonous voice proclaimed it good. He perched in one spot, publishing his happiness for eight minutes. There were moments when his voice leii to. a half-still, whispering sweetness that we have heard when birds sing near their nests. The nest hangs thirty feet up, and three t ? ± } ve e SGS will soon fill the cup-shaped home. Usually the nest is within ten feet of the ground in smaller trees but it is not unusual to find them as high as this. The Red-eyed, most but not abundant within He tells his beads over loft, from dawn to eve, ing, dashing and thon a "Tony Weller" describes the gab wery gallopin." among the clergy and gave the part of a deliberate orator who explains his ./ores, and then makes a pause for his hearers to seems it?" common of the Vireos, is a summer resident, Statesville. His song alone will identify him. and over in the green light of the birds choir from May to August. To us his manner of speak- pause, recalls Dickens » "Mr. Jingle". Dickens’ that individual’s loquacity as? "The gift o* It was Mr. Wilson Flagg who "Placed the Vireo him the name of 'Preacher Bird.' He takes subject in a few reflect upon it. He . - r - ~ w -I-'-' w O' UJJUll -L L> • lie; to say? You see it, you know it, do you hear me? Do you believe Mr. F. S. Matthews says the Red-eyed "has something to say at all times ana under all circumstances." We know of one timo that did him honor. ^Last year’s BIRD LORE reported the death of a bird-lover. The writer told of the funeral when beautiful appreciations were expressed i or the man who had spent half a life time in working for bird preser- vation, As the last words were spoken at the grave a bird’s voice carried on the service. It was a Red-eyed Vireo paying last respects. THE PIED- BILLED GREBE CAN WALK By C. S. Brimley and Miss Roxie Collie Raleigh, N. C. On August 7, 1908, a living adult specimen of this species was Page 7 THE CHAT July- August 1937 brought to Mr. Brimley and he proceeded to test out its method of pro- gression. lie found that it would walk or stand upright with the tar- sus and tibia held in an approximately vertical position either moving or stationary; neck also vertical. Again, on August 13, 1933, another specimen was brought him alive, this time an immature specimen which had been caught and had its wing clipped to keep it from flying. This 3 pec 5. men would run in an upright position but always flopped down on its breast whenever it stopped moving. It was returned to the donor who released it on the nearest pond. On March 23, 1935, an adult female Pied-billed Grebe was captured alive at the city water plant and donated to the State Museum, then the specimen was released on the floor of the workroom, it assumed an upright position, holding the tarsi and tibias nearly vertical and was capable of either walking or standing still. FORSTER’S TERN AT ROCKY MOUNT By Rev. Francis H. Craighill Rocky Mount, N. C. On August 27 a twelve-year old boy killed a strange bird on the City Lake with a boat paddle. Randolph Butler, one of our young nat- uralists among the Scouts identified it as a Forster's Tern ( Ster na forstcri). I have inspected and checked it carefully and he i3 un- quo s t ionably correct. He has mounted the bird nicely and it is pre- served for future inspection or use. This i3 the first inland record of this bird for North Carolina. It has been reported along the coast a few times. The only other records we have for the State are those in THE BIRDS OF NORTH CAROLINA :(pg. 36-37). It was mentioned by Coues as a migrant and a winter resident at Fort Macon in 1871, and Bishop found it at Pea Island July 23-Augu3t 20, 1904. The only place at which it Is known to nest on the Atlantic Coast is near Cobb ’3 Island, Virginia, where Dr. J. J. Murray found some twenty pairs nesting in June this year (THE RAVEN Vol. VIII, No. 6 pg. 42). One reason for the lack of records for this bird is the fact that it Is hard to distin- guish from the Common Tern. The best way to distinguish them is said to be their notes, a rasping "za-aap" instead of the harsh "tee-arrr of the Common Tern. CHARTER MEMBER By mistake, MRS. ANDREW J. DAVIS, Henderson, N. C., was not in- cluded In the last list of Charter Members. GOOD BOOKS ABOUT BIRDS ADVENTURES IN BIRD PROTECTION, An Autobiography by Thomas Gilbert Page 8 THE CHAT July- August 1937 Pearson. D. Apple ton-Century Co#, New York, 459 pages, $3.50. This book has much in it about our N. C. birds. Dr. Pearson attended Guilford College because they traded him two years of college work for his collection of bird eggs. He then went to Chapel Hill, graduating in 1099. Then he taught at Guilford and at the Woman's College in Greensboro. In 1902 he helped found the N. C. Academy of Scioncc and the Audubon Society of N. C, Through this latter group he induced the State Legislature to pass a law protecting song and insectivorous birds — the first Southern state to do this and to have game wardens. At times the book roads like a western thriller, for his adventures have included catching and prosecuting outlaws, game hogs and pot h inters. One chapter deals with the fight to abolish the trade in bird feathers sold for hat ornaments. In the New York Legislature tho opponents of the bill said it would only protect birds of other countries and not our own birds which were not used as ornaments. Dr. Pearson presented a "Chanticleer Bow", offered for sale in a local store, which has on it the head of a skylark. Some of these birds had recently boon breed- ing on Long Island. It is a good book for any library, and well worth reading for its North Carolina history, its information about birds and the life of an interesting man. NEW BOOK OP BIPiDS, National Geographic Society, Washington, D. C. 2 vols. 738 pages, 231 photographs, 17 migration maps, 204 full-page color plates by Major Allan Brooks. $5.00 for the sot. These two volumes are just off tho press. They contain articles published re- cently in tho GEOGRAPHIC by such authorities as Alexander Wotmore , T c Gilbert Pearson, Arthur A. Allen, Robert Cushman Murphy and Frederick C. Lincoln. Accurate information about more than 600 species of our birds, and colored pictures of 950 birds by one of our best ornitholo- gical artists. WHAT TO LOOK FOR THIS FALL So many of our members have written the Editor asking him how to study birds, and whether such and such information was important, that he offers these suggestions. Keep a list of the birds you seo this fall and the dates on which you see them. Some of these birds you see are Permanent Residents of your community: they are with you all through the year. Of the 115 species of birds listed by C. S, Brimley as having been seen around Raleigh up to 1930, 46 are permanent resi- dents. If you do not know which birds are permanent residents of your community, you can soon learn them by checking your list to see which birds you have seen every month. The other birds on your list may be divided into four groups: Transients, or birds that have nested farther north and are passing through on their way to their winter home; Winter Visitors, that have nested farther north and will winter in your locality, leaving you in the Spring; Summer Visitors, who have nested locally and will leave this fall to spend the winter farther to tho south; Stragglers who just happen to come into your community because of a storm or happen Page 9 THE CHAT July- August 1937 to wander off their beaten course. The Forster's Tern at Rocky Mount would be classed there as a straggler, while along the coast it would be classed as a transient for that would be its natural course in migration. • The Transients ; Since these birds will spend a few days or a few weeks with you, it will be interesting to note when you see them first and also the last date on which you noticed them. You may not know which birds on your lint arc transients, so the ones seen at Raleigh are listed below according to the first dates on which Brimley noted them. Your list will not be identical of course, but this may serve as a check. It was too much trouble to give the departure dates for all, so only the month of arrival and the approximate order is given. In August; Barn Swallow, Bobolink, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, Sora, Osprey, Blackburnian Warbler, Vecry and Baltimore Oriole, In September; Pigeon Hawk, Scarlet Tanager, Black- throated Greon Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Black- throated Blue Warbler, .Long- billed Marsh Wren, Bicknoll's Thrush, Blackpoll Warbler, House Wren, Olive-backed Thrush and Connecticut Warbler* In October: Gray- cheeked Thrush and Rusty Blackbird, The Winter Visitors : The important date for these is the first time you" see them • Next spring you will bo interested in how late they stay with you, but just now it is whan they arrive. They arrive in Raleigh as follows: In August: Piodbill Grebe and Marsh Hawk.* In September: Cowbird, Rodbreastod Nuthatch, Yellow Palm Warbler, Savan- nah Sparrow, Wilson ' 3 Snipe, Bewick's Wren, Winter Wren and Yellow- bellied Sapsuckcr. In October: White-throated Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Towhee, Ruby Kinglet, Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Swamp Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Myrtle Warbler, Hermit Thrush, Pipit, Fox Sparrow, Junco, Purple Grackel, Purple Finch and Coot. The Stragglers : No one can say which birds will fall in this class. Any of the ' more than 600 species in America may come to your locality. If you list a bird about which you are not sure, write THE CHAT and we will tell you what we know about it* The important thing to the North Carolina Bird Club is that you send in to the CHAT your list, or rather a duplicate of your list. In this way you will add to the knowledge of the distribution of the bird over the state, and also holp C. S, Brimley who has been sending migra tion records for the state to the Biological Survey for more than fifty years. So send in your li3t . FIELD NOTES Statesville : My Brown Thrasher returned 3/20, (3/21/36). The second nest was found the last of June, 9 feet up in a privet hedge. The young birds had hatched on July 4. The first bird left the nest on July 16. Rod-eyed Viroo returned to yard 4/10 (4/30/36). The first nest was completed 6/19, 30 feet up in a Willow Oak. Young birds heard in nest 7/l2. On the 17th first bird loft ncst--and parent birds did not feed it all day but brought much food to two others, one , Page 10 THE CHAT July- August 1937 In the nest and the other a few inches outside. Next day, 18th, the first bird to leave the nest was making short flights in the yard. The Red-eyed Vireo stopped singing in July, but with August there’ is an occasional song. The House Wren left the nesting box on 6/16, this was a first nest. The bird chorus has dwindled during July and August, with brief songs at dawn of the Cardinal, Carolina Wren, Dove and Wood Pewee . Never a day passes without the Pewee’s song. Lately the Brown Thrasher sings more and the Yellow- throated Vireo is softly laughing as he runs a practical eye over the leaves. Also the Goldfinches and Maryland Ye 11 ow throats are singing. -Grace Anderson Pinebluff ; A Red-eyed Vireo has been observed feeding a young bird during the latter part of August; the 25th is the last date ob- served. This is an unusually late date for young birds of this spe- cies. Mr. C. S. Brimley in his Raleigh Bird List (1930) gives June 17 as the latest date on which he found eggs of this Vireo. Marion Neille Raleigh ; In the summer of 1935 Mr. J. C. Allison of Raleigh noted a curious fact regarding a pair of bluebirds that nested in a bird box on his lot. They raised three broods, nothing extraordinary about that, but he did feel that he had run across a new phase of bird life when he found that the young birds of the second brood helped their parents in feeding the third brood of young. The third nest it may be stated was started while the parent birds were still feeding their second brood. Miss Roxie Collie saw six tree swallows near Boone ts Pond on June 20, which is the first summer record for North Carolina. Nestling birds are full of troubles, not only are they usually bothered by the Northern Fowl Mite, which infests the nests and sucks the blood of its inmates, but there is a kind of blue-bottle fly which lays its eggs in birds' nests and the maggots suck the blood of the nestlings in the nest. C. S. Brimley bred about twenty of these flies from a phoebe ' s nest which Miss Collie had collected about a week pre- viously. The flies emerged July 8 to 10, 1937. C. S, Brimley NAG'S HEAD AND RD ANOKE ISLAND June 6-11, 1937 The Cowbird seems to be an all year round resident on Roanoke Is- land. It was seen there and on Bodie Island last year the latter part of June, and again this year on June 8. A flock of 150 was seen in Manteo Feb. 25 and 26, Scout Executives Sigwald and Mozo sharing the observation. A Boy Scout of Wanchese reported killing a Cowbird on Feb. 13, wearing Biological Survey leg band No, 201,261. Ho and his companions seemed familiar with the birds and able to differentiate them from other blackbirds, and called them by the local name of "Lice eaters", presumably from their association with cattle. He thought Page 11 THE CHAT July-August 1937 that they were present throughout tho winter, which, w mild. this year, was The Black Duck is present at all seasons in this area and breeds in considerable numbers in a marsh in the interior of Bodie Island, Ospreys have a group of nests in plain sight from the highway near Manteo. Barn Swallows, Meadow Larks, Towhees, Seaside Spar r or/ s and Boat-tailed Grades were abundant. Two family groups of American Eagles were seen, and one group of two adults and two young were under observation for an hour. A dead Gannet and dead Loon were found on the beach, relics of some winter storm. Five Least Bittorns were seen in the salt Marsh on Bodie Island, At the time of this visit, June 6 - 11, there were many loft over winter birds. About twenty Red Breasted Mergansers were seen each day, all of them in female plumage. Other winter birds still present were the Least and Western Sandpipers, Greater Yellow Legs, Sanderling, Black Bellied and Semi-palmated Plovers and Ruddy Turnstone. Some of these birds were crippled, but most of them soemd in excellent health and spirits. Bird high lights of other summer trips included finding Wilson’s Petrol abundant on Chesapeake Bay and New York harbor; Black Ducks nesting in Delaware and Hew York; some of our winter birds and migrants in their summer homes on Long Island and In Connecticut; an albino Flicker at Frederick, Md., and abundant Juncos on Grandfather Mountain. - F, H. Craighill Nag’s Head : On August 3, while visiting at the cottage of Wil- liam Joyner, I saw a nost of the Barn Swallow, located on the porch of the cottage. There were young in the nest. The adult bird would alight on tho railing of the porch, within ton feot of the people who were sitting there. This is a very lato dato for young birds, -H, II. Brimley Rocky Mount Region ; A nest of tho Red Shouldered Hawk was under observation during the month of May, and was visited, by several inter- ested bird lovers. It was in a pine tree, about forty foot from the ground, and contained only two nestlings. They wore easily observed, grew very fast, and developed into handsome bards. One left tho nest May 28, and the second on May 31, but both stayed around the nest until June 12, Thousands of Purple Martins gather in Rocky Mount every summer, roosting in trees and preparing for tho migration, A small band of about a dozen was first observed at tho annual gathering place on May 8, and by May 31, had grown to sovoral hundred; but the big flocks were not in evidence until early July, The biggest band numbers about • 5,000, and thoro are several smaller groups, Tho big group left on the night of Aug, 13, (last year on Aug, 12) and others have gone since, but at the present writing, Aug. 24, there aro still many remaining. Chimney Swifts in Rocky Mount also leave their homo chimneys Page 12 THE CHAT July- August 1937 after the nesting season and gather In some large chimney. In recent years they have favored church chimneys for this purpose. They leave about the middle of October. The Yellow Crowned Night Heron has again been the most numerous heron of this neighborhood during May and June. The first young birds were seen in company with their parents on June 23. It is confidently believed that there is a nesting place nearby, but it has not been located. These birds do not seem to bo any more nocturnal m their habits than other herons, and are rather gentle and easily observed. The adults disappear in July about the time other varieties of herons arrive, but the young birds linger longer. Three Snowy Egrets, unusual inland, visited "Beech Branch" in early August and remained about a week. The Louisiana Heron was seen in the same place last year. Thirty Wood Ducks were seen In one flock on the "Old Town" marsh. Three of Rocky Mount’s younger naturalists, of college freshman age, were present with an older observer. Two of those boys have interest- ing collections of mounted specimens, and one of them makes spirited and accurate bird drawings well worthy of reproduction. They are tireless rangers, and have made a number of additions, authenticated bv collected specimens, to the bird list of the Rocky Mount area-, F, H. Craighill Fayetteville ; List of Birds’ Nests Observed in 1936: Aprii 19, Pine W ar b 1 er, nest with 4 eggs. April 1 , Carolina Chickadee , flushed bird from nest did not open it. April 26, Carolina Chickadee, nest with 5 slightly incubated eggs. April 26, Cooper's Hawk, nest with 3 slightly incubated eggs. April 29, Louisiana Water Thrush, 2 nests with 4 and 5 fresh eggs. April 30, Louisiana Water Thrush, nest with 5 fresh eggs. May 3, Prairie Warbler, nest about half finished, both birds at work on it. May 17, Wood Thrush, nest with 4 eggs, in Moore County. May 17, Louisiana Water Thrush, nest and 5 young birds nearly ready to fly, Moore County. May 2 4 , Killdeer, four young birds run- ning about in cultivated field. May 24, Moclcinghird, nest and 4 newly hatched young. May 24, Chipping Sparrow, nest with 4 eggs. May 24, Field Sparrow, nest and 4 eggs. May 31, Indigo Bunting, nest . and 4 fresh eggs. May 31, Acadian Flycatcher, nest and 2 slightly incubated eggs. Note: All were found in Cumberland County except where other- wise noted. Virgil Kelly r 2 ^ The Chat BULLETIN OF THE NORTH CAROLINA BIRD CLUB PUBLISHED AT RALEIGH. N. C. John H. Grey, jr . Editor 1719 PARK DRIVE VOL. I SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER NOb . 7-8 BIRDS OF LAKE MATTAMU5KEET, NORTH CAROLINA Eai’le R. Greene (1) U. S. Biological S^^rvey, Fargo, Georgia Lake Mattamuskeet, a large, shallow fresh-water lake in Hyde county, N. C., is in the heart of an important Atlantic coast water-fowl wintering ground. The section has long been famous for its wintering geese and swans, which along with many species of ducks have suffered alarming reduction in numbers during recent years. The establishment, therefore, by the Federal Government of the Lake Mattamuskeet Wildlife Refuge as well as that of the. Swantjuarter Migratory Bird Refuge just south of it was a much needed conservation measure. The writer was st:tioned at Lake Mattamuskeet from October 1934 to December 1936, during which time one of his chief du- ties was to record the bird life of the refuge, especially the relative abun- dance and distribution of the water fowl. The following notes are taken from the daily journal of that work . They are nob intended to be a com- plete catalogue of all the birds occurring in the region. Since much atten- tion was given to the water birds, some of the land birds may have been neglected. It is hoped especially that the data on the water-fowl will be of value for comparison in years. (1) The author wishes to express his special appreciation to Eugene P. Odum of Chapel Hill, N. C., and the University of Illinois for suggesting that this work be published and for Mr. Odum's aid in helping to organize the data in the form here presented - Page 45 - UNITED STATES BIOLOGICAL SURVEY MIGRATORY WATERFOWL DIVISION GENERAL MAP MATTAMUSKEET AND SWANQUARTER MORATORY WATERFOWL REFUGES HYDE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA SCALE ? t i i WASHINGTON, D.C., MARCH IBS? PROJECTS PROPOSED « UNOER CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS STATUS LEGEND THE CHAT Page 46 Septernber-October 1937 History o f the Ar ea; Lake M a t tainu ke o t has had a -ost interesting history , having been completely drained at one time and then restored. Many years ago, with visions of building a "New Holland", a company was formed for the purpose of draining the lake and utilising the rich black soil on its bottom as farm land. A glance at the accompanying map will show how this was done. A series of deep canals having a focal point on the south side of the lake, were constructed and the wa- ter wrs pumped out by means of large pumps. All in all, it was a tremendous under- taking since the water had to be continually pumped out because of the natural ten- dency of the area to .ill up from drainage water from the surrounding country. Despite the fact that crops were raised on the land thus uncovered, the project was doomed to failure,; the expense of keeping the water out was too great. Tn december 1934 the Federal Government acquired the.- territory for a migratory waterfowl refuge. The lake was allowed to refill and to play host again to thousands of water-fowl . It is hoped that the experience with draining Lake Mattamuskeot will serve as an ex- ample to other ill-advised drainage projects. The refuge is not as yet a complete sanctuary as hunting is allowed on cert* in "lands" under the strict supervision of Federal and State wardens. The Area as a Bird Habitat: Lake Idattamuskeet Wildlife Refuge contains about 50,000 acres, about 90 per cent of which is water. The lake Is shallow, 2 to 3 feet being the average depth, although the canals tre much deeper. A good per- centage of the lake, especially near the shore, is choked with emergent and submer- ged vegetation. Edwin P. Creasor of the Biological Survey, who has made extensive studies of the plant life of the area , submits the following information: "The most important native plants in and about Lake Mattamuskeet, from the standpoint of value to the waterfowl, are the following: Three Edged Sedge, hei r pus americanus; Bullrush, Scirpus vaiidus; Four Square Sedge, Liao char is cundr an gulata ; Wire or Hair Sedge, Eieocharls prolifer.-*; Smart Weed, Polygonum (two species) j Arrow Leaf, Sagittaria (two species); Water Lily, Castalia minor; Frogb.it, Li nnobium spongi a. Many of these plants grow during the summer time on the moist lands which are flooded in the winter time by winds and by high water level, thus becoming available to water fowl. The greatest concentration of foods for waterfowl occurs on the eastern, southern and west- ern ends of the lake's border. The open water in the lake proper is virtually a bio- logical desert as far as food plants are concerned. The broad leafed duck potato, Sagittaria latifolia , has been introduced to this area and was greedily consumed by geese and. swans. Cyperus esculentu s has also been intriduced and this native chufa has proven of considerable value as a duck food. Coontail, M yriophylium, has been introduced without success. Several crops of cultivated plants have been planted to insure plenty of food for the waterfowl on the area. Of these, the soya beans are the most important although rice and oats have also been planted with considerable success." The shallow water, the readily accessible feeding grounds and the marshes and stretches of open water for resting make the lake an ideal wintering ground for the "dabbling", or surface-feeding, ducks (subfamily Anatinae), the geese (subfamily Anserine) , and swans (subfamily Cyginae), which have similar feeding habits. The area is not so well suited to the diving ducks (subfamily NyrocinaeJ, such as scaups, canvas backs, and redheads, or to the mergansers (subfamily Merginae) . These forms have been found to be absent, casual or uncommon. The same also applies to the grebes and loons, although a few seem to find the deeper canals to their liking. Although the surface feeding waterfowl are, .in the winter at least, the most important Page 47 THE CHaT September-0 ctober 1937 constituent, are prominent the number of the herons (order Ciconiiformes) and the mart h birds (order Gruiforraes) in the avifauna but because, sandy ^ shores, apd mud flats are limited, shorebirds (suborder Limicolae) attracted is not so great. The land part of the refuge, comprising perhaps 10 percent of the area, con- sists of the shore, the canal banks and a few island (see map). The shore is mostly 1 ow-lying and swampy, and the trees thereon are chiefly pines, black and sweet gums, cypresses, &nd willows* The blinks of the former drumiige Ccin&ls hc*ve remained abo /e water in many places and extend out into the lake like peninsulas; a thick growth of shrubs and trees now covers these banks, which makes them excellent pLa ces for both water birds and water-lowing land birds. All in all, the Lake Mattumuskeet Refuge is a rather specialized type of bird habitat Not only is it primarily a water habitat, but also a special type of water habitat which attracts great numbers of certain species, and few or none of other species. The land-bird population is likewise somewhat specialized in that the water-loving forms predominate, and many species common in the surrounding country are only of casual occurrence in the refuge . Comparative Abundance of Wintering Waterfowl. As the value of the lake as a Federal Refuge lies chiefly in its wintering waterfowl, an attempt was made during the winter of 1934-35 and also in that of 1935-36 to estimate the nunoors of the principal species of waterfowl wintering in the area. In tile following table, esti- mates are given of the numbers of the commonest of the regular winter residents based on actual counts, frequently by two or more persons. The difficulty of deter- mining the numbers of waterfowl on a large lake where the birds are likely to be scattered over large areas and to be subject to considerable shifting is, of course, realized. It is believed, however, that the figures given are at least comparably and fairly representative of the winters concerned. Estimates of Numbers of Waterfowl Wintering on Lake Mattamuskeet Wildlife Refuge During the Winters of 1934-35 and 1935-36 (1) Species Date No. Persons Counting Estimate from Count Canada Goose Jan. 21, 1935 2 15,000 March 3, 1936 6 14,380 Whistling Swan Dec. 9, 1934 4 6,500 March 3, 1936 6 4,066 Pintail Dec. 9, 1934 4 721 Jan. 24, 1935 2 1,117 Nov. 6, 1936 - 1,600 Black Duck Dec. 9, 1934 4 743 Marol.3, 1936 6 1,o56 Greenwinges Teal Dec. 9, 1934 2 1,040 Mallard Dec. 9, 1934 4 378 March 3, 1936 6 152 Baldpate Jan. 21, 1935 2 95 March 3, 1936 6 31 Total for Winter of 1934-35 - 24,373 birds i 93 5-36 - 21,285 birds Page 48 THE CHAT Septenber-October 193 7 (1) The counts and close estimates of waterfowl mode by members of the Biologic' 1 Purvey during January and February 1 ? 37 show a x.irge increase in the number of birds on the lake over those for the pre- vious two winters. This satisfactory result m s probuoly caused by the continuous protection afforded the waterfowl on the area ana by the extensive and continual planting of grain and cther^ foots. AS this paper deals only with the winters of 1934-35 and 1935-3o, the 1937 counts are omitted. Bird Banding . Bird banding was carried on to some extent, three traps being used; and durin g the winter of 1935-36 more than 500 ducks and number of Canada ge«se w f -re banded and released. This feature of the work whs ot educational value ana cf much interest to the people of the section and to visiting naturalists. Local Names. Birds play prominent part in the lives of _ the people _ ns is well^ _ ^ shown by the large number of species that have acquired "local names . ihe folic, _ng, list gives the local names that the writer found in common use by the natives m the vicinity of the refugefor some of the birds taut occur tnere. LOCAL NAMES OF BIRDS ABOUT LAKE MaTTxMUfKEET WILDLIFE REFUGE Cormorant (Phulacrocorax ouri£us) - Nigger goose Great. Blue Heron ( Arden hegq dias hfiyodias) . - Jonnny ^.oggin3 Greater Snow Goose (Chen IiXe 0 .rb 2 .rea ) ~ * ,hlte LraIlt Gudwall f Chaulelusmus st rep, rus) - Gray Duck Baldpate ( Mareca americana ) - bidgecn Hooded Merganser (Lo phodyt es cucullatus) - Crapper Crown) Black Vulture (Goragyag utratug atnutus) - South Carolina buzzard Sharp-shinned Hawk ( A eci filter Volcx veiox) - uharpst-rik or ana Blue Dart . 1 Southern Bald Eagle (Halaeetas leucoccphulus leucocefihaiiis) - r.mr.atu*e -ir * ' ' known as Gray mugle Sparrow Hawk (Falco souryeriuc sparveriusj - Brownie American Coot (Fulica ataerica na ameripana) - Blue Peter, B-Lue I eter Luc* Yellow-legs (To ta nas m elunoleucu s and j_., ilayipos) ~ie.--.o~r. shank Yellow-billed ‘Cuckoo (Coccyxus astericynus ameripanus) - Rain Crew Nighthawk (Chordoiies minor minor) - (£• Mr Q h apmutii) - Bulx Bat Flicker (C claptes auratu s) - Checker, by some of the old folks Eastern Kingbird (Tyr annus tyrannus) - Bee Martin Crested Flycatcher CMyiarchus criuitus) - Daybreak Phoebe ( oa yernis phoebe ) - bitch bird Starling (S turnus YylgtCiS vulgaris) - Hog bird _ Eobol Vr!k (Upiichony? oryz ivorus) - Rice bird. Cottontails in spring pxum&ge of ma le Orchard Oriole (Icterus sjrurius) - Englioh Mockingbird or English Rooin Purple Grackle (^uiscalus ouiscala quiacala) or Bronzed Gr: cK.,e • 9_- - Jack Law Eastern Purple Finch (CarpoJacus purpureus purpur.eus) - Tvo-ekor Eastern Goldfinch (Splnus tri sti g tri&tig) - Twohee Red-eyed towhee (Pinilc eryjhrojjhthaimus erytm^iijiyjmp.l) - Joe wheel, fox sparrow (Passerella iliaca ilieca) - Chuck (possibly confuseu by natives with Hermit Thrush note) .earns, Page l , 9 THE CHaT Se pbemter-Octofcer 1937 Thy annotated list herein recorded contains approximately 1.70 species. The nomencla- ture used is that of the 4th (1931) eidtion of the .. . 0. U. Chec k-list. among the rarer species mentioned, the record cf the occurrence of the Arkansas kingbord con- stitutes the first for the state j and the white-fronted goose has been previously re- corded only once; and the snow bunting but twice. These unusual records as well as many other data from the refuge have been published in The Auk and Biru-Loro (see Bi- bliography) . Common Loon. Gavia immer immer . The common loon was noted but once, a bird being seen in flight above the lake November 23, 1934- Red- throated Loon. Gavia sbo.Llatu On February 18, 1936, a red- throated loon was observed in yhe canal close to the entrance bridge in- Lae the refuge. It appeared to be injured or oil-soaked and could ke& dive and swim just below the surface, but could not fly. Horned Grebe. Coly.r.bus auritu s . S carce. One observed, February 19, 1936, in Rose Bay Canal by the highway; on February 23, ten days later, one was seen in the -outfall canal between the highway and the refuge. Pied-billed Grebe. P odiBvmbus nodiceps podlceps. Found in small numbers, mainly -in the canals, throughout the winter. Vihite Pelican. Pelscunus ery throrh y nebos . On June 16, 1935, a white pelican was seen soaring over the New Holland Inn and then coming •..own towards the L ke; it was observed for several minutes with 8-power glasses, as definite records of thi species are very few in the state, and in the eastern states in general, it was a welcome sight in the refuge. Double-crested Cormorant . Phalacroc or nx auri tus autltus. Florida Cormorant. Phal acro co rax auritus florld anu s . S carce. it one or the other ox these forms was observed in the outfall canal crippled bird of on April 27, 1.93 S Oil May 12, 1936, another bird, ana on September 9, 193o, two, probably f lcriaa nns , were observed in the western part of the refuge. V.ater-turkey . -aihinga anhing? . Scarce; one observed on September 4, 1936, by W. G. Cahcon and the writer near the outfall canal, about 1 mile south of New Holland Post Office. Great Blue Heron, nrdea Herod:'. as herodias . Common permanent resident. The wintering population was estimated to be 40 or mere in 1934-35 • American Egret. Casraorodius A easily albug egretta. Common summer resident; usually tame and easily approached. A few of these birds were seen in October and November 193'-., and one was observed January 3 and 7, 1935, near the root cf the Clubhouse road at the lake. Snowy Egret. Egretta thula thula. The snowy egret is apparently of rare occurrence on the lake; five birds were observed September 23, 1936, at the lake landing- refuge boundary line. Page 50 Till' GHAT September -October 1937 Louisiana Heron. Hydran a ssa t ricolor ruficolljr . Uncommon $ a few birds recor- ded during the summer. Little Blue Heron. Florida casrulea caeruleo . Common summer resident; many birds in the white immature plumage seen. In 1934 > single immature birds were ob- served as g to as October 16 and November 20. Eastern Green Heron. Bu tori d.e s vine scene viresc ens. Common summer resident. Black -crowned Night Heron. Ny ctlcara x nyticcrux iioact ll. Fairly common throughout the year in Certain parts of the refuge. Occurs in winter especially along the west main canal bank, the birds appearing to be mostly immature s. Yellow-crowned Night Heron. Nycta n as s a violace a viciacos. Scarc« . On Mag 12, 1936, two adult birds were noted along No. 4 West Canal. American Bittern. Bot a unis le n t iglnosu s . Winter resident, most common during spring migration, the latest date the species has been seen being May ?! 'Although a possible breeder, many hours of searching failed to discover any birds after the above date. Eastern Least Bittern. Ir obiy thus oxilis ex ii j.s. Common summer resident in certain sections of the refuge; earliest date of arrival, May 8 , 1935 • Whistling Ewan. Cygnur co iu rr. b .u rms . This magnificent bird winters in abundan- danco on Lake Mattamuokeet, this are.-, being considered one of its chief wintering grounds in the eastern states. The notes of these birds can be heard during the night as well as throughout the day. Frequently, adult birds with three or four in immature plumage are seen close together, presumably representing family groups. There is no finer sight in the bird world than a flock of sever'd hundred of these swans bound for a choice feeding ground, their long necks outstretched and their white plumage shining in the sun Light. They arrive on the lake during the latter- part of October and begin to leave for the north the latter part of February; by the first of March, their numbers ars noticeably fewer, and only a .few individuals can be found by April 1. In April 1935, six were observed May 3, and 1.4 and June 2 cn the Fairfield side, and scattered birds were seen in July by other parties. It is believed that some of those were cripples and that ethers were perhaps unwilling to leave them; family tics are strong with tills species. No evidence cf breeding. C ommon Canada Goose. Lru.n ta canadensis canadensis . Abundant winter resident. For many years this section has been famous for its wild geese. As the count shows (see page 47), this is the moot abundant species of waterfowl on the .lake. The geese arrive from the north about tn« middle of October and begin to depart in February. Email flocks linger into April, and a few birds r main during the summer, probably cripples and non-breeders, as there is no evidence of breeding. In 1935, 11 birds were noted on June 14, 18 on august 14 and 16 on September 19. Apparently rare; one bird was recorded Ibifronr nllifr ons . Willie Gray Cahoon American Brant. B rantu berniclc n rota on January 9 and three on January 22, 1935. White -fronted Goose. An, or a Harley Lawrence, of the Lake Uattemuskoet Wildlife Refuge, identified a goose, ?..nn by a hunter December 5, 193& > on the hunting area, as belonging to thi hot species. The writer was away at the time ana dad not see cue specimen. Fourth record for the state Greater Enow Goose. Chon hypartoreu c tinned ca. ; fov seen during the 1934-35 winter season; November 27, three Birds flew up with a fleck ol CanaJ ; geese; Decem- ber 4 , two birds seen over East Main Canal; Jenna: with Canada Geese; and march -/, one C .ro. seen ay over the New Holland Inn . Blue Goose. Chen coervle tee ns, records for 1934-35 are cf interest: 21 , G . one bird flying over the water Gaboon and J..B. Hodges flying Rare along the Atlantic seaboard; the following October 30, one bird, flying with a flock of -Whistling Swans; November 9, six birds observed by James Silver and Joe Mann; Novem- ber 20, seven birds seen in one flock, apparently all in adult plumage. January 9, ■Whistling Swans over Lake Mattamuskeet Canada Geese ^Whistling Swans, and Ducks, off Lake Landing Canal Road November 1936 Ptige 51 THE. CHA T D‘ ber- -October 1937 Atkin-- ie bird. Hying with whittling swans ; March 13, two birds seen by Mrs. Wm. F son, of New York, on the laKe in front of New Holland Jnn. Common Mallard. Ain 3 platyi-hyncos platyrhyn ci .es. Common winter resident, gener- “ ^ occurr trig in smal flocks, couples, or individual birds; a few remain during the summer, a nest containing 5 eggs was found on June 23, 1935, near the outfall c«nal . The next day, the female was on the nest, but on the 27th, only three eggs remained and the nest was deserted. At another time, about 9 ycung and an adult were seen in the outfall canal by Mr. 'wheeler of Reding ton CCC Camp; It is believed that tnese were wild birds. Red-legged black Duck . ^nas rubripes ru br lue 3 , f . Black Duck, a nas rubripes tristis. Common winter resident, a few vtrisHs)^ remaining during the summer. The black ducx is probably the best known uuck on tue lake, although not the most abundant; usually occurs i.i singl.au. twos or small flocks. Two nests with eggs were found during- the spring of 1936 and studies o them made by Ml lie Gray Cahocn and the v/riter Ru bripes predominates in win- ter, although the relative status of each is not k'lon n . Gu dwell. ChauleHyr^__st r8peru s . Scarce. On October 24, 1934, two birds seen; December 9, -934, two were seen by km. D. llirsck and Joe Mann. 0 ving to its ru- thei drab plumage, the species may have been overl poked to some extent and may be more common than is thought to be the case. Baldpate. Mareca ameri c-na. Fairly common small flocks. American Pintail. Daflla acuta tzitzih oa. arrives before the midale of October, and gradual, _ebruary x935, it was the most abundant duck on cit lake (see counts page 47). They often tome and easily approached. In 1935, f \e birds were seen on Sso'tomber 11, ’Wid j. s. Mann reported four near Fairfield, Sept mber 3. Greenvvinged Teal. Nettaon c arc.Linense . Cora n winter resident. Shy, swift, u.nd hard to hit; a few & r *e taken by sportsman of Mils section. Bluewinged leal, (aierouedula discors. Mostl;. ’iransient, No vember-De cember and Larch-xpril. Entirely absent January-February 1935- Latest date April 27. /93S jinnajno-n Teal. C^erquedula cyan optera . J. B. Hodges, a native and for many years in .. r . u ictent; generally seen in 0 -men winter resident; tho "sprig" .7 increases in abundance. During 935, he saw one of thesb birds a guide of this section, reports that on Febryary 5, near the shore on the west end of the lake. Shoveler. Spatula clypeata. Winter visitor; cannot be classed as common at any tine; its numbers increased during March. Wood Duck, a lx sp onsa . Common summer resident and transient, March 2 to November 22. Forty three birds were counted on June, 9, 1935 . On august 3 and 6, tn< young were aeen by Bruce Hodges and the writer. During the fall of £934, it was ' abundant. Not recorded in winter by the writer. Usually frequents canals an- 1 the mox-e woodeu marshes, although at times it is found out on the open w; ter. Rednead. Nyro ca americana. One record. On December 11, 1935, a male was taken by Ira N, Gabriolson in the hunting area. Ring-necked Duck. Nyroca collaris, A winter visitor; although not considered a common Lara, there are scattered records cf its occurrence. 1050 of these ducks counted by Mr. Birsch and Mr. Mann on December 9, 19 >4. Canvasback. Nyroca vallsinerta. Scarce winter visitor; one bir; seen Novemoer 21, 1934 and 22 were counted by Mr. Birscd . and Mr. Mann on December 9,1934 uessor ,-cam.p Duck. Nyroca .af f inia . Scarce winter visitor; one small flock of -even tirus seen on October 30, /fju/ ; a common due. 1 : • n nearby bavs. • American Goldeneye. Gla ucicnetta. clangula ame- ficane. One record, 15 birds seen December 9, 1934 by James Silver. Dec JwVioff , Sc ° ter - feign 1 tto dQRlmdi. C~ie record of threo birds seen on' December 9, 1934 by Mr. Birsch and Mr. Mann. Page 52 THE CI-LvT September-0 etcher 1937 Ruddy Duck. Erismatura .Inmalcensis rabid?.. Few records; one bird seen October 28, 1934;" three, December 25, 1934; one, January 9, 1935; five, October 22, 193 and one October 28, 1936. Hooded Merganser. Lophody te s cucullatus . Scarce. Two liras, a male and a female observed in the east main canal, January 25, 1935* Turkey Vulture. Cath artes aura septentrionulis . Common permanent resident about the Lake and in the surrounding country. Black Vulture. Ccragyps stratus atrutus. Permanent resiaent; possibly not so common us the turkey vulture, although at timesn number may be seen. I x p~ shinned Hawk. A cci;. lter v elox v eloy-. A few seen about the canal banks during the winter. Cooper's Hawk. Accip iter counerj . Probably resident; less common than the sharp-shinned in winter. Eastern Red— tailed Hawk. Buteo bore a lis borea lis. Several re corns during wiiiie. . Northern Red.- shouldered Hawk. But eo lina at us lxneatus. Permanent resident; seen in summer over Great Island at the western end of the refuge • Winters to some extent about the lake area. Broad-winged Hawk. Buteo pla typ terus platypterus. On November 13, 1934, one bird was seen near Fairfield; it was tame and fearless, apparently does not winter hoc American Rough-legged Hawk. Buteo lag opus sancti-.iohannis. On December 18, 1935. Willie Gray Cahoon and I watched one of these hawks near east main canal and the lake. It was in the dark, phase. Its flight was somewhat like that of a bald eagle, then in the top of a small ti'ee it was attacked by a marsh hawk; then it was chasc'd along the lake by two crows and apparently put up no fight but flew deliberately along. Its markings were distinct and could readily be seen with the naked eye as weli as through 8-power glasses. Southern Bald Eagle. Hallao e tus leuc oc ephalus ieucocephalus . A common permanent resident. Immature birds are known as "gray eagles" by the natives. Marsh Hawk. Circus hudsonins ♦ A common winter resident. Recorded as early as September 2 and 15, 1935. Osprey. Pandicn hallaetus carolinonsis . Common in fall and spring, ana several observed during the summer, March 24 to November 20. a nost was built in 1935 about 60 feet up in a dead cypress tree, near outfall canal, about one-fourth mile south of the New Holland Post Office. It was apparently blown down by a high wind during the night of April 15* Duck Hawk. Fslco pereg rin us ana turn . One record; one January 9, 1935, one distinctly flying over the Refuge and agreed on its identity J. B, seen Hodges and I saw Eastern Pigeon Hawk . Falc o col um barius co lumbar ius. One record; December 25, 19 inside the Refuge by a canal bank. Eastern Sparrow Hawk. F.alc' sparverius sosrverin s. Common during the winter; aone seen during the summer. Soon on September 21, 23 and 24, 1935. Eastern Bob-white. Colinu s virginianus virginianu s . A permanent resident; covey 1 nay be seen in the dryer fields and woods surrounding the lake. More common within the refuge when the water level of the lake is lower and the canal banks are dryer, tin. adult ana about 15 young were teen on July 19, 1935, along the east main canal road King Rail. Rallus elegans elegans. Summer resident. March 24, 1935 earliest record; not. recorded in winter Rallus liaicola ilmicola . Probably rare breeder here. I have Virginia Rail, - „ only one record, that of a bird seen on July 2, 1935, in the marsh between the east main canal and the refuge shore. Sora. Por zan a Carolina. Transient; few records. On April 8, 1935, a sora was closely watched on the west main canal bank as it flew up on fluttering wings from a bushy place and alighted about 15 feet up in a tush where it remained several minute s . On April 20,’^bne was within 30 feet of an automobile just oi.f the roau front of the New' Holland Inn. m Canada Geese and Ducks at feeding ground just east of Central Canal January 1936 Canada Geese rising from feeding ground by Central Canal, January 1936 Page 53 THE CHaT Seotembe* -October 1937 ■4 Florida Gallinulo. QalUmiJfl chloroous cachinuans^. Probably --nt; recorded in April about the New Holland Inn, where they were easy to approacn? on m-y 13, /VJJ June 9y October 12 and 16 s , ¥ and January . r fitvl American Coot. Fulica aaericana nmericann.. Common throughout trie winter un at times very torn,. STjXrd by the beta at falrfleld, 3? ' as tame as chickens. This B> In March when they soem to seek the shore « preference to staying in the water. Generally they are averse to leaving the w-te~ and^oatter along for some distance before finally taking wing. The last coot seen by me 17 m tto 21, 1935; however, E. P. Greusor reports seeing some .taring August. There is a possibility that a few birds may breed here, although so far no nest or young have been found. . , . Semipalmated Plover. Charadrias . scmipalmatiis. Transient, one biiu was se in the refuge on a mud flat at No. 2 east canal near the a as t main canal on May 13. Wilson's Plover. Papolla wllsonia wilsonitu Casual. On oeptemuer lp, 193 o one bird was seen on the sand in frontof the New Holland Inn. .. Killdeer. Pare chug vooi farus voclferujh. Small t locks seen footing ^™t - fields along the roads and highways during the winter. Seen only once duiing t summer, flying over the lake. 5 . . , black-bellied Plover. Sauatnrola .squat^oln. Casual. °n May 17 , a iwo oiras were noted in and about the march between the central canal and the _ goose trap. Ruddy Turnstone. Arennria interpr os mcrlnella,. Casual. One xn.a vidua... by No. 2 east canal bank on May 21, 1935* „ n v or rfi*' American Woodcock. Phllohela mi nor.. Few records. On December 2p, owo birds were flushed in a damp place near the refuge. On June 27, 1935, one bard was -xusl near the Rose Canal (No. 6 East) ins* do the refuge. It is probably more cpmraon than the records indicate and probably creeds. , , , + •_ Wilson's Snipe . - Ganelin uelicatb. Common winter resident, aounu-nt in c.rta_.n sections, such as a damp field near Fairfield, about the New Holland Inn, they were very tome,' 1W in-; within a few feet of the building. The latest date of oc- currence in the spring was April 24* • !< ?5d , Spotted Sandpiper. Ac^tas nacularla^. Transient ana probable breeder. First seen on April 17, 1935; common during May and several Been during July, August a2ld ^Eastern** Solitary Sandpiper. Trinr.a solitarja poH^ria. Transient. _ Noted on August 21, 1935 near the old warehouse at New Holland inside the reiugo mm on August 27, 1935 on the old railroad bed near No. 4 west canal. Greater Yellowlegs . Tetanus melanolouguJL.. Transient; fcnrch xi - J une 1 und November 15. During April 1935, they were common in sever:,, parts a .,he reiuge and became ouite tame about the Now Holland Inn, whore they were easily approached. Lesser Yellowlegs. Tetanus flavine s. Transient. November ll, •*•934} February 23, March 2 (same bird), and April 19, 19.35* Least Sandpiper. Pisobia m inutille .. . Transient, casual. On Lay 13, 13.-5 one bird was seen on the mud fiat at No* 2 oast canal and the east maincanal. ^ Semipalmated Sandpiper. Ereunetes_Blloi..U3iS i . transient} casuax. On Md| x, - birds were seen on the mud flat at No. 2 east canal and the oast r in. canal, at ,i-x. they appeared to engage in quite lively fighting, , ,, J Herring Gull. L&rus tutus. smith oqniaruis^. mean at times a.ont the canals and the lake (fall to spring). On February 15, splenaid view was h-, oi u herring gull near the center of the .lake. ^ . , Ring-billed Gull. Larus delnwarenais^ A more or less casual visitor} has teen recorded over the lake as well as about the cutfail canal. Least Tern. S terna anti 1 larum an tl Uarunu Gaeuax, On July - 4 , !93.- -hou 10 birds were seen by the cast main canal and on August H» 1)35 ajout 20 biids weio noted near the same locality. ... .q-,. +h _. Black Tern. Chlidonias n il re aU.rinamenj^J. v _ Transient. On au L Uu. U, u935, three birds were sojn over the lake batweah No. 3 Mid No. 4 casa canais. a. ing acp t- •» ^ they were abundant over the marsh inside the refuge as well as over trie iiexc.s -lung the highways. Page 54 THE CHAT September-Ootober 1937 Eastern Mourning Dove . Zonaidura - or .: <: v input- 1 s._ a common permanent resident along the canal banks. Yellow-ti.] led Cuckoo. C occyzus anertcunus nmericunus. A common suianer resi- dent along the canal banks and in the territory bordering the refuge. Southern Screech Owl. Otu s asio asio. A permanent resident. Heard frequently at night above the New Holland Inn. Eastern Mighthawk. C horde i les minor minor. Florida Nighthawk. C hords il es minor chapmani. Uncommon. On May 17, / 9 34" one bird was seen almost over the New Holland Inn; on June 23, two birds wore Deserved over a field between Swindell's Fork and Swanquurter ; on July IB, two were seen, over the central canal about one-half .nils north of the Inn; on August 20, two were recorded in front of the Inn. The breeding form has not been definitely determined. Chimney Swift. Chao turn pelagica . Summer resident, commonly seen over parts of the refuge and about Swanquarter a few miles away. Ruby- throated Hummingbird. Ar oh i l o c hu s c o lubr i s . Common summer resident. Eastern belted Kingfisher. Me r ucoryle alcyon alcyon. Common resident; fre- quents the canals. More common In winter. Northern Flicker. Coiaptes auratus luteus. Southern Flicker. Colapt&s aur.- tun auratus. Common resident, especially along the canal banks, most numerous in winter. A uratus is probably the breeding form. Southern Pileated V.oodpecker. Ceophlceas pi-lout . is oileatus. A permanent resi- dent; fairly common in the more wooded sections near the lake. One bird was seen on the metal tower at headquarters. Red-bellied Woodpecker. Centurus curol in us . Permanent resident; fairly common. Red-headed Woodpecker. Meianorpes e x Ttnrocepn al uc. . Not until May 3, 1935 did I find this species, and then four birds wore seen near the highway between Hodges Fork and Fairfield, v/here they seem to bo locally common. Yellow-bellied Sap tucker. Sptiyrapicus varius varius. 4 fairly common winter resident; several seen close to the New Holland Inn. Southern Hairy Woodpecker. Dryo bates villosus auduboni. A common permanent resident in wooded areas. Soutaern Downy Woodpecker . Dryobates pubescent- puboscens . A common permanent resident in wooded areas, and more approachable than the hairy . Red-cockaded Woodpecker. Dryobates borealis . Scarce on the refuge. On Septem- ber 17, 1935, two birds were observed near Rose Bay, between that highway and the lake highway, about four miles from the lake. Eastern Kingbird. Tyr annus tyrannus. One of the most abundant summer birds about the lake. Four nests were noted along the east main canal between the central canal and No. 2 east canal on June 27, 1^3 S'- Arkansas Kingbird. Tyr; -nnus ver ti cnli s . This western species was carefully watched and recorded on October 1, 1935* One bird was on a wire and about the tops of near- by trees by the highway just west of the New Holland Post Office, a short distance from the refuge. Associating with it w£S an -Eastern Kingbird and the many differences between the two could be plainly noted. First State record. Northern Crested Flycatcher. Myiarchus crinitus boreus. abundant summer resi- dent. Its loud notes heard constantly in April and M,.y. It is known as "day break", by the nt tives and is well named. A nest in a mail box by the highway on May 30^ con- tained 5 eggs and the customary cast-off snake skin. An unusual nesting site was the inside of a 3-inch pipe that hung over a temporary track about 25 feet from the entrance to the pumping plant. On June l6&?it contained 5 young. The auults ap- peared unafraid and fed the young while numbers of workers were contantly moving about them. Eastern Phoebe. Sayornis phoebe . Common winter resident, especially along the canal banks. Seen September 25, 1935 but not recorded in summer. * - v-. •Cjj.- Page *55 THE CHAT September -October 1937 Acadian Flycatcher. Bmnid. onax vim s ceil > , summer resident, fairly common in some section;:.. Eastern Rood Pewee. M.yiochano s sirens. Summer resident, ft: irly common, especial- ly near the highway. Northern Horned Lark. Otccoris ulp es t ris alpestrls. On January 31, 1936, a number of these birds were seen on and along the highway near How Holland, One picked up dead on the highway near the 1: ke war oxa.si.ned, neursured anl determined to be the sub-species indi eaten. Tree Swallow. I r id c p ro cn e bi co 1c r . Common wit tec resident, august IS to May i/, . Abundant during migrations ( April e n.;. September) . Bank Swallow. Fip.jja rlp ar i o r ipa rj.:-. On July 28, 1935, a lank swallow, with u number of purple martins, was seen on a wire near the New Holland Inn. Rough-winged Swallow. Ste igilcp teryx raficol lifl serri pc. nnis . a fairly common resident in summer. A nesting hole in the tank of the control canal near the Inn was occupied by a pair on April 19, K, J.-r • Barn Swallow. Hlrundo e.ry thr o.n .s ter . Common tr.nsient, April to Vay and in August. No evidence of breeding. Purple Martin. Pr ugnc suBL -. sub is. Summer res iln.it . Abundant nut April. Nests in martin box ir front of she Inn. Crow. Corvus bra chy r n y n cho s . Parnanont resident; vy be seen almost any day about the refuge, is one uf the- fov harmful species hex . Kingbirds, martins, redwings and gracklcs center their a t tucks on it, but it seems to thrive in spite of them. F3 sh Crow . Corve s osdifrag as . Common permanent resident. Difficult to determine in the field from the common crow unless heard cawing. Their voices are quite different. Carolina Chickadee . P enthestss carolinensio curolinvnsis. Permanent resident; frequents the trees and shrubbery of certain dryer areas. Tufted titmouse. B aeoloohus bi c olor . Permanent res i.uent . Vthite-breasted Nuthatch.' ditto care linens is caro ' Lions is . Scarce. One seen and heard in a true on the boomer Land, between the highway and the refuge, on January 3, 1936. Brown -headed N uthutch . 61 bta pus ill.-- pus-ilia . Permanent resident j probably nests on the islands -in the lake or about the border of the refuge. Eastern House V.'ren . Tronic :.ytos aeden a edon. Seen a few times during winter. Carolina bren. T hyothorus iuiovi cj.unis ludftviciun us. Common permanent resident. Wort ill ? .p > 1 /' Morph bren. Tolmato yvos pulustris nritnus. On July 28, 1935 > I heard two birds and hxKi a fleeting glimpse cf one of their in the marshy growth along the lake by the cast main canal road. Their gurgling notes were distinctive. Long-billed Marsh Iron. Telmatodytes pnlustris pulustris. Winter visitor: it probably winters here more abundantly than my records indicate . I htive seem only a few of the birds along the lake marshes . Eastern Mockingbird. Mlaus polyglctocs polygiottos . Common permanent resi- dent. Several nests found. Catbird. Dump tell? car jlinensis ■ An abundant summer resident, a few wintering. One of the birds about tne Inn was the finest songster of this species I have ever heard, equalling many mockingbirds in the range and variety of notes. Brown Thrasher. Twx o ntona rufum. a permanent resident, fairly common curing winter and common during summer. Several nests were examined. Eastern Robin. Tar d us migrat o r! us algratorius ♦ Southern Robin. Ta rdus migrutorius achrusterus. Burin,.; December and January, Robins were abundant in the fields and woods surrounding the lake. I believe both forms winter in this section. Nests only sparingly. - -D ''•o'* THE CHAT September-October 1937 booc: Thrus^. Hylocichla mustelina. Summer resident; net common in this par- ticular area; may be heard in certain wooded tracts. Eastern Hermit Thrush. Hyloclc hla guttata faxemi. Winter resident; likes thick growth of small trees. Eastern Bluebird. Sialja slaiis sialis. Permanent resident; rarely seen on refuge. Commonly seen on telephone wires along the highway near the refuge. Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Polioptila caerulea cueruJea. Scarce. Cm July 26, 1935, one was seen inside the refuge by No. 4 west canal near Fairfield. May breo d in refug Eastern Gold-crowned Kinglet. Rogulus satrapa satra pa. Fairly common winter resident. Eastern Ruby-crowned Kip. ,let. Corthylic calendula calendula. Common winter resident; more numerous than the golden-crowned . American Pipit. Anthus splnoletta rubescens. Winter visitor, seen about the New Holland Inn as well as along the roadside skirting the refuge area. Cedar Waxwing. Bombycilla cedrorum. During February, flocks of 60 to 70 birds were noted in the trees about the New Holland Inn. Loggerhead Shrike. Lanins lua--.vicia.nus lu 'ovicianus. Scarce. One bird, proba- bly this form was seen Inside the refuge along the east main canax roadway oh November a /, 1935. On August 25, 1936, one bird was seen on . ire and bushes near ny residence on the refuge. It is more common in the counties west of Hyde. Starling. f tumps vul gar is .vulgaris. Common permanent resident about habitations The water tower is a favorite roost during the winter, ana also serves as a nesting site in summer. White-eyed Vireo. Vireo griseus griseus. Common summer resident; frequents thickets along the canals and on the islands in the refuge. Red-eyed Vireo. Vireo o l ivaceus . Fairly common summer resident. Prothonotary Warbler. Pro to ne taria citrea. The most abundant summer warbler in and clout the refuge. An unusual nesting site was anjoid peach can about twelve feet above the floor oi the pumping plant.. On June 20, ; -^Lt was removed to a window ledge and found to contain 4 eggs. During the occupancy of the nest, the work of removing heavy machinery was carried on almost daily, but in spite of this three young hatched, only one of them, however, getting safely out of the building, the oil on the floor proving fatal to the other two. Northern Purula Warbler. Comps ot hlypis americana pusilla . Southern Parula Warbler. Coapsothlypls americana americana. Scarce within the refuge; recorded in September, October and April, 193 5. Eastern Yellow Warbler. Dondroica aestiva asstiv a. Scarce, noted April 29 and September 20, 1935. Black- throated Blue Warblwr . Dendrcica caerulescsns caerulescens . Transient; casual. Seen October 13, 1935 Myrtle Warbler. Dendroica corona ta . Common winter resident; at times very abundant about the Inn at New Holland. Black- throated Green Warbler. Dendrolca virons v irens. Wayne's Warbler. Dendrcica. virens wayne i. Scarce; seen May 14 and Sept. 29, /jH" . Yellow tthrpated Warbler. Dendrolca doimni cs dominie s.. • Scarce on the refuge; on August 22, 1935, one bird was observed in the Pinoy Shoals section between the highway and the refuge. Black-poll Warbler. Dendrolca striata. Transient, casual. N 0 te:i May 14, 1935. Northern Pine Warbler. Dchdroica pinus pinus. Permanent resident; fairly comm- mon in the pine woods bordering the refuge. Northern Prairie Warbler. Dendrolca discolor discolor. Summer resident. Next to the prothonotary, it is the most abundant of the warblers. Western Palm Warbler. Dendrcica palm arum palmarum . Transient and winter visitor. October 12, 1934; Novpri^r 13, 1934; September 30, .1935 and March 2, 1935. Page 57 THE CHAT September-Gctober 1937 Yellow Palm Warbler. Denri ro icu palmarum hypochrysea. On January 21, 1936, a yellow palm (hypochrysea) was positively identified. Northern Yellow-throat. Geothlypis trichas brachlaactyla, Maryland Yellow- throat. Geothlypis trichas trichas. Florida Yellow- throat. Geothlypis trichas ignota. The ye How- throat is a common resident; frequents the canal banks. Trichas is probably the breeding form- al though ignota may also be present, brachidactyla probably occurs during migration. Yellow-breasted Chat, . ctoris virens virens. Casual. On June 14, 1935, Carter Whittaker of Atlanta, Georgia, and I distinctly heard two of these birds callin; in the thick brush along the: nighv/ay between Fairfield and Hodges' Fork. Hooded Warbler. Wilsonia citrine . Summer resident in a few choice damp vioody places. American Redstart. Setophaga rut ici 1.1a . Common transient. No breeding records here. English Sparrow. Passer aomesticus doroesticus. A common permanent resident, many pairs sting about the eaves of the New Holland Inn. , Bobolink. Dolichonyx cry governs . Common transient, especially abundant in September . Eastern Meadowlark. S turnella magn a magna. Southern Meadowlark. S tarnella magna aryutula. Common permanent resident in many places on the refuge, about the New Holland Inn ana on the canal banks, and in the fields surrounding the lake area. Eastern Red-wing. Agelalur phooniceus phoeniceus . Permanent resident; one of the most abundant winter birds in the refuge; and also breeds abundantly. Orchard Oriole. Icterus spurlus. Common summer resident; a. characteristic summer bird of this region, a number of nests have been recorded. Earliest date April 23, 1935, not seen after august 1. Purple Crackle. C utsealus c; uiscula ciulscul a . » Bronzed Grackle. Quiseulus ouisc u la aeneus. Common resident, especially numerous in March. The Florida form (aglaeus) may occur also. Eastern Cowbird. Molothrus ater a ter. .Scarce. On January 26, / ( ?3p*', about 66 of these birds were observed by the highway between Barber Shanty and the lake landing near the refuge. Eastern Cardinal. Richmondena ca rdi nal is cardinalis. Common permanent resident Indigo Bunting. P asserine cyanoa. Scarce; recorded in May and June. Eastern Purple Finch. Carrodecus purpureus purp urou s. Winter visitor. On January 30, 1936, eight birds, males and females, were seen near the New Holland Inn. In February also, these finches wore frequently seen near the Inn. On April 19, 1936 four birds were seen just outside the eastern end of the refuge. tristis tristis. of bpinu p | feet outside the eastern Scarce . The only end of the refuge Eastern Goldfinch, two birds seen a few Red -eyed towhee. Pioilo ery throuhthalmus erythrophthalraus . resident. Less numerous as .a breeding bird. May 18, 1935, a pair observed ; both adults Usd red eyes. Eastern Savannah Sparrow. Pa saerculus sandwichensis marshes . susurrans Main ;; and record is that on December 10, 19 Common permanent with young were Winter resident; L On January 4, 193 canal inside the -was able to note probably the most abundant sparrow along the edge of the Eastern Henslow 1 s Sparrow. Po sserherlulus henslovd I identified a bird of this species on the ground by the east refuge. I had an excellent view of it through 8-power glasse the characteristic markings. Eastern Vesper Sparrow. Pooecetea graminens gramineus . bird was observed October 25, and one on November 8, 1934. Slate colored Junco. Junco hyena! is hy emails. Fairly common winter resident. Few records . One Page 58 THE CHAT Se pt ember -October 193 7 Eastern Chipping Sparrow. Spigella passerina passerina. Scarce within the re- fuge. Noted on April 13 and May 23, 1935* Eastern Field Sparrow. S plzolla pusilla pusilla. Fairly commonly seen in winter; no summer records. White- throated Sparrow. Zonotrichia albicollis . Common winter resident in thickets .a • hedges, ah •U roads and canal banks. Eastern Fox Sparrow. Pa sserella iliaca iliaca. Common winter resident in certain thickets and hedges along roadsides and canal banks. Swamp Sparrow. Me.tosplza g jorglana . Common winter resident; found in many places along the canal banks, in the marshes and about the New Holland Inn. Eastern Song Sparrow. Melos pi za melodia melodia . Common winter resident, associating with white-throats, fox and swamp sparrows. They are frequently in song, even on the coldest winter days. Atlantic Song Sparrow. Melosplza melodia atlantica. On November 12, 1934, I had a song sparrow under observation that appeared to be like the description of this form. On other occ asiops also, other birds seen appeared to be grayer above, diff erent from melodic . For this reason, I am including atlantica , tenta- tively, as occurring here. Eastern Snow Bunting. Pi ectrophenax nivalis nivalis. On December 3, 1934, I had an excellent opportunity of approaching close to one of these rare stragglers from the north. It was on a bridge and by the road off the east main canan, and I was able to get within 30 feet of it. On January 7, 1935 > near the same place r ' ir-.. Jwas seen running along the road by the canal in front of my automobile. This was probably the same f •‘ dual. The species had been previously 'recorded at Beaufort (1931) and White Lake (1934) Pea Island (1901); Oriental (1918). Although not actually recorded within the refuge boundaries, the laughing gull, ( harus atricilla ) and Bonaparte's gull ( Larus Philadelphia ) have been recorded at Englehard on the sound, a few miles from the refuge and they probably occur on the lake BI BLIOGRA PH Y Cottam, Clarence 1935 Greene, Earle R. 1935a 1935b 1935c 1936a 1936b 1936 c Pearson, T. Gilbert; 1919 Blue and snow geese in the Eastern United Sates ih the winter 1934-5 with notes on their food habits. Auk , 52 (4): 432-441, October. Bird-lore's thirty-fifth Christmas census. Lake Mattamuskeet Wildlife Refuge (Hyde- Co.) N. C. Bir d-Lore . 37 (l): 53. J anuary-Fobruary . (Taken with James D. Hodges). Interesting winter notes at Lake Mattamuskeet Wildlife Refuge (Hyde Co.) N. C., Auk, 52 (3) 319-320, J u ly. The white pelican ( Pelecanus ery throrhynchos ) on Lake Mattamuskeet Wildlife Refuge (Hyde Co.) N. C., auk 52 (4) : 442-443 October. Arkansas Kingbird ( Tyrannus ver ticalis ) at Lake Mattamuskeet, N. C. , ±>uk, 53 (1): S3 January. American rough-legged hawk ( Buteo lagopus sanctl-.johannis ) in North Carolina, Auk 53 (2): 209 April. Unusual nesting locations in Lake Mattamuskeet Wildlife Refuge. Bir d-Lor e 38 (3): 236-237, May June. Brimley, C. S. and Brimley, H. H. Bi rds of N orth Carolina. N. C. Gaol, and Econ. Survey, Vol. 4, i-919™" The Chat BULLETIN OF THE NORTH CAROLINA BIRD CLUB PUBLISHED AT RALEIGH. N. C. John h. Grey. jr.. Editor 1719 PARK DRIVE VOL NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 1937 Nos, 9-10 TAKE A CHRISTMAS CENSUS An annual census of birds has been taken at Christmas time for the past thirty-seven years. It has been sponsored by BIRD LORE, the magazine of the Audubon Association. From this census it is possible to' learn much about the relative abundance and distribution of our birds. Last year there were but two such census from North Carolina reported in BIRD LORE: Chapel Hill and Red Springs, Every community should take one this year. The Chapel Hill census is used in this ar- ticle as a guide. The regulations are: (1) Take it as close to Christmas Day as possible, not before the 20th, nor later than the 26th. The census should cover at least six hours in the field, all day is better. (2) List the birds seen by species, giving the total seen of each species, also a grand total. The list must be in the order of the Fourth A. Oc U. check-list (1931) which is the order used in most bird books print- ed since 1931. It begins with loons and ends with buntings (Petersonfe FIELD GUIDE and Chapman’s 1932 HANDBOOK have it, but not BIRDS OF AMERICA). This order is essential to get it printed in the magazine, it also helps in comparing lists. Do not give sub-specific names when only one such sub-species is likely to occur, as, the Screech Owl in the State is almost certain to be the Southern Screech Owl, therefore it is not necessar^’' to prefix the Southern. This saves space, allow- ing more lists to be published. Give notes about anything unusual seen, as done in the list included. (3) Territory covered must not be more than a diameter of fifteen miles. The same territory covered each year gives a better basis of comparison. (4) Give time of star- ting and ending, weather conditions, number of observers, miles trav- eled with names and addresses of each participant. Mail your census immediately. None printed that are received after December 31. Mail one copy to BIRD LORE, 1775 Broadway, New Pago 59 Page 60 THE CHAT NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 1937 York City* Mail another copy to THE CHAT. We will print any received in the January number. If you have any doubt about your list being correct, mail to THE CHAT, stating your difficulty, and we will send it in. Example of 1936 Census: "Chapel Hill, N. C., December 26; dawn until dark, two hours out in the middle of the day. Clear, calm, tern** perature 35 to 65 degrees. Same territory covered as during censuses of last four years (6 mile radius including University Lake, Strowd's low grounds, Hogan’s pond. New Hope Swamp, University campus and in- termediate points). Observers separate for most part in morning and on foot, together in afternoon in car. Pied-billed Grebe, 1; Double- crested Cormorant, 1; Great Blue Heron, 2; Bittern, 1; Mallard, 12; Black Duck, 3; Leaser (?) Scaup, 6; Hooded Merganser, 1; Turkey Vul- ture, 10; Black Vulture, 7; Cooper’s Hawk, 1; Red-tailed Hawk, 1; Red- shouldered Hawk, 5; Sparrow Hawk, 1; Bob-white, 12; Killdeer, 5; Wood- cock, 1; Wilson's Snipe, 6, Mourning Dove, 13; Barred Owl, 1 (heard); Kingfisher, 2; Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, 8; Hairy Woodpecker, 10; Downy Woodpecker, 12; Phoebe, 1; Horned Lark, 25; Blue jay, 60; Crow, 61; Carolina Chickadee t 30; Tufted Titmouse, 23; White-breasted Nut- hatch, 7; Red-breasted Nuthatch, 7; Brown-headed Nuthatch, 2; Brown Creeper, 4; Winter Wren, 33; Carolina Wren, 25; Mockingbird, 2; Brown Thrasher, 2; Robin, 150; Hermit Thrush, 63; Bluebird, 97, Golden- crowned Kinglet, 23; Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 12; Pippit, 17; Cedar Wax- wing, 70, Starling, 9; Myrtle Warbler, 65; Pine Warbler, 3; English Sparrow, 8; Meadow Lark, 28; Red-wing, 600; Rusty Blackbird, 10; Pur- ple Grackle, 5, Cowbird, 5; Cardinal, 36; Purple Pinch, 84; Pine Sis- kin, 42; Goldfinch, 40; Towhee, 28, Savannah Sparrow, 17; Vesper Spar- row, 3; Junco, 850; Field Sparrow, 112; White-throated Sparrow, 750; Pox Sparrow, 52; Swamp Sparrow, 160; Song Sparrow, 900. Total 71 spe- cies, about 4833 individuals. Larger numbers are partly estimated. Occurrence of the Cormorant (E. 0.) here is \inusual, this being our first winter record; one was also observed on the lake in November of this year. The invasion of Siskins, Horned Larks and Red-breasted Nut- hatches seems to be general here so far this winter. Turkey tracks were noted. Eugene Odum, Arnold Breckenridge, Edmund Taylor, Coit Coker, M, S. Breckenridge." (BIRD LORE, XXXIX, Pg. ) NEW HERON ROOKERIES George B. Lay, Biological Survey, Raleigh, N, C. . In August of this year, I visited a newly discovered Heron Rookery at Quitsna in Bertie County, N. C. Tho rookery is scattered over ap- proximately four acres. The land is swampy without trees in the cen- ter . Much of tho area is covered by low brushy growth beyond which there are taller and heavier trees. The herons had started nesting wherever there was brush, and even in some of the smaller trees. This heronry is inhabited only by Little Blue Herons, Its discov- ery is significant in that it Is farther north than Little Blues have been known to breed in North Carolina. The nearest point, formerly known to be used by the species as a brooding ground, is an island in THE CHAT NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 1937 Page 61 Lake Mattamuskeet . Thi3 fact did not appear in Earle Green’s article on the Birds of Lake Mattamuskeet, but was told me by Dr. T. Gilbert Pearson. The only point farther north where Little Blues are known to nest is near Norfolk, Virginia, reported by J. J. Murray in THE RAVEN in 1933, Another rookery was reported to me farther down the Roanoke River. The discovery of these rookeries supports the conclusion that this species is rapidly pushing its breeding range northward, probably due to the fact that they have enjoyed better protection in recent years • The heronry at Quitsna is about nine miles southwest of Windsor and within a few miles of the Roanoke River. It is fairly easily reached, being a few hundred yards off a good dirt road. The surest way to reach it is to phone from Windsor to Mr. E. Duke Spruill who will be glad to take those interested to see the colony. We estimated that there were probably 10,000 herons in the rook- ery, counting adults and young. The young birds were all able to leave during the day and came streaking back about six o’clock in the evening. One local resident said the birds had been there about three years. He recalled that at first there were a dozen pairs or so, and that they were noted in large numbers for the first time this year. Comments aboiit the colony were run in a Bertie County newspaper. FLAMINGOES IN NORTH CAROLINA S. N. Walker, Director of the Pea Island Migratory Waterfowl Re- fuge, reports two American Flamingoes ( Phoenicopterus ruber ) observed on Pea Island, June 23, 1937. Pea Island is a part of the N. C. banks just south of Oregon Inlet. He was riding up the beach, toward the inlet, in his car when he saw two strange birds ahead of him* Realiz- ing that it was something that he had never seen before, he stopped the car and watched them through 7-power binoculars* After identify- ing them as Flamingoes, he drove closer and observed them again. He was able to drive his car within fifty yards of the birds several times, as the birds flew ahead of him along the beach* After watching them for more than half an hour he drove on to the ferry. Not having a gun with him he did not secure one as a specimen, although he realized that a sight record of such a bird would be questioned. The Biologi- cal Survey did not accept this as a record (note from W. F. Kubickek to the Editor,) The Rev. F. H. Craighill of Rocky Mount and the Edi- tor talked with Mr. Walker, and spent a day with him on a trip along the banks. They found him to be a good naturalist: careful in his observations and cautious about identifying birds of which he was not sure , Flamingoes are birds of the tropical coasts from Cuba to South America. Formerly they were regular visitors to extreme southern Flo- rida and the Keys, At present they are rare enough in Florida to cause considerable comment when seen. Howell, in Florida Bird Life ^pp. 122-24) lists them as observed five times between 1920 and 1931, a total of thirty-six individuals seen. Howell also lists the species as "accidental in South Carolina." N. C. STATE MUSEUM Information Circular 37-12 PASSENGER PIGEONS By H. H. BRIMLEY I N 1813, Audubon witnessed a flight of these birds near Louisville that he estimated to contain more than a bil- lion birds — and the last Passenger Pigeon died in the Cincinnati Zoo in 1914! When the great roosts of these birds covered almost un- believable areas — one nesting site recorded as occupying 250 square miles — the percentage of damage inflicted on the nesting pigeons by predatory birds and animals must have been infinitesimal, but as man killed them by mil- lions, the nesting sites necessarily became smaller, with the predators taking a greater percentage of toll. This percentage of natural destruction continued to increase to the point where the destruction was much greater than the natural increase (each pair of birds producing not more than one young at a time) that the final wild Pas- senger Pigeon passed away. Man paved the way for the predator, however, killing the birds for home consumption, for market and, probably in many cases, just for the pleasure of killing. Car loads and train loads of the birds were shipped to the large centers of population for food, while millions were netted and shipped alive for use as targets by the pigeon-shooting clubs. Untold numbers of wounded birds must also have perished as there was practically no education in the line of conservation of natural resources in those days and it is pretty certain that but little effort was made to secure the cripples when it was so much simpler to shoot another un- wounded bird. Here are a few recorded notes on large flocks of the Passenger Pigeon: A flight near Fort Mississisauga, Can- ada, which filled the air and obscured the sun for 14 hours. A note from Florida (1766) asserted that the pigeons were in such numbers for three months in the year that any ac- count of them would seem incredible. The early settlers in Virginia found the pigeons in winter “beyond number or imagination !” The destruction of timber by the pigeons in the great roosts was a common occurence. In 1805 it was estimated that twenty million pigeons nested in the valleys along the Allegheny River. The last great nesting site in New York State in 1868 was almost 14 miles in length. A nesting site in Pennsylvania in 1870 was from 1)4 to 2 miles wide and 40 miles in length. A flock in Kentucky (about 1806) was estimated to contain more than two billion birds, taking no .account of the sev- eral strata of birds above the lowest. Most of the above notes regarding the vast multitudes of this bird that formerly swept over many parts of the eastern states are taken from Forbush’s Birds of Massachusetts, and only a very small percentage of the data there given is quoted. In North Carolina, the species did not nest, but it did occur in unbelievably vast flocks in the fall, winter and spring. The last flock of any size of which we have record is one of about a mile in width observed by the late Dr. K. P. Battle near Bingham School, Alamance County, between 1871 and 1872. Dr. Battle also killed one out of three seen at Chapel Hill in 1878. The writer of this has seen three in all since 1880, the last one two miles east of Raleigh in 1891. The pair in the Museum was secured on an exchange basis through the courtesy of Dr. Thomas Barbour, Di- rector of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard College. The male specimen was taken in New York State in 1877, and the female in Minnesota in 1890. Page 63 THE CHAT NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 1937 PRAIRIE HORNED IARK BREEDING AT BLOWING ROCK Dr. J. J. Murray, Lexington, Va. The first breeding record of the Prarie Horned Lark for North Car- olina was reported in the CHAT for April and May- June. This was repor- ted by Nelson Hairston from Lexington, N. C., on April 13, 1937. While spending 3ome time at Blowing Rock this summer I visited Thunder Hill several times. On August 17, I saw a flock of eight of those Larks. At least one was an adult; some were dull, immature birds. I had seen a pair flying over this region a year ago, August 13, 1936. This seems to be one of the farthest south breeding records for this species. HENDERSON BECOMES A BIRD SANCTUARY Claudia Watkins Hunter On November 5, 1937, Henderson officially became a bird sanctuary through the efforts of the Henderson Bird Club. The only other town in the South which is a sanctuary is Milledgevllle , Georgia. The mayor of Henderson, Mr. Henry T. Powell, and several of the City Council were present at a public meeting held by the Club in the High School Audito- rium on the above date and by official proclamation declared the city of Henderson a bird sanctuary. The Henderson Bird Club was formed last spring, when some members of the North Carolina Bird Club met with bird lovers of the town and assisted them in organizing. Prom its inception, the prime objective of the club was the declaration of the sanctuary and to this end, club members enlisted the aid of the City Council and all civic organiza- tions . Already the Bird Club has erected signs at the highway entrances to Henderson announcing that it is a bird sanctuary. The Garden Club has begun the planting of the parkways at the north entrance to the city and the West End Garden Club is considering planting the other two entrances. Many of these plantings will be berry bearing shrubs that will furnish natural food for the birds. The sanctuary will serve two purposes. First, as a matter of. conservation it will tend to increase the number of song birds which cone to the city. This will be done by furnishing more nesting places, a larger amount of cover and more food. This should increase the num- ber of summer residents and also winter visitors. Second, it will serve to educate people as to the pleasure which birds give and their economic value to the city. Page 64 THE CHAT NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 1937 MORE ABOUT PURPLE MARTINS Joe Biggs writes of the Martins around Washington. The flocks of Martins which he saw this fall were not quite as large as the flocks seen in 1936. "The martins which nest rather commonly in many local boxes, gather in immense flocks about the middle of July. I suppose the nesting is over by the end of the month. At any rate, we witnes- sed hundreds, perhaps thousands, of birds here in August 1936. These flocks appeared to gather largely in the cypress trees bordering the river in the eastern part of our city. Their numbers were augmented by others until about the middle of August, when they reached their greatest abundance. From that period until mid-September they decreac- ed, some passing on south and others apparently still arriving. How- ever, there were still a few to bo seen by the middle of September. This year I was able to determine, as near as possible, the latest date, September 17, 1937. My observations for this fall are interest- ing since they seem to confirm observations given in THE CHAT. Indeed, I noticed very few birds that did not have tho dirty white underparts of the female, and though I was not particularly struck by it, I do recall that very few adult males wore seon." Francis H. Craighill, writing of the martins around Rocky Mount, says: "There is nothing hero to justify Mayor Flora's plaint about the scarcity of Martins, and they were very plentiful in Juno on the coastal stretches down bolow him. They start coming to town in May, and always gather on' the electric light wires at the side of T. T. Thorne's house down near tho city lake, flying back and forth to skim the surface for a drink of water. The birds that come, up to July, are almost all light breasted, and I figure that they are young birds of tho first hatch, and that tho parents linger for a second nesting. Dur- ing July tho big bunches movo in and seel: roosting places. Some years they have stayed together, but this year they divided into several groups. When they choose trco3 near a house, as they did here, they are quite a serious nuisance, and it is hard to keep poople from shoot- ing them. Boys and owls are also hard on them. Doing the best I could to protect them, hundreds woro killed during the month they spent here. But thousands survive, and many come back the next year." AMATEUR ADDS NEW SUB-SPECIES TO N. C. CHECKLIST On September 9, G. M. Garren picked up a dead bird on the streets of Raleigh. It was like nothing ho had scon and ho took it to C« S. Brimley and Roxie Collie. Tho bird looked like a licknoll's Thrush, tho smaller and more southern variety of tho Gray-chocked Thrush. The skin was saved for the Museum collection. On November 20, H. C. Ober- holser of the Biological Survey, Washington, visited tho Museum and identified the specimen as a Willow Thrush ( Hyloc ichla fusee scons sal- icicola Ridgeway , A, 0. U, No. 756a.) Dr, 6 be r ho leer Is tho authority in Identifying specimens and among other organizations Is a member of tho N. C. B, C. The Willow Thrush is tho western form of the Veery, Page 65 THE CHAT NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 1957 Breeding west of the Mississippi River mainly in the Rocky Mountains and in migration straggles to the eastern U. S. It has been recorded from South Carolina. This specimen is the first record for North Car- olina and brings our total number of sub-species to forty-one. FIELD NOTES WASHINGTON: Last dates for Purple Martins, September 17; Chimney Swift, October 10; Common Tern^ October 10 (numerous in August and September^; American Egret, September 27- The Tree Swallow appears to be absent here during the fall. Barn Swallows were seen two or three times during midsummer, regular migration appeared to begin about Aug- ust 13. The Pileated Woodpecker seems to be holding its own in Choco- winity Swamp near Washington,, where it may be seen on any favorable occasion. Least Terns were seen in July., Joseph D. Biggs, Jr. HENDERSON: Miss Grace Brown brought to the N. C. Museum on Sep- tember 30 a Virginia Rail which she had picked up dead in front of her house. This bird is a transient and has been recorded at Raleigh as late as October 9. -Romie Collie PEA ISLAND: On August 2, 1937, Mrs. Lay and I had the privilege of driving down the beach, or wash, with S. N. Walker, who is director of the Pea Island Refuge. Least Sandpipers (plentiful); Semi-palmated Sandpipers (plentiful); Wilson’s Plover, Seml-Palmated Plover, Black- bellied Plover and Pectoral Sandpiper (all common); Hudsonian Curlew (several flocks of 10 - 25); three Canada Geese have summered on the Refuge. Black Duck breed here and are common. Wood Duck breed in sloughs on land side of Sound and are not seen on the Refuge. Imma- ture Black-crowned Night Heron plentiful in marsh areas. --- — George Lay RdANOKE ISLAND: August 1, Rough Winged Swallows, Swift3, Purple Martins, Kingbirds, Brown Thrasher, Common Terns, Royal Terns. No English Sparrows. — George Lay ROCKY MOUNT: Although Rocky Mount is more than 100 miles inland, it is occasionally visited by sea birds. The Forsters ’ Tern, August 27, was mentioned in the July-August issue of THE CHAT. A Common Tern was seen August 30. A Royal Tern, September 16> Bonaparte Gull (imma- ture), October 20 and (Adult) October 25; Ring-billed Gull (adult) October 23. First summer observation of the Song Sparrow, July 23, a single bird; a pair September 17. This was almost a month before the first migrant flock was observed October 11. Catbird nest was seen at the Country Club August 23, with three-fourths grown. It was the third Page 66 THE CHAT NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 1937 nest this year for the same pair. An albino crow was seen on the golf course October 26. A flock of more than 20 Blue Grosbeaks seen Septem- ber 10 feeding on sorghum seed. About 5,000 Purple Martins and 2,000 Chimney Swifts gather in Rocky Mount each fall for the southward migra- tion and roost together for a month or more before the start. This year the big flock of Martins left August 13, and the Swifts October 13. They vary but little from these dates. Last observations of summer residents and visitors: Wood Thrush, August 5; Orchard Oriole, August 9; Crested Flycatcher, August 20; Prothonotary Warbler and Yellow-crowned Nigh-t Heron, August 30; Purp'le Martin, September 3; Yellow- throated Warbler, September 6; Spotted Sandpiper and Bluegrey Gnatcatcher, September 8; Redeyed Vireo and Yellow- throated Vireo, September 9; White-eyed Vireo, Prairie Warbler and Hummingbird, September 11; Kingbird and Blue Grosbeak, September 16; Nighthawk, September 18; American Egret, September 19; Summer Tan- ager. Yellow-billed Cuckoo and Black and White Warbler, September 20; Black-crowned Night Heron, October 4; Redstart and Parula Warbler, October 6; Indigo Bunting, October 11; Sv/ift, October 13; Green Heron and Catbird, October 16; Maryland Yellow- throat , October 18; Yellow Palm Warbler, October 19; Black- throated Blue Warbler, October 20; Black-poll Warbler and Wood Pewee, October 22; Blue-headed Vireo, Oct- ober 25; Snowy Egret, November 15. First observations of winter visitors and transients: Barn Swal- low, August 7, Solitary Sandpiper, August 13; Cowbird, August 23; Tree Swallow, August 27; Western Sandpiper, August 20; Pectoral Sandpiper September 22; Wilson’s Snipe, September 6; Osprey, September 8; Marsh Hawk, September 20; House Wren and Pigeon Hawk, September 24; Yellow- bellied Sapsucker, October 7; Myrtle Warbler, October 11; Pintail (first migrant duck) and Ruby-crowned Kinglet, October 13; White- throated Sparrow, October 15; Swamp Sparrow, Duck Hawk and. Savannah Sparrow, October 16; Brown Creeper, October 20; American Coot, Purple Finch and Winter Wren (plentiful this year, did not recort it last year), October 25; Golden-crowned Kinglet and Hermit Thrush, October 26; Shoveller and Junco, October 29; Cedar Waxwing, October 30; Ameri- can Pippit, November 3; Rusty Blackbird, November 9; Lesser Scaup Duck and Hooded Merganser, November 11; Green-winged Teal, November 14; Ring-necked Duck and American Merganser, November 16; Buffle Head, November 21; Great Horned Owl, November 23; Fox Sparrow, November 29; Red-breasted. Nuthatch (not recorded last year), November 30, -Francis II . Craighill PINEBLUFF: A mousetrap, 3et with cheese, was left a few moments on the steps of our house, November 15, and when picked up again a Carolina Wren was caught in it. The trap was of the round variety with holes bored in the upright sides. The bird had inserted its head in one of the holes. As Carolina Wrens are naturally of an Inquiring disposition, we suppose this bird was investigating the mystery of the hole, rather than trying to get at the bait. Page 67 TEE CHAT NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 1937 Mr. Richard Britton, of Great Kills, S. I*, N* Y., who has been shooting quail in South Carolina every season for thirty years, reports that on November 16 he s ; w a quail sitting on her nest at the edge of a cornfield in Mt. Crogan, Chesterfield County, S. C. He returned to the site on November 23, disturbed the bird from the nest, and counted twelve eggs. - -Marion C. MacNeille SWANNANOA: Pigeon Hawk, pair seen flying low, August 27. George Lay RALEIGH: Last Dates of Summer Visitors: Blue Grosbeak, September 4; Bluegrey Gnatcatcher, September 7; Rubythroated Hummingbird, Septem- ber 17; Yellowthroated Warbler, September 19; Maryland Yellowthroat , September 26; Wood Pewee, September 27; Nighthawk, October 2; Redstart, October 6; Blueheaded Vireo, October 16; Chimney Swift (Grey and Bos- tian), October 22 (latest date in 53 years of observation). First dates of winter visitors: Piedbilled Grebe, September 12; Whitethroated Sparrow, October 8; Brown Creeper, Rubycrowned Kinglet, October 9; Yellowbellied Sapsucker, October 12; Towhee, Mallard, Octo- ber 16; Song Sparrov/, October 17; Black Duck, Ringnecked Duck, Lesser Scaup, Ruddy Duck, Coot, October 26; Slatecolored Junco, October 31; Hermit Thrush, Goldeneye Duck, Shoveller, Redbreasted Merganser, Novem- ber 18; Hooded Merganser, Bufflehead (Nine species of ducks seen on this date at Lake Johnson, by Grey and Brimley), November 22. Transients and miscellaneous: Y/hiterumped Sandpiper (C. S. B. ) , July 23; Pectoral Sandpiper, September 12 (Two seen on Pullen Park Pond by Grey and Brimley, Grey saw another at the same place on Octo- ber 21 jf Semipalmated Sandpiper, September 12 (one seen same place as preceding); Blackpoll Warbler (two seen), October 16 (Mrs. L. M. Dye); Osprey, November 7 (C. S. B», latest recorded date); Laughing Gull on Lake Johnson, November 22. The above from observations by J. H. Grey, Jr., C. S. Brimley, G'. B. Lay, C. H. Bostian, Miss Roxie Collie, and others. LAKE JAWES: Duck Hawk, August 27. George Lay BLOV/ING ROCK: It has been my good fortune for the past twelve years to spend about a month in late summer at Blowing Rock, N. C. These visits have covered the period from late July to early September, and although it is not a good season for bird work a considerable amount of data has been gathered. A total list of 118 species and sub- species has been made. A few notes on uncommon birds seen and on some specimens of common birds collected for sub-specific identification during the past season may be of interest. I was at Blowing Rock in 1937 on July 2 and from July 29 to August 18. Page 68 THE CHAT NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 1937 Pied - billed Grebe ; One at Cone’s Lake on July 30. I was told that it had' been there for several weeks. I have seen this species on three other years in August, but have found no evidence of breeding. Little Blue Heron : One at Cone’s Lake on July 2. I have a few other records, all but one in the white phase. Barred Owl : One heard on August 5 on Green Hill in the morning. First record".' 1 Another seen on Flat Top later in August by Mr. and Mrs, Ellison Smyth. Red - breasted Nuthatch : A few were seen regularly about our cott- age yard on July 2 "and from July 29 to August 18. The altitude here is about 3,900 feet, I have never seen them previously anywhere near so low as in the Blowing Rock section* Golden - winged Warbler i An adult male at close range on August 14 I have seen it there only once before. Kentucky Warbler : A male on August 9. Seen only once before. I may add that a pair of Cardinals came regularly to a feeding station in the yard of our cottage in 1936 from July 28 to August 26. We have only two previous records* A few common birds which were collected during the first half of August were identified by Dr. Alexander Wetmore. An adult female Flicker was identified as Colaptes a* luteus , as was to be expected. Three molting immature Blue Japs were Cyanocitta c. cristata . Three adult male Song Sparrows were identified as' Mclospiza melodia euphonia the race recently described by Dr. Wetmore, Dr.’ Wetmore writes that these specimens are probably from near the southern limit of this race Two of these skins are now in the U. S. National Museum. One of these v/ as collected on the southern side of the mountain in the Atlantic drainage system. Dr. Wetmore and I had already collected specimens of this race in North Carolina, near Sturgills, Jefferson and Warrens- ville. I had hoped to learn the sub-species to which the Blowing Rock Robins belong, but the only specimen obtained was an immature and it was not possible to determine the race positively. Two molting imma- ture Carolina Juncos were also collected for deposit in the National Museum. j. j. Murray Lexington, Virginia