The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-03
MIGRATION OF THE BIRDS
Most of the Small Fea hered Tribe
Now Located.
Many of Them Now Nesting. nnd
some Already HIVE Hntchcd Their
Many Species Plentiful-Where
They Are to BE Found.

There yet remains but rev oil the blrd
tribe that have not migrated from the
South to the North now that all possible
ty OF cold weather is over. AS matter Of
fact those that have not already done SO
may be counted with the use of very few
numerals
Most OF the smaller species OF birds are
now nesting and many of them have al
ready Matched out their young.
That all birds mate. nest and rear young
every year is popular fallacy. The facts
are that really quite a small percentage
Of our resident summer birds are inter-
ested in reproduction. A very few mo-
ments' thought will convince most anyone
of this, for if every two birds of any one
species raised young the country in few
years would not be able to afford them a
living, to say nothing of what the other
species would require.
Another most interesting item is the
comparative abundance of any one species.
Some years certain species are scarce. the
next year more numerous then they will
get very common, and possibly the next
year very scarce. This was very strongly
shown not long ago by the bluebirds. Blue
birds were numerous everywhere up to ouf
first blizzard, then they were reported
from all over the Eastern United States
to have been eXterminated, but enough
were left to reproduce the species SO that
today there are as many as there were ten
vars ago.
The list for June contains AS species
and is as follows:
The horned grebe and the pied-billed
grebe may still be found in small numbers
on the Eastern Shore, and the loon has
been recorded until the 18th. Laughing
gulls also are scattered over the bay, and
Forster's common and least terms occur
on our lower water front. Leach's petrol
is to be found two or three miles of shore
and the cormorant is still in evidence.
The American merganser duck and the
hooded merganser duck have been noted
until the 18th, while black ducks and wood,
summer, or acorn ducks are here all
month. On one occasion a sunken scow
laden with corn held small bunch CT red
heads Until the 9Th, and rudy ducks, coo's,
or greasers. have been noted until the 10th.
OF the waders, the bittern is very rare,
but the least bittern is common in the
marshes. The great blue heron. having
gotten through with its nesting duties,
is again in evidence; the green heron, or
poke, is everywhere and the blackcrowned
night heron scatters at dusk from its rock
cries.
The king rail, the clapper rail, the Vir-
ginia rail, and the sora are all here, as is
also the woOdcock.
The shore birds are few in number OF
species. The least sandpiper has been re-
corded to the 18th, and the equally small
semi-palmated sandpiper to the 9TH, both
commonly called peeps" the red-backed
Isandpiper to the 18th, and the greater yell
lowlegs to the 18th. Willett are to be
found on the salt marshes and Bartra-
milan sandpipers. commonly called upland
ployer from the nature Of their resorts,
may be found In the high country, while
the spotted sandpipers, or Tits, are every
where: SO, also, are killdeers, with their
incessant noise, from which they have
gained their scientific name "vocfera.
Piping plovers and oyster catchers are rare
on our ocean front.
The clear whistle or the more resonant
bob white" of the partridge or quail may
be heard everywhere this year. for little
bob white has gained lots Of friends and
Is now remarkably numerous. The ruffed
grouse is holding his own. The wild tur-
KEYS will no doubt appreciate the dry sea-
son and raise large-sized broods. but doves
appear to be very scarce this year.
Notwithstanding the senseless persecu-
ton to which hawks and owls, excepting the
turkey buzzard. are subject. they still ply
their good Offices in behalf Of themselves
and Of mankind. Tor. if they do occasional
" take a chicken. why should We blame
them? They are not cognizant of the laws
governing private property and are only
fulfilling their mission. The marsh hawk.
sharp-shinned hawk and Cooper's hawk
are scarce, the red-tailed. red-shouldered,
and broad winged more numerous. The
A,r ,r1o &c for
sparrow hawk is common everywhere and
the fish hawk around our water front.
The barn owl and the longeared owl are
scarce. while the barred owl, the screech
owl and the great horned owl are common.
The yellow billed cuckoo. or rain crow.
is common everywhere.
The hairy woodpecker is scare, while the
little downy woodpecker is common. The
yellow-bellied sapsucker occurs in small
numbers and an occasional pair Of pileated
woodpeckers wherever the timber is heavy
enough for them. Red-headed woodpeck-
ers are common. scarce, absent, or any
thing else that suits them, being our most
cratic bird -beliied woodpeckers may
be found and fickers are everywhere, also
whip-poor- wills, night hawks, and hum
ming birds
Fly catchers are very useful birds In
their way. but awfully short on music,
the crested fycatcher, the kingbird or bee
martin. the phoebe or bridge pewee, the
wood pewee end the Acadian fycatcher
are all common.
The bluejay, crow. fish crow, cowb'ri,
red winged blackbird, meadowlark, orchard
oriole. Baltimore oriole. and purple grackle
or crow blackbird are all common.
The z, ,dfinch or thistlebird, the g.ass-
hopper sparrow. the chipping sparIo~,. the
field sparrow. the song sparrow. the toahse
or jowink. the cardinal redbird, and tie
indigo bird are all common. The bay
winged sparrow is sparingly distributed.
and Hensiows sparrow Is very local.
Sharp-tailed sparrowe and seaside spar
rows are fairly numerous On our saltwater
marshes.
The rose breasted grosbeak is to be
found sparingly, while the blue grosbeak
finds its northern summer range In the
vicinity of this city. The dickcissel, or
black throated bunting, used to be very
common, but is now extremely rare. Thu
scarlet tanager and the summer tanager
are locally dispersed.
Purple or black martins occupy boxes
everywhere, but cave swallows are very
local. and at times Will leave locality for
one or more years without any apparent
cause. Barn swallows are common. Tree
or white bellied swallows are occupying old
flicker holes round our water front. Bans
swallows are nesting In colonies In the
sand bluffs round the bay, while the rough
winged swallows have their nests IN nat
ural cavities everywhere near water. &C.
darbirds are still in hocks. their nesting
time having not arrieyd.
Red-eyed vireos are common everywhers,
and every spring-head or other damp rlace
has its white-eyed vireos. The yellow
throated vireos delights in high. open tim
Der, while the warbiing vireo seems 20 b.
restricted to shade trees in our co intry
faMnE.