What Bird is That? Part 29

_Dendroica tigrina. Case 8, Figs. 65, 66_

Male with chestnut cheek-patches and a white patch on the wing; female and young streaked below, the rump more yellow than the back; tail-feathers with terminal spots. L. 5.

_Range._ Nests from northern New England northward; winters in the tropics.

Was.h.i.+ngton, sometimes very common, usually uncommon T.V., May 1-20; Aug. 4-Oct. 17. Ossining, tolerably common T.V., Aug. 20-Oct. 1. Cambridge, rare T.V., May 15-25; Aug. 25. N. Ohio, not common T.V., May 4-18. Glen Ellyn, irregular T.V., Apl.

30-May 21; Sept. 8-15. SE. Minn., common T.V., May 8.

This beautiful Warbler was formerly considered one of our rarer migrants, but of recent years it appears to be increasing in numbers. On its nesting ground the bird is said to frequent the upper branches of tall evergreens (though one of the few nests which has been found was within three feet of the ground), but when migrating it may be found in the trees of lawns, orchards, and woodland and I have seen it among poke-berries. The Cape May's song is a thin squeak which is compared to the songs of the Black and White and also Blackpoll Warblers.

YELLOW WARBLER

_Dendroica aestiva aestiva. Case 8, Figs. 40, 41_

A small yellow bird streaked below with brownish; inner webs of tail-feathers yellow. L. 5.

_Range._ Nests from Missouri and South Carolina to Canada; winters in the tropics.

Was.h.i.+ngton, common S.R., abundant T.V., Apl.

4-Sept. 28. Ossining, common S.R., Apl. 30-Sept.

27. Cambridge, abundant S.R., May 1-Sept. 15. N.

Ohio, abundant S.R., Apl. 14-Sept. 10. Glen Ellyn, not very common S.R., Apl. 30-Sept. 6. SE. Minn., common S.R., Apl. 28-Sept. 10.

Show me willows over water and any day in May or June I'll show you a Yellow Warbler. Shade and fruit trees also attract him and he may build his cotton-padded nest in their branches or in the shrubbery below. The song is a simple _we-chee, chee, chee, chee, cher-wee_, resembling that of the Chestnut-side, but has its own distinctive tone which permits of ready identification, once it has been learned. The bluish white eggs, thickly marked with shades of brown, are laid the latter half of May.

BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER

_Dendroica caerulescens caerulescens. Case 6, Figs. 58, 59_

The male is unmistakable; the female may be known by the white spot at the base of the outer wing-feathers. L. 5.

_Range._ Nests from northern Connecticut, the mountains of Pennsylvania, and southern Michigan north to Canada; winters in the tropics.

Was.h.i.+ngton, very common T.V., Apl. 19-May 30; Aug.

4-Oct. 9. Ossining, common T.V., Apl. 25-May 28; Aug. 26-Oct. 10. Cambridge, rather common. T.V., May 10-25; Sept. 20-Oct. 10. N. Ohio, common.

T.V., Apl. 27-May 29; Sept. 5-Oct. 16. Glen Ellyn, common T.V., Apl. 29-May 29; Aug. 25-Oct.

10. SE. Minn., uncommon T.V., May 11.

A true Wood Warbler, traveling through the trees with the scattered bands of other members of his family as he journeys to and from his summer home. This, in the northern part of his nesting range, is in coniferous forests, in the southern part, deciduous forests. In both, however, the birds require heavy undergrowth in which their bark-covered nest is built within a foot or two of the ground. The grayish white, brown-marked eggs are laid in late May or early June. Miss Paddock in "Warblers of North America" describes the Black-throated Blue's song as "an insect-like buzzing note repeated three or four times with a rising inflection."

Cairn's Warbler (_D. c. cairnsi_) is a nearly related race having, in the male, black centers to the feathers of the back. It nests in the upper parts of the Alleghanies, from Maryland to Georgia, and winters in the West Indies.

MYRTLE WARBLER

_Dendroica coronata. Case 5, Fig. 27_

The yellow rump is always evident, but in fall and winter the whole plumage is duller, more brownish and the yellow patches at the sides of the breast and in the crown are less conspicuous. A rather large Warbler. L. 5.

_Range._ Nests from northern New England and northern Minnesota to Canada; winters from Kansas and southern New England to the tropics.

Was.h.i.+ngton, abundant W.V., Aug. 7-May 23.

Ossining, common T.V., Apl. 13-May 28; Aug.

16-Nov. 11; a few winter. Cambridge, abundant T.V., Apl. 12-May 20; Sept. 1-Nov. 1; a few winter. N. Ohio, common T.V., Apl. 12-May 20; Sept. 15-Nov. 3. Glen Ellyn, common T.V., Apl.

8-May 28; Sept. 25-Dec. 29. SE. Minn., common T.V., Apl. 6-; Sept. 9-Oct. 28.

A hardy Warbler which, like the Tree Swallow, can subst.i.tute bayberries for insects. When the former are available some individuals remain in the North, enduring our winters without apparent discomfort. Its call-note, _tchep_, is as distinctive as its markings, and this fact connected with its general distribution and abundance, makes it one of the best known members of this little-known family.

Thayer in "Warblers of North America" describes its common song as "a loud silvery 'sleigh-bell' trill, a vivid, sprightly utterance."

It nests in coniferous forests, building from four to twenty feet from the ground and laying 3-5 white eggs marked with shades of brown, in late May or early June.

MAGNOLIA WARBLER

_Dendroica magnolia. Case 8, Fig. 42_

The female is duller than the male, but both have the crown gray, a white stripe behind the eye, a yellow rump and the white tail-patches near the middle of the tail, making the tail, when seen from below, appear white, broadly banded with black. L. 5

_Range'_ Nests from northern Ma.s.sachusetts and northern Michigan, and in the Alleghanies, from West Virginia to Canada; winters in the tropics.

Was.h.i.+ngton, common T.V., Apl. 22-May 30; Aug.

15-Oct. 6. Ossining, common T.V., May 9-28; Aug.

13-Oct. 11. Cambridge, T.V., rather common, May 12-25; not uncommon, Sept. 10-25. N. Ohio, common T.V., Apl. 28-May 27; Sept. 1-Oct. 10. Glen Ellyn, common T.V., May 3-June 5; Aug. 12-Oct. 9. SE.

Minn., common T.V., May 6-; Aug. 12-Sept. 9.

A common migrant distinguished by the beauty of his costume even in this family of gayly clad birds. When traveling, the Magnolia may be found in woods and woody growth of varied character, but when nesting, it shows a fondness for spruce forests, building in small spruces usually within six feet of the ground.

The Magnolia's song resembles the Yellow Warbler's in tone. Thayer in "Warblers of North America" describes it as "peculiar and easily remembered; _weeto: weeto-weeeete-eet_, or _witchi, witchi, witchi t.i.t_, the first four notes deliberate and even and comparatively low in tone, the last three hurried and higher pitched, with decided emphasis on the antepenult _weet_ or _witch_."

The eggs, laid in the first half of June, are white marked with brown.

CERULEAN WARBLER

_Dendroica rara. Case 8, Figs. 46, 47_

The adult male will be recognized at sight, but the female and young must be looked at sharply.

The whitish or yellowish line over the eye, in connection with the white wing-bars make a fair field-mark. L. 4.

_Range._ Nests from Texas and Alabama to Minnesota and western New York; locally from North Carolina to Delaware.

Was.h.i.+ngton, several records in May, one in fall.

N. Ohio, common S.R., Apl. 29-Sept. 20. Glen Ellyn, not common, local S.R., May 8-Aug. 19. SE.

Minn., rare S.R.