Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-28
BIRDS INVADE THE CITY
MILLIONS OF STRANGE SPECIES
TwENTY-rHREE YEARS AGO.

In view OF the near approach OF the bird
shooting season. when the marshes about
washington will be invaded by gunners
armed with all manner of shooting irons"
attention has been called to a report made
oy the National Museum authorities con-
corning the invasion OF Washington by
millions of strange birds twenty-three years
ago. Doubtless many of the sportsmen
who Will go forth to bag the fat reed birds,
ortolan and snipe next Friday when the
hunting season begins will remember the
invasion referred to. The report contains
THIS interesting account OF that event:
we should not close this slight sketch
without special reference to the phenomenal
season OF 1882. In which the ordinary course
OF migratory events was interrupted in an
unprecedented manner. We had, In fact.
tidal wave" of birds during the second
ana third weeks in May. 1t stormed for ten
Gays, up to about the middle OF the month,
ana before the cold rain ceased there was
such a gathering OF birds In the city as had
never been Witnessed by the oldest in
napitant Many thousands of birds filled
the streets and parks. SO great was the
number and SO brilliant the assemblaEe
that the newspapers took II up and pub
iished their notes and queries. To account
FOR the unwonted appartion some one
started the story that n vessel Just arrived
at wharf in Georgetown from the West
indies, had brought a cargo of tropical
birds, which had in some manner escapedl
AND no wonder. when the city was swarm
Ing with scarlet tanagers. golden orioles,
rose breasted grosbeaks redstarts summer
and other warblers. all as strange TO the
average Washngtonian the most bril-
liant exotic birds could be. Yet these lovely
creatures are with us always for those who
can see and feel.
Six Species at Once.
In the back yard of private residence
space % by 40 feet, containing one peach
tree and some grape vine-we counted six
species at once; Baltimore oriole a Can
ada fycatcher, a redstart. a summer yellow
bird black-t hroated blue warbler and a
chestnut-sided warbler. In the parks II
was common to see a flock of six or eight
scarlet tanagers in one tree. There were
hocks of rose-breasted grosbeaks in the
Smithsonian grounds: these birds were shot
by boys near the city, one little fellow
killing six. The most remarkable sight we
witnessed ourselves was a great troop OF a
hundred or more orchard orioles in the
Smithsonian grounds. rambling with a few
BaltlmoreS over the new-mown grass like a
flock of blackbirds. while at the same mo-
ment, on turning the head. the black. white
and rose-color of the beautiful grosbeak
was seen contrasted with the green over
head; summer warblers. black-and- yellow
warblers and chestnut-sided warblers were
skipping together through the tender
foliage; hermit thrushes were hiding in the
evergreen shrubbery, and the ubiquitous
sparrows were chaffering and dickering on
every hand.
he rare DlrQS were IN Que proportion
more numerous than ever before. We have
knowledge of nine Cape May warblers taken
this season. The golden winged blue
winged yellow and Nashville warblers were
all not uncommon. Several specimens OF
the Connecticut warbler. never seen here
before in the spring, and the rare mourn
ing warbler. seldom known to have been
captured in the District, were also taken.
Attributed to Weather.
1.-The weather was unquestionably the
cause of this apparition. Considering the
country at large, 1t held the birds back;
they could not make their usual Roadway
against so protracted a storm, and even
after it ceased here there was a cold wave
north OF US which retarded their advance.
1t also seemed to have detected the ordi-
nary line of migration from the highway
of the Appalachian chain to the lower.
lying land between these mountains and
the seacoast. In a word. a broad stream
Of birds flowing northward was contracted
between comparatively narrow banks and
then INSTRUCTED in Its course. the District
happening to fall just in the main channel.
This seems sufficient to account for the
phenomenon.