Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-27
FRIENDS Of BIRDS
ENDOUT|NG SEASON
District Audubon Society's
Trips AfieId for Observation
and Instruction.
DIFFICULT RUN SECTION
VISITED LAST SATURDAY
One Hundred and Six Different
Species Noted Since Excursions
Began April "a.

The Audubon Society of the District OF
Columbia closed its annual series of bird
ps last Saturday. In the number of
birds seen the best of former records
was euualed while the attendance of per-
sons was far ahead of that of any pre-
vious year. This is attributed to the
generally increased interest in bird life
and to the special efforts of the societ y
TO enlist the campfire girls in the cam
paign for bird preservation.
The printed schedule called for the
first excursion the last week in April
but spring came on so rapidly and the
birds arrived so much earlier than usual
that an extra trip was announced fol-
Saturday, April 10. the earliest date the
society has ever been permitted to SEIZED
ue On this trip thirty-one persons as
sembled near Benning bridge and saw
fifty-one kinds of birds during long
walk. They proceeded to Bladensburg by
way of the western bank of the Ana
costa river. noting as many birds as
would usually be seen week later. The
rarest find of the day was a flock OF
rusty grackles lettering week later thar
their usual date of departure for theif
northern breeding grounds. while a paig
triously ornamenting with lichens the
outside Of their nearly completed nest
oblivious of the score of field glasses
focused on their movements
First Regular Excursion.
The first regular trip was as usual to
Dyke. Va, and was attended. April 20.
by eighty-seven peryons-a third more
than had ever been present al any pre-
yious outing of the society. The woods
swarmed with bird students and nature
and the birds united 10 reward these
devotees Result: Sixty-tve different
species seen during the dar. The two
rare birds most eagerly sought at Dyke
the yellow-throated warbler and the
Hinston sparrow, were obligingly pres
ent and mant a person added the latter
for the first time TO their lifes bird list.
The find of the day, and. indeed. OF
this springs whole series of bird trips,
was the prothonotary warbler, a bril-
liantly colored southern warbler, seen
within or near the District only four
times In the past sixty years. y flash
ing bird in high p!umage came Gloss
to the party at their lunching place.
and a few minutes later {; second was
found not far distant,
The next trip. MAY !. found more than
nalf hundred Audubontes ploddng
through furnace heat from Somerset
toward Glen Echo Junction. \ visit was
paid during the afternoon 10 the nest
ing site Of the black-crowned night
herons at the receiving reservoir The
colony proved larger than in former
years. and the clock ticking in the
trees told OF young in the nests Total:
Seventy-eight persons and seventy-two
species of birds.
The following Saturday, May 10. mark
ed the height OF bird migration for 1913,
and the sixty members of the party saw
seventy-eight kinds of birds, number
exceeded only once in the past eight
years The excursionists visited two OF
the prettiest places within easy reach of
Washington-Prospect rock, on the banks
of the Potomac. and the mouth OF
Scott's run Among the notable finds
OF the day should be mentioned the
Cape Nav warbler. which for twenty
wears has been counted a rare prize in
Washington during the spring migration
but which this year has been almost
common and has been reported more
times than III all the previous dozen
wears.
Lowering skies were much in evidence
the morning OF MAY u. and an hour be-
fore the time set for starting a steady
driZZle began The remark was made on
the way To the station that If five people
came out a day Ike this. Il would show
the enthusia SIN of tn. typical Audubon
ite Train time showed thirty person:
present and such devotion seemed 10
dc serve reward, and the rain still fell
heavily, the whole party was taken To
Miss Cooks .'wickiup. at Niresco Va.
and a few hours were pleasantly spent In
ind nj