St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-09-11
Summer Birds of wlIIoughby Lake.
Correspondence Of The cALppoNIAu

Correspondence Of The CALIFORNIAN
The head OF Willoughby Lake, which
was the center of my observations for
the fortnight from June II to July /,
1896, is located in latitude 44o 49,. The
lake is about 1900 feet above the sea,
and the attitudes of MIS- Annanance and
Hor are about $500 and 2700 feet re-
spectively. The country is mostly COW
cred with a second growth of hard wood
trees, among which sugar maple is
especially abundant. There areno extern
sive tracts of coniierous forests in the |
immediate neighborhood-not even on
the mountains. The birds, of which |
noted sixty-six species, all doubtless
breeding in the vicinity, are, with per-
haps one exception, such as an ornitholo-
gist would expect to find under such con-
ditions of latitude, altitude and sur
roundngs. The exception l speak OF is
the wood thrush. This bird is of rather
a southerly range, and near the coast, is
not found north Of Massachusetts. Mr..
Bradford Torrey found it near Owls
Head, Lake Memphremagog. DR.. Walter
Faxon, who visited Willoughby Lake in
1885 and 1889, found only one wood
thrush singing there. The fact that four
or five probably representing so many
pairs) were heard this year is perhaps
due to the scarcity of hermit thrushes,
which were very seriously decimated in
the South in the severe winter of 1895,
and which have not yet recovered their
normal abundance. DR.. Faxon and Mr..
Ralph Hoffman, found last year that the
wood thrushes were taking the places
left vacant by hermits on the side OF Mt.
Graylock in Massachusetts, ndfar above
their usual limit of altitude. Mr.. William
Brewster also writes me that he found
wood thrush at Lake Umbagog this
spring for the first time, and he thinks
that these birds are extending their range
northward. The bluebirds, even more
than the hermit thrushes, suffered in the
severe cold of winter before last and this
accounts for the absence OF this we'll
known bird from my list.
DR.. Faxon has very kindly looked over
my list and made such additions from his
own records as appear in brackets below.
LIST OF BIRDS OBSERVED IN THE VICINITY
OF WILLoUGHBY LAKE. JUNE II
JULY 1, 1896.
1. Spotted Sandpiper, Tip-up, Actitis
macularia. One seen with nest
and three eggs
2. Rufed Grouse, Partridge, bonasa
umbellus, doubtless of the sub
species togatal. Four observed
two with broods ofyoung.
Marsh Hawk, Circus hudsonius
Observed by DR.. Faxon, Angus
% and &c, 1889
8. Broad winged Hawk, Buteo latissi
mus. One seen twice.
4. Duck Hawk, American Peregrin
), Falcon, Falco peregrinus anatun
One seen several times about tn
cliffs on Mt Annanance and tyjn
over the lake.
~ 5. Barred Owl, Syrnium nebulosun
Two heard hooting, one of thei
seen.
6. Black-billed Cuckoo, Coccyzus er,
throphthalmus. One or tw
-. heard.
' 7. Belted Kinghsher, Ceryle alcyo1
One seen.
s. Hairy Woodpecker, Dryobates VI
losus. Two seen.
9. Downv Woodpecker, D. pubescen
Four or five observed.
go 10. Yelow-belied Sapsucker, SphyraT
'.e2 Gus varius. Four observed.
200 TPileated Woodpecker Logcoc
cies Ceophleus pleatus. DR.. FAKE
found "peck-holes," old and me-
pun in August 1885, but did not
ash the bird,
lue, Thicker. Pigeon Woodpecker, [
las laptes auratus, Faxon, une' loe
and Aug, 1887
y II. Nighthawk, Chordeies virginian'
One heard squeaklng and boo
ing.
-, Chimney Swift, Chimney Swalo
Chatura pelagica, Abundant.
lUS TRubv-throated Hummingbird, T
chilus colubris. Faxon, Au
. 1881
.. 13. Kingbird, Tyrannus tyrann
Rather common.
. [Crested Flycatcher, Mylarcf
- = crinitus. Faxon, June, 1885, 6
= Aug, 1881
GU IA. Phoebe, Pewee. Sayornis phe
One near the Wiloughby Ii
House.
Illus Is. Olive-sided Flycatcher, Conto
borealis. Only one observed.
r, 16. Wood Pewee, Contopus virens. I
observed.
~ Yellow.bellied Flycatcher, Emp
ntral max faviventris. Rather c.
mon.
10 Alder Flycatcher, E. trailln Amor