The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1931-03-23
BIRDS NOT
EXPECTED EARLIER
Than Is CUSTOMARY
Mild Weather. in Spite Of Many
Stories, Has Affected Mi
grations Little

The fact that the last winter was
so unusually mild suggests the ques-
ton OF how this has affected bird
life. The temperature for the winter
months was 20 degrees above normal
md the ground was bare most Of the
time over a large part Of the state.
One might suppose that many birds
which ordinarily 60 farther south
would remain with us, but this was
not observed to be true. The Christ
mas census gave approximately the
same results a. the year before. Mild
weather, moreover, might prevent
the arrival Of the usual winter visitors
from the north. Neither snowy owls
nor redpolls have been common,
though both have been seen.
Stories of robins remaining all win
ter have been current. This may
mean that the occasional ones which
fail to migrate in the fall were able
to survive. better than usual. The
weather has been about normal for
the first half of March, and at this
date there is no prospect Of spring
birds appearing unusually early.
Was Midwinter Movement
A notable movement Of certain
birds did occur in midwinter. The
horned larks usually arrive the last
Of February. This year they were a
month early and on February / they
were common In tho fields and were
singing cheerfully. On Feb. Z large
numbers of dead Lapland longspurs
were reported by the press as found
in the streets OF Mandan. Dead and
injured birds were found also at Daw-
SON and Steele. Mr.. Edgar Preston
near Tower City wrote that the long
spurs were abundant at that date.
Russell Reid at Bismarck wrote that
they were flying over In much larger
numbers than he had ever known be-
fore. There was some snow but no
Lad storm at the time. He found q
few birds which seemed dazed but
uninjured and later. q few injured
ones. -.
It seems strange that this particu-
lar species should be frequently the
victim of disaster. A number Of the
dead birds were found at Lisbon, N.
D., in April, 1928. and at Minot and
Jamestown a few years before. The
writer believes that one reason why
this has been noted so frequently Is
the fact that they travel in such
large flocks. One hundred dead birds
would be a very small fraction Of the
whole flock. It seems that when ny
ing low some Of them must strike
telephone wires or other objects. MI.
G. A. Cross of Dawson wrote that
many were found along the highway
near Steele.
L%ongspurs Are Hardy
The Lapland lonespurs r hardy
birds which nest chiefly north Of the
Arctic Circle. Some Of them usually
may be found in North Dakota dur
ing winter and through tho central
states they occur In great numbers at
that season. The latter part Of March
they may be moving northward in
numbers and even well into May
large flocks are seen.
Several persons In Fargo reported
evening grosbeaks during January.
These birds are Of western North
America, and nest in the evergreen
forests. During winter some of them
appear in the northeastern states.
thus giving bird students In that re-
gion a special treat. They usually
are seen. feeding upon tree seeds.
These birds are easily recognized for
they are as large as a rose-breasted
grosbeak and prominently colored.
The males have bright yellow on the
forehead and rump: black on the
crown, outer parts Of the wings and
on the tail: white patches on the
wings. The general color Is olive or
yellowish green, and the females re-
semble the males but are not as
brightly colored.