Bird lore - Project Puffin

226 Bird- Lore
A few species have been observed merely as visitors which seem worthy of
mention. Thus, for two springs, I have seen male Bobolinks—a rare, at least,
but a local bird in Colorado ;
last May Bronzed Crackles were seen, not com-
mon here. Flying over the ponds I have seen four species of Swallows, Cliff,
Barn, Violet-green, and Rough-winged. Plumbeous Vireos and Virginia's
Warblers are occasionally noted.
Audubon's Warbler is a regular
visitor in migration, and has been
observed as late as October 17. I
have seen one Grinnell's Water-
Thrush, rare in Colorado; Yellow-
throats, MacGillivray's and Pileo-
lated Warblers are not infrequently
seen, and once in a while a Brown
Thrasher is noted. For a species
which is so common in Colorado and
in the vicinity, I have curiously few
records of the Mountain Bluebirds;
it does not seem to frequent the
park regularly, and is only occasion-
ally observed there. Black-crowned
Night Herons were seen in the spring
of 1911 and 1913.
That the nesting birds are sub-
jected to more or less disturbance in
a place so much frequented by the
public goes without saying, and it
is a problem which is causing those
interested in the birds considerable
BREWER'S BLACKBIRD coucem. First let me say that the
Board of Park Commissioners take much interest in the birds and are willing
to do all they can to protect them, but the funds at their disposal are
somewhat limited and they cannot spare as much as they might desire for
policing the park. This being the case, there is opportunity for boys to do mis-
chief unmolested, and not only boys but grown young men; this is wilful
harm. Then I have little doubt that over-curious people unintentionally dis-
turb nesting birds by coming too close about their nests, causing their aban-
donment. I have reached the stage myself when I hardly dare to look at a
nest if there is another person in sight whose attention might thus be called
to it. A gentleman who spends much of his time in the park made a careful
study of the northern end in the spring of 1915, and he estimated that up to
June I about one-half of the young birds hatched died from one cause or
another, and some of these causes, or we might say one of them, wilful destruc-