Page:Condor18(5).djvu/23

 Sept., 1916 SOME BIRDS OF THE FRESNO DISTRICT 197 Macrorhamphus griseus scolopaceus (Say). Long-billed Dowitcher. This interest- ing wader occurs as a spring and fall migrant, but from my observations it is not very abundant at any time. October 18, 1912, two were noted at a small pond near Easton, and August 6, 1914, a single bird was seen near Presno. This latter individual seemed to have already molted the brilliant cinnamon breeding plumage notwithstanding the early fall date. A specimen which Mr. Ohl examined on May 3, 1913, was in very rich plumage and the stomach contained three angie-worms and two cut-worms. Ereunetes mauri Cabanis. We. stern Sandpiper. This sandpiper is an abundant spring and fall migrant, and winters sparingly, being greatly outnumbered at this sea- son, however, by the somewhat similar Piso5i( miutiZZ(. During the spring many flocks of the latter contain scattering individuals of this species. Migrant Western Sandpipers were still present in large numbers at many of the ponds as late as May 6, 1914, and by July 5, 1915, a small returning flock had. appeared in the White's Bridge region. On August 12, 1914, this species was rather common along the Madera road east of Firebaugh, and October 15, 1915, they fairly swarmed about several large ponds near Riverdale. Around some of the stagnant alkaline ponds south of Caruthers I have noted a very heavy mortality among the flocks of spring migrants. Actitis macularia (Linnaeus). Spotted Sandpiper. April 4, 1914, Mr. S. L. N. Ellis called my attention to a small wader that had been noted daily during the pre- ceding three weeks or more, on the boom-logs at the Mendota dam. The bird proved to be a Spotted Sandpiper in the unspotted winter plumage. It fed along the logs, bal- ancing and teetering in characteristic fashion, and seemed not the least disconcerted by the very near presence of numerous fishermen. Ae9ialitis semipalmata (Bonaparte). Semipalmated Plover. I have an adult male of this species, collected April 21, 1914, at a small pond near Riverdale. It was feeding in the mud several feet from the water's edge. Near-by were several avocets, stilts and killdeer. October 15, 1915, the dried-up remains of another Semipalmated Plover were discovered on the shore of a large pond not over a mile from where the one mentioned above was taken. Ae9ialitis nivosa Cassin. Snowy Plover. A rare visitant to the larger open bodies of water. Mr. J. E. Law and I discovered a pair near the shallow overflow along the Madera road, east of Firebaugh, May 24, 1915. All indications pointed to the probability that this pair was preparing to nest. Buteo lineatus ele9ans Cassin. led-bellied Hawk. This handsome hawk has never been detected anywhere in this region in the numbers that one might reasonably expect. It occurs sparingly in the Kings River bottoms near Sanger, where I saw a beautiful example on January 9, 1913. I have no breeding records. Falco columbarlus richardsoni lidgway. lichardson Pigeon Hawk. I recorded /(Zco coZumb(ris coZb(ris in P(cific Cocst Avif(( No. 9, page 46, the records being based on several birds seen but not collected. October 2, 1915, Mr. F. Seymour Hersey collected a specimen of ric(rdsoi on the Madera County side of the river, near Mendora. It was a female in good plumage and I was very grateful to Mr. Hersey for supplying a new species 'for my list, even though by so doing he put me to the necessity of collecting further specimens to determine whether or not/(Zco coZ5rris occurs at all. This record and that of tcr( irdo are made through the kindness of Mr. A. C. Bent. Pandion haliaetus carolinensis (Gmelin). Osprey. The Fish Hawk was quite fre- quently noted, in former years, along the Kings and San Joaquin rivers according to several reliable observers, but has now become very rare. I saw one on the San Joa- quin River near Hemdon March 31, 1914, and was so fortunate as to see him plunge into the river from a considerable height. Pba[aenoptllus nutta[[i californ[cus Rldgway. Dusky Poor~wllh Mr. H. C. Ohl has a specimen of this bird taken March 27, 1912, at Mendota, and I have one from Piedra, collected March 5, 1915. Empidonax trailli trail[i (Audubon). Tralll Flycatcher. A spring and summer vis- itant, being encountered occasionally in the willows along certain sloughs. I have never found a nest, but on May 23, 1915, Mr. J. E. Law heard one of these fiycatcher singing in the willows surrounding a small deep-water pond, north of Riverdale. The date would seem to indicate the possibility that this bird was preparing to nest, and the sur- roundings were most favorable.