Howard L. Cogswell, Mills College, Oakland, Calif. Russel H. Pray, 662 Santa Rosa Ave., Berkeley, Calif. William K. Kirsher, .571 Fulton Ave., Sacramento, Calif. Lillian Henningson, 124 Cambridge Way, Piedmont, Calif.

Address contributions for the N~VS to William K. Kirsher, F~itor-- .571 Fulton Avenue Sacramento 2.5, California

PAGE EIGHTEEN THOUSAND AND FOUR CLIFF SWALLOWS by William K. Kirsher. 1 MIST NETS LEGALIZED IN CALIFORNIA. . . • . . . 4 MIST NET SUPPLIERS . . . . • . . • . . . • . . 6 GULL BANDING IN THE KI~~TH by Carl Richardson • 7 NEVlS FROM TIIEBANDERS...... 9 CHAPTER NOTES. • • • . . . . . • . . . • . • 10 EIGHTEEN THOUSAND AND FOUR CLIFF SWALLOWS b:{William K. Kirsher

In the flat agricultural lands around Sacramento, California where in prlml- tive times Cliff swallows (petrochelidon p;trrhonota) must have been hard put to find nesting sites, today there are man-made structures that admirably fill the bird's needs for sheltered, elevated purchases for their mud nests. The species now populates the valley abundantly. Colonies are often found in culverts and under small bridges, some no higher than a man's head. In these, by working at night when all the birds are at the nest, practically the whole colony can be trapped by simultaneously closing both openings of the structure with large fish nets. Most of the m,allows flush at the first disturbance, fluttering to the nets where they are easily captured by hand. There are always a few reluctant ones that have to be flushed by shining a bright light (which the bander wears on his forehead) into the nest as he claps his hands and makes hissing sounds and other noises. The characteristic reaction of these birds is to shake their heads in obvious irritation, and, after several false starts, plunge from the nest. (cf. Stoner, Dayton, liStudies on the Bank Swallovr," Roosevelt Wild Life Annals, 4(2):127-233, 1936.) As they are captured the birds-are placed in gathering cages to await banding after which tiley are released into the night. They do not return until daylight.

Using this technique 18,004 Cliff srrallows have been banded at 69 different colonies since 1949 by Wilbur H. Mayhew, Paul H. Steele, and William K. Kirsher joined from time to time by other banders whose assistance is gratefully acknowl- edged. Of these birds 17,393 were banded within a radius of thirty miles of Sacramento; the other 611 resulted from a sortie into Nevada. To this time there have been no recoveries from a distance.

In any study of this kind the effects of disturbance must be considered, and, of course, most of these birds were grossly disturbed. There was one group of 192 birds, however, that was banded with the least possible disturbance. These were captured in the middle of the day, held just long enough to be banded, and then released. The return pattern of these birds, which offers a sort of control, is not different from that of those that were captured at night and re- leased into the darkness.

To test the attachment the swallows have for their home colony, one group of 39 birds was carried forty miles away and released at the site of another active colony. Subsequent trapping of this second colony did not yield a single bird of thQse released. Most of them were recaptured later at the home site in a pattern little different from that of their undisplaced fellows. In other experiments: birds returned from Berkeley, 95 miles away; from the Farallon Islands, 22 miles at sea and a total distance of 115 miles; and at least three of nine birds returned over the Sierras from Nevada, surmounting an elevation barrier of no less than 7,200 feet in a distance of 70 miles. Cliff ~rallows do have a strong and abiding attachment for their nesting site.

Possible detrimental effects on the eggs and young of the four to six hour absence of the parents was considered early in the work. At different times and at different colonies some fifty nests were numbered and their contents noted (with the aid of a specially designed periscope) at the time of banding and on subsequent visits at intervals that would reveal the nesting success. There was no evidence of damage due to banding activities. Summer nights in the Sacramento valley are warm, the mud nests are well insulated, and their retort ESTIMATED % NUMBER OF RETURNS 1st RETURNS 2nd RETURNS 3rd RETURNS 4th RETURNS 5th YEAR OF COLONY BIRDS YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER CAPTUREIl BANDED BANDING BANDING BANDING BANDING ,BANDING

1951 20% 192 ADULTS 1952 95% 845 94 1953 95% 519 436 63 1954 95% 819 240 254 29 1955 60 - 70% 522 265 83 76 9 1956 95% 707 274 190 76 57 3

1952 95% 369 cJlIYENALS 1953 95% 354 54 1954 95% - 79 41 1955 60 - 70% 71 - 10 8 * 1956 95% 180 15 - 10 * 6 *

* The third colony, furnishing 245 juvenals of 1952 sample and 185 juvenals of 1953 sample. was not worked in 1955 or 1956.

52 % or 2078 IJirus 27% or 1856IJirtis /5 % of 7/1 birds

FOURTH YEAR 7% or 845 lJirds

FIFTH YEAR 2% of /92 birds

VAGRANCY PATTERN OF FIRST YEAR ADULT RETURNS

/9 % or 7fJ4 birus

SECOND YEAR //% or 369 lJirds

THIRD YEAR 6 % of' 169 IJlrds

FOURTH YEAR 5 % of' 124 birds shape prevents heat loss by convection. In every colony worked an abundant crop of young came off successfully, and the colonies continue to prosper after having been worked, in some cases twice each season, since 1951.

Cliff ~{allows begin to arrive in the spring at least as early as February 25. They do not come as a complete group, but rather, the colonJT builds up over a period of two months or more. At one colony, where the nests remain from year to year, six swallows were captured February 26. Two weeks later 140 birds were taken, and on May 13, 330 - probably the full complement - were present. Most of the returning birds come to the same location at which they were banded, some even to the same nest among the hundreds of other nests of almost facsimile likeness. Where colonies are close together, however, there is some interchange. The lower right illustration represents the distribution of 373 first year returns of adults banded at one colony (circled dot) among fourteen colonies within a radius of 10 miles. All but 36 were recaptured at the home colony, and of these vagrants none were found more than four miles away. One second year return from this group was captured 9 miles away (top center circle). A compar- able number of birds from other near~r colonies appeared at the main colony considered here. The distribution of juvenal returns banded at the same colony was similar except that one was captured 23 miles to the southeast. There is also vagrancy during the breeding season, a subject considered by Dr. Mayhew in a paper presented at the 1953 AOU meeting.

The return data for adults, presented in the table, were all gathered at two colonies situated in small culverts about a half mile apart. One, a double culvert~ has a popUlation each year of from 700 to 800 birds; the other, a single, averages about a fourth this number. Birds from the two culverts have a common foraging area, and there is a rather high interchange of populations involving about a fifth of the colonies. These colonies were selected to furnish return data because they have been worked longer and more thoroughly than any others. The first year, 1951, only part of the colonies (192 birds) was banded. In 1955 an accident with the nets penritted the escape of possibly 30 percent or more of the birds at one colony, and consequently data from this year are not used in constructing the graphs as they would only unrealistically reduce the return figures. The omission of these figures explains the irregular progression of sample size in the graphs. Efficiency of capture in the other four years is estimated at better than 95 percent.

Juvenals are banded only when, as fully fledged and flying birds, they voluntarily leave the nest, and since only a small proportion of the young reach this stage at anyone time the sample is small. The nu~ber of juvenals banded at the two colonies described above has been augmented by a substantial number from a third colony. The juvenal returns are notable in that first, either they had already formed a destination urge toward their natal site, or perhaps they had migrated, wintered and returned in the company of the adults. And, second, of these juvenals that have returned to nest for the first time an average of 57 percent make it a second year, a higher percentage than is the case (about 47 percent) when the entire complement of a colony is banded including all ages.

Other birds often share the shelter of the bridges with the ~rallows. Dur- ing the breeding season, Black phoebes and Barn ~rallows are frequently found in situations that permit them to be somewhat isolated from the busy Cliff swallows even under the same bridges. English sparrows sometimes take over swallow nests, but this is not common among Sacramento valley colonies. A dozen or more Red- shafted flickers have been captured while they were using bridge beams and supports for night roosts. Once (in the daytime) a Screech owl was found sitting in the mud cup of an unfinished ~rallow nest as though incubating eggs, but the height of the nests and the deep water below prevented investigation. Swallows were busily entering and leaving nests on each side of the owl no more than eight inches away.

During the winter, a number of Say phoebes and one Sparrow hawk have been captured while using the swallow nests as night perches. (cf. Sooter, C. A., 1954, IIMultiple Use of Cliff Swallow Nests by Bird Species, I' Condo.!..56(5) :309)

When sufficiently protected from the elements the mud nests are remarkably durable, and while they may be modified and repaired each year, many of the nests of our observation ha"ve had the same basic structure for at least six years, and probably much longer. One of the colonies, h~rever, is under a small concrete bridge that is scoured clean of its 500 or more nests by high water each winter, so that each spring a thousand swallows must start their building on clean walls. This colony lags in development by perhaps two weeks behind those with surviving nests, but in other ways there is no apparent dif- ference. Even the degree of infestation of the "swallow bug", Oeciacus vicarius, seems to be about the same as in colonies of long and uninterruptectestablishment.

It is anticipated that the California Fish and Game Commission will take the final steps toward legalizing mist nets at their February meeting. The draft of the regulations that follows is complete except for a provision for an annual fee that may be as much as $10.00. It is unlikely that ar~T banding under the new regulations can be undertaken before July 1, 1957.

PROPOSED NEW REGULATIONS DEALING WITH THE USE A~m POSSESSION OF BIRD NETS FOR SCIENTIFIC PURPOSES UNDEH THE PRO- VISIONS OF SECTION 35 OF THE FISH AND GAME CODE

(1) Any person proposing to use and possess a bird net for banding or other scientific purposes shall, within ten days prior to acquisition of the net, make written application for its registration and licensing and for a permit to use the same to the Regional Office of the Department of Fish and Game located in the Region of his residence. At that time the applicant shall furnish the Department with the numbers of his Federal and State bird banding permits, a description of the net as to size and make, the name and address of the person from whom the applicant proposes to acquire the net, the purpose for which it is to be used, and any other information specified by the Department. In the event the applicant has come into possession of a bird net outside of the State of California, he shall also furnish the Department with a copy of a document of title to the net. One copy of the application shall be forwarded by the Regional Office to headquarters of the Department of Fish and Game at Sacramento.

(2) If the manager of the Regional Office is satisfied from the applica- tion that the net is to be used for bird banding or other scientific purposes, he shall register the net, assign a number thereto, and issue a permit to the ap- plicant to use and possess a registered net or nets for said purposes, subject, however, to the terms and conditions of these regulations. Without approval of the Fish and Game Commission no use permit shall be issued by the Regional Manager to an applicant who has had a permit revoked for cause or who within the prior license year has violated any of the fish and game laws or regulations adopted pursuant thereto.

(3) A numbered, locking, metal tag, furnished by the Department at cost, shall be attached to each net registered at the Regional Office. The number of each tagged net belonging to the permittee shall be written on (a) the permit, (b) the original application, and (c) the copy forwarded to headquarters at Sacramento.

(4) No net shall be over sixty (60) feet long.

(5) No permittee may possess more than five tagged nets at anyone time.

(6) The permittee shall notify the Regional Office in writing showing the tag number of the net destroyed.

(7) A net, when in operation, must be closely attended by the permittee at all times. Not more than one net may be operated at anyone time by the permi t- tee. A net is being 1I0peratedtt or is "in operationll within the meaning of these regulations when it is hung, strung, braced or manipulated in such a manner as to be capable of capturing birds,

(8) If a permittee wishes to operate a registered net in any part of the State other than in the Region of the Department of Fish and Game wherein the net is registered, he shall so notify in v~iting the Regional Office of the Depart- ment in the proposed area of operation. Such notice shall be given at least fifteen days prior to the proposed date of operation.

(9) If a net is shipped or transported, the banding permit nunillerof the permittee must be plainly visible on the outside of the package.

(10) If the permittee proposes to sell or transfer a registered net, he shall notify in writing the Regional Office of the Department of Fish and Game where said net is registered not less than fifteen days prior to any proposed change of ownership. The notice shall specify the name, address and bird banding permit numbers of the proposed transferee. No transfer of a registered net shall be made by the permittee until the proposed transferee shall have made written application for registry and licensing of the net in the latter's name.

(11) Pemit.tees and applicants for permits under these regulations shall notify the Regional Office of the Department of Fish and Game of the Region in which they reside of the time and place they propose to import a bird net into California. Such notice must be given to the Regional Office at least ten days in advance of the proposed importation. All nets are subject to inspection by any employee of the Department of Fish and Game at the port or place of entry into California.

(12) Permits issued under these regulations shall be on an annual basis, commencing on July 1 of each year and expiring on June 30 of the succeeding year, or for the unexpired portion of any license year commencing July 1.

(13) No permit shall be issued under these regulations until the applicant shall have signed a statement set forth in the application to the effect that he has read the application and these rules and regulations, that he understands the same, and that he agrees to be bound thereby in consideration of the fssuance of a permit to him under the provisions of these regulations and the registration of his net.

(14) Any permit may be revoked and cancelled by the Fish and Game Commission without notice, upon the breach or violation of any of the fish and game laws or regulations adopted pursuant thereto by the holder thereof, his agents, servants, employees or those acting under his direction and control.

NYLON FOWLING NETS OR BIRD NETS Bleitz Wildlife Foundation 1001 North McCadden Place Los Angeles 38, California

For Catching Small Birds 60 d/2 ply x 1-17211 mesh x 7 ft width x 18 ft length 2.00 60 d/2 ply x 1-1/211 mesh x 7 ft width x 30 ft length 2.50 60 d/2 ply x 1-1/211 mesh x 7 ft width x 42 ft length 3·00 60 d/2 ply x 1-1/211 mesh x 7 ft width x 60 ft length 4.00

For Catching Medium Size Birds 110 d/2 ply x 2-3/8" mesh x 7 ft width x 18 ft length 2.25 110 d/2 ply x 2-3/8" mesh x 7 ft width x 30 ft length 2.50 110 d/2 ply x 2-3/8lt mesh x 7 ft width x 42 ft length 3.75 110 d/2 plJr x 2-3/8" mesh x 7 ft width x 60 ft length 5.50

For Catching Large Birds 210 d/2 ply x hll mesh x 7 ft width x 18 ft length 1.75 210 d/2 ply x 4" mesh x 7 ft width x 30 ft lengtl1 2.25 210 d/2 ply x 4" mesh x 7 ft width x 42 ft length 2.75 210 d/2 ply x 4" mesh x 7 ft width x 60 ft length 3.75

1~en ordering any of the above nets, a copy of your Federal Banding permit which has been amended to all~r their use should be included. California cus- tomers must also include a copy of the California permit authorizing the use of mist nets.

We have, for iwnediate delivery, a supply of mist nets of good quality; 12-meter, 4-shelf.

(1) 50i per net for purchasers who are not members of the Association or subscribers to Bird-Banding. (2) 25i per net for institutions which require the filling out of pa- pers such as purchase orders, and are unable to remit with their order (terms: 30 days net). (3) 25¢ per net for delivery in Canada or the British West Indies (not including any customs duties levied there).

Inquire for prices for shiprnent to other countries, or on orders for 25 nets or more. Prices are subject to change. ~Aake checks or money orders payable to E. ALEXANDER BERGSTROM, and send to 37 Old Brook Road, West Hartford 7, Conn.

In the U.S. or Canada, use of mist nets to capture birds requires a federal permit as well as a special permit endorsement. Therefore, those ordering for the first time are requested to shaw their permit number, or to explain circum- stances under which the nets will be used.

We expect to have small supplies of shorebird nets, and of 6-meter nets for small birds by April 1, 1957. The 6-meter nets are not recommended for general use compared to our 12-meter nets.---E. Alexander Bergstrom, 37 Old Brook Road, West Hartford 7, Connecticut.

GULL BANDING IN THE KLAIl'lATH by Carl Richardson

When I was a boy and lived in Ashland I spent the summer of 1904 in Klamath County working in the hay fields, and for the first time saw the abundant bird life of the Klamath. At that time there were no railroads into that country and no canals had yet been constructed. Klamath County has many large lakes: Upper and Lower Klamath Lakes, Lake Ewana, and just o,Ter the California line Tule Lake and Clear Lake. Tule Lake had not yet been drained and the Clear Lake dam was ~ret to be built.

I always wanted to get back there and see and study the wonderful bird life and this I had an opportunity to do in 1926.

Klamath is noted for its Vlhite Pelicans, also for its Little Brown Cranes and Whistling Swans during migration; and early in 1930 I discovered a nesting colony of California Gulls. This colony was about eight miles south of Klamath Falls. It was on an island in a large pond. This pond we called the Government Sump. I visited this colony several times during May and June to collect some sets of eggs and to take some pictures, and I decided I could do some banding. So I ordered some bands. The bands used the first year were "Tablock" and were of copper metal. It was thought this was necessa~T where birds spend part of their time in salt water. I only used these bands in 1930. In all the later years I used flSplit Rings It size no. 6 bands. By watching the young birds I de- cided the best time to band was about June 27 to July 4. On June 27 I banded 500 Gulls. M:y boy who was 17 years old helped me. We used small paper sacks putting 25 bands in each sack. Any sack not used was counted off when we got home.

In 1930, bands no. A 681001 to A 681500 inc. were used. In 1931, 314 bands were placed and in 1932 only 13 bands were placed. In these three years 827 bands were placed. In 1931 Johnson A. Neff helped me band.

Since that time, enough returns have come in to give some idea of the wan- dering of the California Gulls of this colony. There were a few Ring-billed Gulls and Caspian Terns nesting with this colony. In 1940 and 1941 I took part in a color-banding project. Mrs. M. C. 'Sargent acted as general chairman of this project. When I looked for the gulls again in 1940 I found that their island had been flooded and they had moved their nesting colony to a new location. This time on the southeast bank of the Klamath River just below Lake Ewana. This time they had the river in front and a wide marsh behind them.

Of the bands placed in 1940 and 1941, 10 were recovered as follows: 1940: 39-646518, sick, Klamath Lake, Oregon, September 1940; 39-646558, shot, Sonora, Mexico, February 22, 1941; 39-646560, found dead, Sauvies Island, November 15, 1941, up the Willamette Slough about five miles from St. Helens; 39-646564, found leg only, San Luis Obispo, July 24, 1941; 39-646525, found dead near nest- ing grounds, July 14, 1940. 194]~ 40-683740, dead, Los Angeles, California, December 21, 1941; 40-683746, dead, Scottsburg, Oregon, Ju~ 1941; 40-683749, dead, Klamath Falls, Oregon, September 8, 1941; 40-683750, captured, Bay of Topolobampo, Sinaloa, Mexico; 40-683782, Port Orford Harbor, Oregon, August 11, 1941.

Receipts: Dues, regular members $345.50 " , sustaining members 40.00 II, life member 50.00 Back copies of ItNewsll 10.50 Miscellaneous income 1.40 447.40 i904.40

Expenditures: N~rs (including mailing costs) $351.08 Postage for annual reports, etc. 23·34 Printed forms & office supplies 14.98 389.40 $515.00

BULLETIN AVAILABLE ON ELECTRICAL METHOD OF SPRINGING BIRD TRAPS

The Thorne Ecological Research Station announces publication of a bulletin by Oakleigh Thorne, II. describing an electrical method for springing non- automatic bird traps of all kinds. A simple solenoid mechanism is the basis for this method, and has been tested by the author for eight years. It has proved extremely successful in replacing the conventional pull-string method. Copies of the bulletin are available free of charge from THORNE ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH STATION, 1707 Hillside Road, Boulder, Colorado. Ask for Bulletin No. 4. From the Arctic Health Research Center in Anchorage, Alaska comes a letter from Mr. Leonard J. Peyton:

"Most of my banding has been done near Anchorage, Alaska, however I banded at Deep Creek on the Kenai Peninsula and at Anaktuvuk Pass in the Brooks Range. I used Japanese Mist nets for all of my banding and have found them very ef- fective. I have a few comments on their use in areas where nesting birds have established territories. It is best to watch the birds in the area that you want to catch them in and try to establish the routes the birds generally take flying to and from the nesting site and place your net across their flight path. I did this very effectively with the Valdez Fox Sparrow at Deep Creek on the Kenai Peninsula.

"I found that I got the best results with the nets if I moved them about once every hour to an hour and a half, as the birds soon located the position of the net and would fly around it, even when it was in deep shadow.

~e have lots of wind up here and when it is blowing it is quite hard to catch birds in mist nets. The wind caused the nets to stretch tight and if a bird should hit it there is a good chance that it would bounce out. I had this happen quite often and I estimate that I lost about 25% of the birds that hit the net because the wind was blowing and the net was tight.

t~ext year I hope to be able to have my nets up during the time when the birds are migrating into their Alaskan nesting grounds, and be able to band a few more birds."

Mrs. Frank Reinelt of Santa Cruz, California was bothered by Yellow-jackets competing with the hummingbirds at her feeders. She says that a wad of cotton soaked in a certain insecticide and placed about an inch below the opening of the feeder vdll repel the insects without affecting the hummingbirds.

'I ••• the name of my Yellow-jacket discourager is 'Slug-a-bug'. It is man- ufactured by the Bridgeport Brass Co., Bridgeport, Conn. It may be purchased at grocery stores; a 14 ounce pressure can costs about $1.85."

I~en I demonstrated the use of Italian nets in June, I was in favour of these nets because of some difficulty experienced in erecting Japanese mist nets and removing birds.

"However, in view of having a number of Japanese Nylon mist nets on hand, T was determined to make use of them. After some experimental work, I succeeded in a plan of handling them satisfactorily and have been using them ever since. It is unlikely that I will revert to the use of Italian nets in future, ex- cepting in case of emergency.

"The key to successful use of Japanese mist nets, in my oplnlon, is in in- suring that the lower trammel is run at least l5n from the ground surface. Nets of 40' and longer require middle supports.

ttMr. Bergstrom supplies Japanese silk nets in 40' lengths only, and expects to have small supplies of shorebird nets & of 6 meter nets for small birds by "Mr. Bleitz supplies Japanese nylon mist nets in 60 d/2 ply, 110 d/2 ply and 210 d/2 ply in various lengths of 18' - 30' - 42' and 60'.

"During the 4 month period since July 29, 1956, I have banded 1,611 birds, 35 species. When netting after nightfall, the only birds captured were 7 Saw 'Whet Owls.

liThe 60 denier nets are sufficiently strong enough to take Robins, Varied Thrushes, Sharp-Shinned Hawks, Flickers, and also readily capture smaller birds such as Kinglets."

Pacific International Chapter. On December 29, 1956, eighteen members and guests met in Johnson Hall on the University of Washington campus. Mrs. ZelIa Schultz gave an illustrated report on the returns from glaucous winged gulls banded around Puget Sound. Mr. Dan Barnett showed slides of the traps used in capturing ducks and geese, and discussed some of the problems involved. Mr. Sarles illustrated his description of the Mason trap with an enlarged diagram, and a mir,iature trap made by Mr. Hughes. Mr. Webster Ransom read Mr. Richardson's paper on gull banding. During the brief business meeting the invitation of Mr. William Hughes, 8755 S.W. A[arine Drive, Vancouver, B.C., to hold our next meet- ing in Vancouver on March 31 was accepted. Mr. John Sarles, chairman of the nominating committee, presented the committee's list of nominees. These, and a vice-president nominated from the floor, were elected. President: Mrs. ZelIa Schultz, 22809 Wo 53rd Ave., Mountlake Terrace, Washington; Secretary-Treasurer: Mr. Walter Hagenstein, Box 12, Medina, Washington; Vice-Presidents: (1) Mr. Garrett Eddy, 4515 Ruffner St., Seattle 99, Washington (2) Mr. WID. M. Hughes, 8755 S.W. A[arine Drive, Vancouver, B.C. (3) Mr. Carl Richardson, Trail, Oregon (4) Mr. John G. Sarles, 3403 Pine Crescent, Vancouver 9, B.C.

All W.B.BoA. members are invited to attend the P.I.C. meetings. At the next one on March 31, Mr. Hughes will demonstrate his use of mist nets.

Northern California Chapter. At the October meeting in the home of Mrs. Lillian Henningson in Piedmont, Dr. Richard Mewaldt reported on the meeting of the California Fish and Game Commission at which the proposal to legalize mist nets was presented by Mr. Don Bleitz. Mrs. Junea Kelley discussed Golden- cr~med sparrows in connection with her compilation of the life history for the Bent series.

The November meeting was held in Sacramento at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Evenden. A report was made on the proposed revision of the California Fish and Game Code that will provide, among other things, for the protection of all hawks and owls. A round table discussion and an excellent color film on the courtship of several species of grouse concluded the meeting.

The Lee Stallcups of Oakland entertained the group in December. The speaker was Dr. George W. Salt of the University of California at Davis. Dr. Salt gave a most interesting discussion on geographical variation in bird weights. Southern California Chapter. The October 1956 meeting of the VffiBAwas held at the hom<~ of Mr. and !'A:rs.William Webb in La Canada on Oct. 14. Dr. Cady re- viewed a paper from the Thorne Ecological Research Station on the subject of plWll- age differences between the House Finch and Cassing Purple Finch. Mrs. Michener noted the first Gambel Sparrow of the season on Sept. 24. In Alhambra on Oct. 12, Robins were singing an abbreviated song. A few Wrens and the usual migrants make up the bird population in the Michener yard. A Golden-crowned SparrOV'Tbanded as an immature in plumage stage 2 (Smith) on Nov. 29, 1955 was recaptured several times during the winter and moulted to full adult plumage before being finally cap- tured on April 14, 1956. This month this same bird has come back and is in no. 2 plumage.

The November meeting was held on Nov. 11, 1956, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Webb in La Canada. ~~. Webb reported a notable decline in the numbers of Gambel Sparrows present this season, but noted a considerable increase in the number of Audubon Warblers. A single "'lhite-crowned Sparrow was captured this month, the second occurrence at the Webb station of a fall migrant winter resi- dent status of this subspecies. Mr. Webb captured another Bell Sparrow on Oct. 28. On Nov. 3 he banded a \Vhite-crowned Sparrow, the second of this subspecies to be banded by him in La Canada. A Lincoln Sparrow, banded last year, returned this season. Lincoln Sparrows seem more abundant this year with six individuals being banded this season as compared with two last year and one the year before.

The December meeting was held in Los Angeles at the home of Dr. and Mrs. Sherwin F. Wood. Mrs. Michener described a n~T system of color nomenclature being introduced by the N~T York State Museum and based on the Villa-Lobos Color Atlas. Discussion followed on the necessity for a precise and readily available color guide upon which ornithologists might agree, to be used in the clarification of bird descriptions.

1~s. Junea W. Kelley is now engaged in compiling the life history of the Golden-crOV'TDed sparrow, Zonotrichia atricapill~ (former specific name, coronata) for inclusion in the Bent's Life Histories series. These life histories consist of a compilation of records already published together with additional observa- tions and experiences of many observers. Mrs. Kelley would appreciate receiving from bird banders any data they may have on the following subjects:

8. Young; length of time in nest

9. Plumages; nestling, juvenal, inrrnature,adult 3. Distribution; breeding range; winter range 10. Food

4. Banding records ll. Behavior 5. Courtship 12. Voice

Please send any information you have to Mrs. Junea W. Kelley, 1311 Grand Street, Alameda, California, not later than May 10, 1957; earlier if possible. PAGE ANNUAL REPORT • . • • ...... • . • . . . . • . • . 13 SUMMARY REPORT OF INDIVJJJUAL BANDERS . • • . . • . • . . 17 COMMENTARY ON THE 1956 ANNUAL REPORT by Emerson A. Stoner 20 ON THE USE OF MIST NETS.by Don Bleitz •.•••.•••• 22

The Annual Meeting of the Western Bird-Banding Association will be held l~y 18 and 19, 1957.

PLACE: The ranch of Mr. and Mrs. W. Hatton, 200 Calera Canyon Road, Salinas, California. The ranch is reached via Highway 101 to Salinas. From Salinas, take Salinas-Monterey Highway for about seven and one-half miles to Shell Oil station on south side of road. Turn left on to Corral de Tierra Road. At cross roads two miles distant continue on Calera Canyon Road two miles to Hatton Ranch.

TI!~: Members may reach the ranch at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday or any time later. Saturday 5:00 p.m. An enchilada-bean supper. 7:00 Social Hour - Members picture showing. 8:30 OWLS and POORWILLS. Sunday 7:30 a.m. Breakfast 8:30-10:30 Guided Field Trips over the vast acreage. 10:30 Business meeting and election of officers. Reports. 12:00 Lunch with Mr. and Mrs. Hatton. Ranch House Grounds. 2:00-3:45 Informal Round Table by members including a mist net demonstration and talk on their use by Dr. L. R. Mewaldt, San Jose State College. 3:45 Adjournment. FOOD: A small charge will be made for the enchilada supper on Saturday night. Bring your mm breakfast. Sunday Lunch: The members will be guests of Mr. and 1ITs. Hatton, assisted by a committee.

ACC01TI00DATI~JS: Mrs. Hatton has many campsites, with a f~T places for "softies". Bring sleeping bags. No open fires allowed except on ranch house grounds. Warm informal clothes suggested.

PURPOSE: This annual meeting will be used partly to acquaint the members ,~ith the n~T avenue of bird-banding which will be open to California banders this year; namely, mist netting. This technique is already used by many states and countries. It is necessary that the correct information on the subject both legal and technical, be thoroughly understood ~J California banders. The Association will endeavor to gather as much information as possible to distribute to the members.

As this will be the only announcement sent out for this annual meeting, please return the inclosed form as soon as possible so that detailed arrange- ments may be made both as to program and accon~odations.

The Association welcomes any bander, member or not, familiar with mist netting or other banding techniques, to be present and participate in the Round Table.

Membership and dues in Western Bird-Banders Association and Cooper Orni- thological Society for various membership classes:

vVEBA associate $2.00 COS active $ 4.00 WBBA active 2.00 COS sustaining 5.00 VJBBA sustaining 5.00 COS life 100.00 VlBBA associate & cas active 5.50 WBBA assoc. & cos sust. 6.50 WI:3BAactive & cas active 5·50 ~~BA active & COS sust. 6·50 WBBA sust. & COS active 8.50 V{BBA sust. & COS sust. 9·50 lImBA life 50.00 WBBA & COS life 150.00

For membership and dues address llr. Francis Boynton, Business Manager, 163 W. State Street, Pasadena 2, California. An Analysis of Bird-Dandinc Reports for the Year 1956 Within the Area of the "estern Bird-Banding Association

Compiled by Emerson A Stoner, Enid K. Austin and Marjorie 11. Elmore

,ipec es < < lXl U U H :=a z z 0 => Totals Common Loon 1 .1 Red-necked Grebe 7 7 Horned Grebe 10l:l lOll Eared Grebe 1 5 1 7 Western Grebe 1 1 Pied-billed Grebe 1 3 1 Ii AshY Pe trel 9 9 Whi te Pelican 93 93 Dbl.-cres. Cormorant 53 4 13 2 72 Brand t's Cormorant 20 20 Peladc Cormorant 27 27 Great Blue Heron 1 10 17 Common Egret 37 37 SnowY Egret 211 27 25 263. Green Heron 2 2 Bk.-crown.Nit.Heron 21 101 20 142 White-faced Ibis 49 101 150 Whistling Swan 2 2 Trumpeter 5Wan 112 1 113 Canada Goose ~5 310~ 604 731 550 l:l14 62 731 1 7304, White-fronted Goose 911 I1ID 1 575 Snow Goose 133~ 2 1336 Ross' Goose 'its 5l:l l'"ulvousTree VUcJc 97 97 Mallard 1l:l 6390 1090 561 33~ 294 4 3700 6 91 54~ 13115 Gadwall 40 49 !l l:l2 04 09 314 Pintail 00 23191 125 364 1583 h58 115 1656 107 174 27853 Green-winged Teal 16 4769 36 39 ~ 4116 923 50 19 176 6hll2 Blue_inged Teal 300 146 135 5(j3 Cinnamon Teal 1301 70 196 7 1574 Cinnamon &I or Blue- winlted TealCmoul t.) 'R~ 103 Eurooean Widl!Elon 2 2 American Widgeon 98 3257 74 11 1 7 39 2084 24 83 5678 Shoveler . 7 360 19 39 183 7 3h 6119 Wood Duck 2 157 159 Redhead 662 37 139 l:l7 519 116 2 7 1569 Ring-necked Duck 11 2 5 1l:l Canvasback h3 26 16 h6 12 lL.3 Greater ScaUt! 86 30 116 .Lesse~~~ 59 73 5 11 1 1 150 Scauo 8P? 55 55 Common Goldeneve 202 2 12 216 Bufflehead 248 13 261 01dsauaw 4 4 Whi te-winged Seater 1 1 COllllllonScoter 1 1 Ruddy Duck 37 2 3 1 11 54 Hooded 1IerEanser 1 1 Turkey Vulture 1 1 5 7 Goshawk 3 3 Sharp-shinned Hawk 2 5 1 3 11 Cooper's Hawk 29 3 32 Red-tailed Hawk 10 1 11 Red-shouldered Hawk 5 5 Swains on '8 Hawk 3 3 1 7 Rouv.h-lell:ll:edHawk. 1 1 Golden Eagle "7 3 2 12 Marsh Hawk 2 h 2 S Prairie Falcon 18 12 30 Pe~rine Falcon 1 1 2 Pigeon Hawk 1 1 Sparrow Hawk 159 15 1 1 h 1 181 Blue Grouse h6 h6 Willow Ptarmie:an 2 2 CIl 0 l.. Species ~ ~ Jl 0 0 ~ ~ ~ ~ 0 :=> ~ ~ Totals ROck ptarmIgan 5 > Chukar _. 211 211 BobWhite 1 1 .§~aied Qua~' 2 2 Califonlia Quail 304 2[jl 545 GainbEll'sQuail 407 7 54 490 Rins-necked Pheasant 1 3 4 Sandhill Crane 1 1 Sora 1 1 2 Common Gallinule 2 f--- 2 American Coot 3577 123 1 104 -"410 24 4305 Black Ovstercatcher 6 6 ~~"emipalmated Plover 1 1 SnowY Plover 16 10 Killdeer 22 14 1 1 9 47 _C2ommQI'!'=Snipe 2 1 3 Long-billed Curlew 2 1 3 Spotted sandpiper 4 0 1 11 Soli tary Sandpiper 2 2 Willet 2 2 Least Sandpiper 2 1 3 Dowitcher-'..!!P1l , 1 1 American Avocet tl 6 14 Black-necked Stilt 1 2 3 Northern Phalarope 3 1 4 Glaucous"'1l'i.ngedGull 047 1047 Western Gull 135 03 19t1 Herriruz Gull 1 1 -California Gull 119 3tll 102 602 Ring-billed Gull 2 60 62 Mew Gull 13 13 Franklin I s Gull 45 45 Arctic Tern 5 5 Least Tern 115 115 Caspian Tern bOtl 60tl Common Murre 61 1 02 Pigeon Guillemot 2 2 "Cassin's Auklet 7 7 l1!.l.@.~.t.ai~figeon 71 1222 161 1hlJ6 Whi te.."inged Dove 21)1 2 121)3 jiounling ILove 118 h837 11 lJh 27 262 hoa 290 11h lJ71 8724 Snotted Dove 111 113 Inca Dove 11 1)9 92 Blac~-bi11ed Cuckoo 1 1 Roadrunner 2 2 3 7 Barn Owl 111 113 .~~.reechOwl 2 lJ 1 10 Homed Owl 9 4 2 11 26 Elf Owl 1 1 BUITOIfing Owl 19 1 hO Short-eared Owl 2 1 3 Saw.."het Owl 7 7 Poor""W'ill 1 1 h Lesser Nil!:hthawk 1 1 ), Black Swift 2 2 White-throated Swift 1 1 Costa's HwruocLnl!:bird 1 1 Anna's Hummingbird 11) 11) Brd. -tld. Humminl!:bird 1 1 Rufous Humminl!:bird 1 2 1 L ~~~ted Kingfisher 8 2 10 Yell.-shaft.Flicker 2 1 1 h C; R ••rl--;'h.<. •

t ~ 0~ ~_ Species ------8:;;::: z. Son • arrow LaP~~_J.5_sp~\1_r__

Anderson, Anders H. 3221 E. Kleinda1e Road Tucson, "Arizona 4 2 Argante, Urs. A. J. 5248 T Street Sacramento 17 103 7 Arizona Game &. Fish Dept. Arizona State Dept. Phoenix, Arizona 2336 2 Austin, Mrs. Enid K. 1116 lAandana Blvd. Oakland 59 13 Balch, Thomas E. P. O. Box 9 Glenn 472 20 Ball, MervynL. 3932 Telegraph Bay Road Victoria, British Col. 8 2 Banks, Richard C. - Museum of Vert. Zoology, University of Calif. Berkeley 15 2 Bassett, Frank N. 722 N. Orange Drive Los Angeles 38 2 2 Baylor, L. M. 1912 Tyler Road Boulder, Colorado 33 5 Beck, James A. 229 Otis street Santa Cruz 15 1 Birchett, Mrs. Jos. T. 202 East 7th Street Tempe, Arizona 170 16 Blei tz, Donald L. 2047 C~stilian Drive Hollywood 28 3316 128 Bosque del Apache Nat'l Wildlife Refuge San Antonio, N. Mexico 1034 33 Bradley, Dorothy M. 1848 L~thers Ave. West Vancouver, B.C. 461 2? Brandt, John H. General Delivery Durango, Colorado 202 9 Bowdoin Nat'l Wildlife Refuge(Leon C. Snyder) Box 1125 Malta, Mon tana 2358 13 Buller, Raymond J. 1619 Girard Blvd. S.E. Albuquerque, N.Mex. 103 1 (Banded in Colorado) 6 1 Burkhart, Urs. Harriet 339 So. Kingsley Dr. Los Angeles 5 4 3 Butcher, Edward 447 Stark Street Woodburn, Oregon 722 36 Butterworth, Bernard B. 26211Aagnolia Ave. Los Angeles 7 6 3 Bu t.tery, Robert F. San Joaquin Experimental Range O'Keals 71 4 Cade, Tom J. 526 Gay1ey Ave. Los Angeles 24 1 1 Cady, 'lralter G. 3350 Calvert Road Pasadena B 225 11 Calif. Dept. of Fish &. Game(!".M. Kozlik &. Assts.) 722 Capitol Ave. Sacramento 22,345 18 Carver, Urs. Mona J. Box '245 Glennville 104 10 Channing, Clyde H. 711 25th Street San Diego 451 17 Childs, Henry E. 15053 Neartree Road LaMirada 2 1 Cognell, Howard L. Box 9486, Mills College Oakland 13 183 20 Collier, Gerald 3634 No. Muscatel Ave. Rosemead 16 2 Colorado Game &. Fish Dept. (Jack R. Grieb) 329 Locust Fort Collins, Colo. 1,952 14 Collister, Urs. Carl N. 706 Hover Road Longmont, Colorado 26 5 Condon, David de L. Box 117 Yellowstone Park, Wyo. 2 1 Cowles, John Rainier, Oregon 80 4 Crawford, Gene H. Merced 14 1 Merced Nat'l Wildlife UanageDent Area Crawford, Franklin G. 3279 Rubio Canyon Road Altadena 79 9 Crouch, James E. 4943 College Ave. San Diego 15 1 1 Crowley, Lawrence D. 1212 Cascade Boulder, Colorado 49 8 Davis, Clifford V. Montana State College Bozeman, Mon tana 6 4 Davis, Jolm Hastings Reservation Carmel Valley 22 2 Deer Flat Nat'l Wildlife Refuge Route 1 Nampa, Idaho 10 1 Dix, Urs. 1(yrtle V. 509 Esgar Ave. Modesto 174 10 Duff, C. V. 2911 Antelo View' Los Angeles 24 54 9 Duffield, Yrs. Jolm W. 1472 Eskridge Way Olympia, l'lashington 299 12 Eddy, Garrett 11515Ruffner Street Seattle 99, Wash. 148 1 Elder, A. W. Room 439, So. Spring St. Los Angeles 13 239 1 EricksOll, Mary ••• 3505 Foothill Road Santa Barbara 75 4 Evans, Lenore A. Klamath Trout Hatchery Klamath Agency, Oregon 215 53 benden, Fred G. 1336 Fitch Way sacramento 21 331 14 Famer, Donald S. - Dept. Zoology, State College of Washington Pullman, IVashington 109 2 Felt, Arthur C. 617 No. Newlin Ave. Whittier 24 6 Feltes, Charles II. 437 Myrtle Ave. Modesto 341 16 Fleetwood, Raymond J. 326 No. 6th Street Socorro, New Mexico 100 5 Foree, Lynn 6260 Castle Drive Oakland 11 446 14 Ft. Peck Game Range Lewistown, Montana 28 1 Gallup, Fred tl. Escondido 927 16 Good, John M. Dinosaur Nat'l Monument Jensen, Utah 25 2 Gould, Patrick J. 12137 Redberry El Monte 9 2 Griffin, Homer V.' Paonia, Colorado 92 10 Gross, Merle R. 18 Crawford Ct. Santa Rosa 44 6 Gullion, Gordon VI. Box 337 Austin, Nevada 159 3 Hagar, Donald C., Jr. Ranger Station Salyer 13 2 Hagenstein, Walter M. Box 12 Medina, Washington 18 5 Hansen, Henry A. FWS, Box 2021 Jtmeau, Alaska 1,647 24 Harper, Harold T. 2907 Berger,Street Bakersfield 572 2 Hatton, Mrs. Louise'M. 200 Calera Canyon Rd. Salinas 68 14 Hayes, Charles R. P. O. Box 1306 Albuquerque, N. Mex. 1,57B 6 Helms, Carl W. Biological Lab. Cambridge 38, Mass Harvard University Banded in Colorado 23 6 Henderson, Mrs. Florence 6000 Sacramento Blvd. Sacramento 24 20 5 Henningsen, Mrs. Lilliali 124 Cambridge Way Piedmont 11 488 lli Hough, John N. & Eleanor 1515 Mariposa Ave. Boulder, Colorado 817 20 Highley, Elmer E. 1050 Roosevelt St. Monterey 51 12 Hughes, Wm. M. 8755 S.W. Marine Drive Vancouver 14, B.C. 3,000 38 Hutson, Glenn A. 725 Blossom St. Bakersfield 688 46 Banded in Utah 35 8 Hutton Lake Mat'l Wildlife Refuge P. O. Box 293 Laramie, Wyoming 441 7 Imperial National Wild~e Refuge P. O. Box 1032 Yuma, Ari zona 10 2 Jameson, E. VI., Jr. 3 B Willowbank Davis 71 1 Johnston, Richard F. New Mexico A & M State ColI. Las Cruces, N. Mex. 68 4 Jordon, S. W. 1206 W. Tansil Carlsbad, N. Mexico 62 1 Justice, Frank 1917 So~ Quitman Street Denver 19, Colorado 5 1 Kaminsky, Mrs. Muriel 1213 Robertson Way Sacramento 61 11 Kebbe, Chester E. 5411~N. E. Emerson St. Portland 13, Oregon 188 10 Killpack, Merlin L. Union High School Roosevelt, Utah 246 30 Kinsey, Eric C. 155 Botkin Road Manor 310 48 Kirsher, Vlilliam K. 571 Fulton Ave. Sacramento 363 13 Kittredge, Joseph P. O. Box 354 Sebastopol 220 16 Klimes, Robert M. 14940 Otsego St. Sherman Oaks 100 11 Kline, Mrs. Lucile H. Rt. 1 - Box 120 Blaine, Washington 494 16 Kullrich, Mrs. Walter P. O. Box 249 Shelton, Washington 98 13 Lakata, George D. 1025 Cedar Street Wasco 222 11 Larson, Gwmar J. 2172 Oregon Street Berkeley 5 69 6 Legg, Ken Prairie Creek State Park Orick 243 11 Leichardt~ Chester - Fish &Wildlife Service Box 3737 Portland, Oregon 739 1 Lindsdale, Jean M. & Mary Ann Hastings Reservation Carmel Valley 581 27 Little Pend Oreille Nat'l Wildlife Refuge Route 1 Colville, Washington 4 1 Lofthouse, wm. E. 6511 Pollard Street Los Angeles 42 64 12 Lyman, Harry B. 443 Federal Building Salt Lake City, Utah 305 5 Lyon, L. Jack Box 206 Sedgwick, Colorado 83 9 Mack, William E. 2345 Brush Creek Road Santa Rosa 54 7 Ma.lheur Nat'l Wildlife Refuge Burns, Oregon 3 1 Macgregor, Wallace G. 5525 North Ave. Carmichael 21 5 McCarty, John D., Jr. 1020 East 21st Street Oakland 20 5 McDaVid, G. M. El Dorado, Arkansas Banded in Colorado 29 11 McIntyre, Mrs. Grace Devil's Tower, wyo. 79 13 Mayhew, Wilbur W. - Division of Life Sciences, University of Calif. Riverside 18 5 Merkel, Dalton & Nancy Borrego Springs 5 1 Merovka, L. J. Albuquerque, N. Mexico 300 1 Mewaldt, I,. Richard 4150 Golf Drive San Jose 27 584 16 Meyer, Roe E. Box 242 Roswell, N. Mexico 31 1 Minidoka Nat'l Wildlife Refuge Rt. 3 Rupert, Idaho 14 1 Montana Fish & Game Dept. Helena, Montana 581 7 Monte Vista Nat'l Wildlife Refuge(Ch. R. Bryant) P. O. Box 566 Monte Vista, Colo. 481 2 Moos, Louis M. Box 1342 Billings, Montana 472 7 Mowbray, M. Vincent 979 - 48th Street Los Alamos, N. Mexico 169 6 National Elk Refuge Box 22 Jackson, Wyoming 251 4 Neff, Johnson A. - Bldg. 45, Federal Center, Wildlife Research Lab. Denver, Colorado 61 5 Nevada Fish & Game Commission Box 678 Reno, Nevada 2,101 7 (F. E. Wright, C. V. Oglesby) Nordby, Arthur LeRoy Star Route 1, Box 183 Bremerton, Washington 1 1 Oakeson, Barbara B. 2941 State St., Apt. 2 Santa Barbara 64 1 OdIum, Gordon C. - Hace Rock Lightstation, c/o B. C. Pilotage Victoria, British Col. 156 4 Ogden Bay Refuge (Noland F. Nelson) Hooper, Utah 738 9 O'Keefe, ~~s. T. M. Dodge City, Kansas Banded in Colorado 2 1 Oregon State Game Commission(Chester E. Kebbe)P. O. Box 4136 Portland 8, Oregon 9,205 20 Parratt, Lloyd P. 500 West 14th Street Upland Bandpd in Montana 103 2 Carmel 10 7 19

Payne, Donald E. Rt. 4, Box 512 Hood River, Oregon 209 11 Peterson, Liven 1306 Custer Ave. Billings, Montana 44 5 Peyton, Leonard J. - Arctic Health Research Center, P. O. Box 960 Anchorage, Alaska 389 39 Pray, Russell H. 662 Santa Rosa Ave. Berkeley 426 13 Pyle, Robert L. 4037 8th Ave., N. E. Sea ttle 5, Wash. 1 1 Raitt, Ralph J. - Museum of Vert. Zoology, University of Clilif. Berkeley 4 127 1 Ralph, Clement L. & C. John 1043 Merced Ave. Berkeley 190 14 Ransom, Webster H. 9676 Evergreen Drive Bellevue, Washington 524 27 Banded in Montana 124 9 Red Rock Lakes Migratory Wildlife Refuge' Box 26 Monida, Montana 112 1 Rich, C. Selwyn 114 Champion Place Alhambra 27 4 Richardson, Carl Trail, Oregon 132 16 Robbins, LYnn 482 University Ave.• Los Altos 8 6 Roest, Aryan I. 147 Del Sur Way San Luis Obispo 9 4 Rogers, Thomas 1306 Dakota Ave. Libby, Montana 334 29 Ryder, Ronald A. 1058 Crescent Drive Logan, Utah 349 21 SacraJ:lento Nat'l Wildlife Refuge Willows 2,563 31 (Eugene Kridler) Salter, Robert L. 518 Front Street Boise, Idaho 2,080 13 Salton Sea Natll·Wildlife Refuge P. O. Box 1379 Brawley 19,437 22 Sarles, John G. 3403 Pine Crescent Vancouver 9, B.C. 285 16 Schultz, Mrs. Zella II. 22809 'if" 53rd Ave. Mountlake Terrace, Wash. 67 6 Schumacher, Mrs. Della M. 7027 Sycamore Seattle, Washington 48 13 Sharpless, Eve~ M. Pauma Valley 40 12 Silvemale, )(ax N. 755 N. Robinson Road Topanga 10 6 Skinner, IIrs. Harold Diablo Dam via Rockport, Wash. 53 9 Smith, nss Emily D. 19651 Glen Una Drive Los Gatos 126 11 Smith, Harry R. 133 Monterey Street Santa Cruz 528 29 Smith, IIrs. Otis H. 207 Alexander Ave. Larkspur 177 15 Sooter, Clarence A. U.S.P.H.S., P.O. Box 625 Greeley, Colorado 162 1 Sowls, Lyle K. Universi ty of Arizpna Tucson, Arizona 453 4 Stabler, Robert II. Colorado College Colorado Spri.ngs, Colo. 44 9 Stallcup, Lee 6227 Buena Ventura Oakland 5 6 4 Steele, Paul H. Box 935 Sacramento 260 3 Stillwater Wildlife llanagement Area Box 592 Fallon, Nevada 510 3 Stockton, IIrs. Frances W. Granite Station Bakersfield 244 11 Stoner, Emerson A. 285 East L Street Benicia 416 15 Srinehart, D. B., Jr. 2109 Juanita Lane Sacramento 23 3 Thompson, Charles G. 587 Arlington Berkeley 273 11 Thomssen, JIrs. Richard M. 168 Loma Vista Drive Scl'1oma 60 10 Thome Ecological Research Station 1707 Hillside Rd. Boulder, Colorado 530 20 (Qakleigh Thome) Trousdale, IIrs. H. K. 5932 LaSalle Ave. Oakland 11 46 8 Tule Lake Nat'l Wildfowl Refuge Route 1, Box 74 Tulelake 8,403 14 Turnbull Nat'l Wildlife Refuge Box 268 Cheney, Washington 77 4 University or Alaska College, Alaska 64 4 Utah Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit Utah State Agricultural Logan, Utah 53 1 (John II. Gates) College Ward, Walter P. 148 Euclid Ave. Los Gatos 3 1 Wamer, D. E~ Biological Analyses Richland, Washington 60 1 Operation, General Electric Co. Webb, William G. 5146 Oakwood Ave. La Canada 1,320 39 Weston, Henry G.,. Jr. - Dept. Biology, San Jose State College San Jose 14 12 4 Williams, Jlrs. Will Granite Station via Bakersfield 275 20 Williams, Ralph B. P. O. Box 2354 Junea.u, Alaska 92 7 Willapa Nat'l Wildlife Refuge Ilwaco, Washington 14 1 Wilson, Yanez T. - Bear River Refuge, P. O. Box 603 Brigham, Utah 637 7 Winter, Frank C. 904 N. Rexford' Drive Beverley Hills 344 24 Wood, Sherwin F. 1015 No. Alexandre Ave. Los Angeles 29 Banded in New Mexico 14 3 1Jrakestraw, George F. 1927 East D Torrington, 1I'10ming 1,142 12 Yocum, Dr. Charles F. Humboldt State College Arcata 114 10 Zwichel, FNd Rt. 4, Box 4113 Wenatchee, Washington 446 13 Highland Avenue

California banders may now make application to the nearest Regional office of the Califomia Fish and Game Dept. for Mist Net pennlts. The fee is $10 per fiscal year (beginning July 1) or any part thereof. Addresses of Regional offices: Region I, Redding; Region II, 1001 Jed Smith Drive, Sacramento; Region III, Ferry Bldg., San Francisco; Region IV, 1312 Blackstone Ave., Fresno; Region V, State Bldg., Los Angeles. COMJllENTARYON THE 1956 ANNUAL RErOET by Emerson A. Stoner

A review of the many fine individual banding reports from 'which the annual report was tabulated indicates that llird-banding activities are continuing to in- crease. Conparison of the year 1956 with theLvro prior "banner years" shows the following: 1954 1955 1956 Number of active banding reports 129 157 l8I Number of species banded 228 251 276 Number of birds banded 72,099 105,759 115,041

The numller of banders and the number of individual birds banded have doubled in the past four years.

The common names used in this 1956 annual report are those in the new fifth edi tion of the--American Ornithologists' Union Checklist. The nanes and evolu- tionary order are the same as published in "Audubon Vrestern Bird Guide", by Richard H. Pough, Doubleday, 1957. Some of the more si€:,'TIificantchanges are as foll~rs: Red-necked grebe (Holboell), Pelagic cormorant (Bairds), American yridgeon (baldpate), Common seater (Arl1er.blk. scoter), Hough-legged hawk (Amer. r.-lo hawk), Blue grouse (includes Dusky and sooty), Cornman galinule (Florida or Black), Comrnon snipe (Wilson), Mew gull (short-billed), Lesser nighthawk (Texas), Yellmv-bellied sapsucker (includes red-breasted and red-naped), Ladder-backed woodpecker (Cactus), Dusky flycatcher (V.fright),Gray jay (Canada and Oregon), Boreal chickadee (Hudsonian), Swainson's thrush (Russed-backed and Olive-backed), Water pipit (American), Nashville warbler (Calaveras), Wilson's warbler (Pileol- ated and Black-capped), Pu~)le grackle (includes Bronzed), Lesser goldfinch (Green-backed and Arkansas), American goldfinch (Common and Willow), Rufous- sided t~rhee (Spotted and Arctic), Black-throated sparrow (Desert), Sage sparrow (includes Bell's).

The largest number of individual birds banded, other than by federal and state agencies, was by-Don Bleitz-rcal~3 ,316. Other bandings in excess of 500 were by Hughes (Br .Colo) 3,000; Webb (Calif.) 1,320; Gallup (Calif.) 927; Hough (Colo.) H17; Butcher (are.) 722; Ransom (Wash. a.nd Mont.) 648; Mewaldt (Calif.) 564; Linsdale ,:Calif.) 581; Thorne (Colo.) 530:and Harry ~)mith (Calif.) 528.

As for variety of species banded during 1956 Bleitz was far in the lead with 128. The only other bander reporting more than 50 species was Mrs. Lenore Evans (Klama th Agency, Ore.) wi th 53.

Blei tz explains some of his unusual captures as follQVIJs: "The Indigo Bunting was a female banded at the nest beside which the male, which was identi- fied by a number of people taken to the spot, was singing constantly. The male was typical of the species in every way." Regarding the Hammond's (4) and Wright's (Dusky) Flycatchers (4), he explains IIthis banding consisted of nest- lings and adults trapped by the nests where identification was posi ti'Ie." ' Bleitz' report also included Black Swift (2), ~~ite-throated Svrift (2), Costa's Hunmlingbird (1), Anna's Hunmingbird (15), American Redstart (2) Gray Flycatcher (1) and many other species infrequently banded.

Iden tifica tion of I.1rs.Frances vr. Stockton's (near Bakersfield, Calif.) Br~ Thrasher was verified by Mrs. Edna Williams. Both of these enthusiastic banders' were thrilled over the observation of a Brown Thrasher on several oc- casions, and were "elated" when it actually entered the Mason trap. Sage and California Thrashers are also present in their (Nightingale ).,canyon.

Eugene Kridler (Williams, Calif.) included two Brevrer's Sparrows as trapped in his area. Mr. Kridler is a competent biologist and is familiar with this species which is infrequently recorded from the Sacramento Valley.

Gallup (Escondido, Calif.) continued during 1956 to band young terns at a nesting colony in that vicinity, Caspian (608) and Least (115), also young Barn Owls at their nests (94).

With her annual report Mrs. otis H. Smith (Larkspur, Calif.) states she now has 107 kodachrome slides of Zonotrichia atricapilla crown patterns. Any bander who captures Golden-crowned Sparrows in fairly large numbers is invited to contact Mrs. Smith, who with others, is making a special study of this species to determine more conclusively the plumage changes from season to season, especially in the first three years. Others who banded fifty or more of this species, con- tributing towards making a total of 1,358 during 19)b,lWere:-Linsdale (211), Harry Smith (181), Mewaldt (152), Emily Smith (73) Henningsen (73), Foree (65), Edna Williams (62), and Ralph Williams, Juneau, Alaska (50).

Reports received from Robinson (Colo.) and Hayes (N. Mex.) of 4,699 waterfowl banded in Saskatchewan could not be included in the 1956 report as this province is not Vf.BBAterritory.

A report received from our former president, Dr. H. Elliott McClure, 406 Med. Gen. Lab., APO 343, San Francisco, listed birds banded by him in 1956 in the vi- cinity of Tokyo, Japan where he has been stationed for a number of years. Japan is outside of the WBBA territory, however, as a matter of interest we list the nine species reported by Dr. McClure: 525 Plumed Egret, 264 Little Egret, 2 Great Egret, 32 Cattle Egret, 648 Bl.-cr. Night Heron, 243 Blue Magpie, 6 Grey Starling, 1 Carrion Crow, 1 Brown thrush, (Total 1,722).

Many bandings worthy of special mention, not commented on above, include 211 Snowy Egret (Salton Sea National Wildfowl Refuge, Calif.), 101 Black-crowned Night Heron (Brandt, Colo.), 101 White-faced Ibis (Ryder, Utah), 112 Trumpeter Swan (Red Rock Lakes Waterfowl Refuge, Mont.), 93 White Pelican (Butcher, Ore.), 381 Cali- fornia Gull (Moos, Mont.), 903 Glaucus-winged Gull (Hughes, B.C.), 6 Golden Eagle (McCarthy, Calif.) 18 Cooper's Hawk (Klimes, Calif.) 7 Saw-whet Owl (Hughes B.C.), 407 Gambel's Quail (Sowles, Ariz.), 162 Black-billed Magpie (Sooter, Colo.), 10 Red-breasted Nuthatch (Foree, Calif.), 105 Cedar Waxwing (Stoner, Cali~), 185 Evening Grosbeak (Hughes, B.C.), 76 Wilson's Warbler (Bleitz, Calif.), 172 American Goldfinch (Balch, Calif.), 157 Lark Sparrow (Gullion, Nev.), 325 White- crowned Sparrow (Mewaldt, Calif.) and 311 White-crowned Sparrow (Webb, Calif.).

The 211 Chukars were reported by Harper, Dept. of Fish and Game (Bakersfield, Calif.) as banded during trapping operations near China Lake, California, from which area they were shipped for release in Kern, Merced, Fresno and San Benito C01ll1ties.

Glenn Hutson (Bakersfield, Calif.) who is working with the U. S. Dept. of Health and Education and is gathering blood samples in connection with virus re- search, includes in his report 196 (adUlt) C~rbirds. Hutson comments regarding one phase of his work - "Out of 413 nests, the contents of which were known, only 35 were successful and 17 partially successful, producing a total of 166 fledg- lings. Cats, faxes, dogs and coyotes were the principal predators.1I

The Refuge Manager, Tule Lake National Wildfowl Refuge (Tulelake, Calif.) in- cludes among the 8,403 waterfowl on his report 1,325 Sn~{ Geese and 57 Ross' Geese, the largest number of either of these species on any of our annual reports.

I find that the compilation of annual reports, such as printed in this issue of the News, requires many hours of posting, adding, analysis, checking, etc. As president of the organization I wish to express my thanks to those assisting, es- pecially to our secretary, Mrs. Enid K. Austin, who through her keen interest and efficient manner of maintaining records was able to contact all of our western banders. Also, I thank my daughter, Mrs. Marjorie Elmore, for assisting in typing and checking and of course our editor, William Kirsher, for presenting it in final form. During my thirty years of banding I have found banders in our organization to be a very enthusiastic and intelligent group, composed of friendly people most all of whom feel that the privilege of handling and examining live birds amply re- paJrs them for the physical and clerical labors involved.

ON THE USE OF MIST NETS by Don Bleitz President, Bleitz Wildlife Foundation

Applications from qualified banders for the use of mist nets are now being accepted by the California Department of Fish & Game. Since mist netting is a relatively new method for most of the members of the Western Bird Bander's Asso- ciation, I have prepared a short summary of some of the advantages and precautions in the use of this new concept of trapping.

We have found the Japanese mist nets to be the best and they are qUite simple to use. There are many styles and sizes of nets. For most small birds, I person- ally prefer, the lil' mesh nylon, 7' high and 30' long. The 2-3/8lt mesh x 7' high x 42' long is a good net for small shore birds, woodpeckers, blackbirds, etc. The 41t mesh x 7' x 42' long is better for larger shore birds, small hawks, etc.

Nets 15' high x 60' long with a 4n mesh of very strong nylon are available. These are suitable for large shore birds, hawks, ducks, etc. Nets longer than u2' require a center pole, so two 30' nets could be used as they are easier to handle.

There are a few precautions which should be observed in order to achieve re- sults without injuries to the birds or difficulties in the operation of the nets.

No.1. Stretch the nets between sturdy straight poles so that the cross support cords are taur-:- Some convenient lightweight, but sturdy, poles---are-ne- cessary to support the net. Nine foot poles are necessary to provide sufficient length to h?ld well in soft ground and yet extend high enough. I have had some made from 4~ foot sections of lit O.D. x 3/32" wall thickness - aluminum tubing. A pointed aluminum plug in one end forms an easy to drive cone, the other end con- tains an insert to attach to the top of the pole. (See Illustration A) Where greater height is desired, additional top sections can be added. This aluminum tubing can usually just be pushed into soft ground, but I usually use a driver which is made from a 3' piece of li" aluminum tubing (see Illustration B) one end 1

..~~r~=J~-~----~-l of which has a 511 length of soft iron inserted and pinned, which acts as the ham- mer. This tubing is slipped over the top of the pole and will drive it into the ground vdthout damage to the aluminum pole.

¥fuen the first pole is secured and the net grommets placed over the pole, the

T net should then be stretched verticallJ- • Then the net is stretched horizontally across an area clear of obstructions which could entangle it, and the pole slipped through the loops. After the support cords have been stretched tight enough to avoid any sagging.~ the second pole should be driven firmly into the ground.

No.2. Raise lower support cord sufficiently above the ground. The lower support cord should be raised about 12i::Ol.T:i.nches above the ground so that no entrapped birds can come in contact vdth either the ground or any nearby solid object, otherrrise they may seriously entangle themselves.

No.3. Stretch net evenly over support cords. Support cords should be arranged as in Illustration C, and ~he loose folds of the net should be equally spaced across the net. This can be accomplished by pulling the fine netting along the webb with the fingers.

No.4. Avoid use of nets in rain or wind. Any breeze will slide the net- ting along the support cords to-gather it at one end, or if the net is stretched directly perpendicular to the wind direction it will balloon out the fine netting so that the birds will bounce out. (Illustration E)

P~in will cause 'the nylon to stretch and sag, so on windy or rainy days netting should not be attempted.

No.5. Location of nets. Nets are least visible against a background of mixed vegetation. The location should be carefully chosen to be in the pathway of normal flight. An excellent position is a well cleared path across a small water course, where birds follow the vegetation along the stream, flying from cover to cover. The net should be placed so it will just clear the brush on either side, if there are bushes, or tall grass, in the patm,ay either remove or trample them dawn. (See Illustration F) Strangely enough the sight of entrapped birds appar- ently hanging in the air seems to be no deterrent whatsoever to others entering the net.

Another excellent and fairly open location is at a natural water hole. Sometimes placing two nets in a llV!l shape is very effective in this area. (See Illustration G) Vfuen using nets in this manner, I sometimes hide in the brush opposi te the open end of this !lV!t and when a group of birds have gathered at the water hole, I jump up, and they become ensnared in the net in flying away from me.

No.6. Avoid setting the nets in full sun. There are many suitable places for using nets, but it is important that they all be in, at least, partial shade. Full shade is preferable because the net is much less visible and it also pre- vents any possibility of overheating the entrapped birds before they are removed.

The net should be attended constantly so that captures can be removed prompt- ly. With a little experience entrapped birds can be quickly and easily removed. First ascertain from which side the bird has entered. (See Illustration D) The pocket t~~s formed will be on the opposite side from which it entered. I start by reaching into this pocket and free the legs and feet, then holding the bird by both legs, I lift it up and away from the net, and slip the netting off much in the manner of removing a slip-on sweater. Most birds will flap their wings a time or two and in so doing the net slips off easily. However, I always carry a small crochet hook in my pocket and if a strand becomes twisted or entangled, I can quickly remove it from the wings or neck, with the aid of this small hook.

No.7. Emptying nets. Kr~t paper bags are convenient receptacles for cap- tured"'""5J::'rOsas they are removed from the nets. I try to keep the different spe- cies separated as this facilitates the banding of them, so I have several paper bags ready for use when we start to empty the net. After the birds have been placed in the paper bags, they should be kept out of the sun. While these are be- ing banded and released, the net captures a new group.

Birds should never be allowed to remain in the nets for more than 5 to 10 minutes maximum before removal. I prefer to remove them within five minutes and in so doing have never had ~ single casualty which could be considered the fault of the net. We have, however, lost one Sage Sparrow to a Shrike which killed the sparrow in the net before we could reach it; and two Orange-crowned Warblers which were taken from the net by a Sharp-shirmed Hawk. The hawk was captured when it took the second warbler from the net. We feel certain that the total predation of the Sharp Shin is the same whether he captures his birds from the net or in his usual way.

No.8. Number of nets. Only a single net should normally be operated by one person. Sometimes a-oG' net or group of nets catches so few birds and the air is so cool that it is perfectly safe to operate. At other times as the birds begin to mo¥e through more rapidly, it may be necessary to make part of the nets inoperative by gathering the support cords together, thus producing a single many fibered cord which is plainly visible and which will not capture birds. Sometimes a single 7'x18'xl~" net keeps me so busy that only the one can be safely operated. If sufficient nets are in operation so that the time for removal begins to exceed 10 minutes, we put part of the nets out of operation by gathering the cross sup- port cords together until the netting is in a single easily seen line between the poles. Since conditions vary from place to place and from day to day, the bander should use the net which allows for easy removal before the birds become overheat~ ed or badly entangled.

Nets are a little difficult to put up and take d~rn by oneself and a well trained assistant is desirable, both to set up and to operate the nets. I have a couple of nice young fellows who often help me. In this way one man can collect the birds from the net, while the other bands, records and releases them.

No.9. Folding up nets. In taking down the nets, I gather the support cords together to forrn-a single strand. I then remove the loops from one pole keeping the net taut while tying the loops together with a single strand of twine, about 12" long. Then, by holding the loops in one hand and with the other grasping the net about .30" away, I walk toward the pole, looping the net back and forth on my fingers until I reach the opposite pole. I then double the net a couple of times and tie it in a tight bundle with the same 12" piece of twine and place it in a paper bag upon which I write the size and type of net enclosed. (See Illustration H)

I am planning an enclosure similar to these-suggestions and ideas to be sent with any nets we ship. If there are any questions, please feel free to write me. WESTERN BIRD BANDERS ASSOCIATION 571 Fulton Avenue Saoramento 25, California

RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED William K. Kirsher, 571 Fulton Ave., Sacramento 25, Calif. L. Richard Msvlaldt,4150 Golf Drive, San Jose 27, Calif. Tom E. Balch, P.O. Box 9, Glenn, California Anna Margaret Smith, 207 Alexander Ave., Larkspur, Calif. William G. Webb, 5146 Oakwood Avenue, La Canada, Calif.

Secretag Enid K. Austin, 1116 Mandana Blvd., Oakland 10, Calif.

Address contributions for the News to William K. Kirsher 571 Fulton Avenue Sacramento 25, Calif.

PAGE MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL MEETING. 26 THE FLOCKING HABITS OF THE GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW TIJ A WINTER SOCIETY by Frank D. Robertson . 29 ON BANDING rnn~.uNGBIRDSby Don Bleitz 32 NEWS FROM THE BANDERS. 33 WBBA CHAPTER NOTES. 34 , "Th~':thirty-second annual' meeting of the Western Bird-Banding Association was held at'the':r'an,chof Mr. andMrs~'W. Hatton, Calera Canyon, Salinas,Calffornia, 'May 18'-19, 1957. .

The first session was called to order ~r President E. A. Stoner at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 18. Mr. Stoner welcomed the 40 members and guests and announced the program. Due to the inclemency of the weather said program would have to be flexible - doing the outdoor parts when possible.

Among the members introduced were Mr. and Mrs. John McBride Robertson, charter members from Pomona, California. lir. Robertson told of his early association with the W.B.B.A. and of a recent Arizona field trip.

President Stoner read the new California Fish and Game Dept. lIRules and Re- gulations FOR USE AND POSSESSION OF BIRD NETS FOR SCIENTIFIC PURPOSES". Lively discussion foll~red with objections to the excessive charge of $10.00 for the mist net license. Application blanks were passed around for examination.

Dr. Robert P. Parsons, a Carmel, Calif. member, gave a short paper on lIDiet ll of Golden-crowned Sparrows •

Mrs. Otis H. Smith, Larkspur, Calif., reported on her 25 years of banding, highlighting her work with Golden-crowned Sparrows. She is using head photo- graphy of the birds for plumage study sequences.

Dr. John Davis, Hastings Reservation, Carmel Valley, presented some English color bands recently acquired and gave members the benefit of his experience with them; they may be obtained from Mr. A. C. Hughes, 1 High Street, Hampton Hill, Middlesex, England.

An intermission was called so that members could do some night "birding". vVhen the group returned to the ranch house President Stoner sh~red his excellent series of slides from a recent Arizona trip. Meeting adjourned.

The second session with guided field trips and the first mist net demonstra- tion at strategic spots occurred from 8:30-10:30 a.m. Sunday. Due to the showery weather the netting demonstrations had to be given when and where possible. Dr. L. R. MeWaldt of San Jose State, used his nets and technique giving many members opportunity to help and observe the operations. Mrs. Hatton, Laidlaw Williams, and Emily Smith helped with the field trips. Three young Horned owls in one of Mrs. Hatton's barns were banded.

At 10:45 the members returned to the ranch house for the business meeting and election of officers.

President Stoner called the meeting to order and the minutes of the 1956 annual meeting were read and approved.

Business Manager Frank Boynton I s Heport was read. Tvrenty-three new members had been added in 1957. A new chapter, Pacific-International, was formed in June 1956. The Association's finances are in good order. Conservation Society being formed. He invited contributions as an association or individually. Miss Emily Smith, 19651 Glen Una Drive, Los Gatos, Calif. was ap- pointed to accept funds from members to be forwarded to Dr. McClure.

Correspondence from Hr. 'Webb was read telling of the K.P.F.A. radio program on which Mr. Webb is working in conservation; he suggests a banding script be worked up by the northern banders. As Dr. M6waldt is thoroughly familiar with the science programs of K.P.F.A., President Stoner appointed him to look into the feasibility of this suggestion.

A letter from Editor R,rdzewski of The Ring asked that a co-editor from the W.B.B.A. area be appointed to submit material. Mr. Laidlaw Williams of Carmel, California, was so appointed. Editor Kirsher reported on the law for the pro- tection of hawks ~d owls being lobbied through the Legislature by Mr. Ed. Pickett.

President ..••••..• 1~. IIoward CogS?Tell, Mills College, Oakland, Calif. Vice-presidents •.•Mr. W. Kirsher, Sacramento; Dr. L.R. Mewaldt, San Jose; Mr. T.E. Balch, Glen; Mrs. A.M. Smith, Larkspur; Mr. W'.G. Webb, La Canada. Secreta~ •...... •. Mrs. Enid K. Austin, Oakland, California. Business Mgnr. & Treasurer ••.••.•.. }~. Francis H. B~ton, Pasadena, California.

Dr. Parsons moved that the nominations be closed and the secreta~ be instructed to cast a unanimous ballot for the slate as presented. It was seconded and passed.

The non-elective members of the Council are: Mr. F.G. Crawford, Altadena, Calif.; Mrs. N.E. Ayer, Pomona, Calif.; Dr. Elliot McClure, Tokyo, Japan; Mr. Emerson A. Stoner, Benicia, Calif.

During the lunch hour, Dr. Mewaldt set up a mist net near the house so that he could take advantage of the now clear weather and the members could continue to see the net in operation.

The third session was called to order at 2 p.m. Mr. Stoner resumed the chair as President Cogsvrell could not take office until July 1, 1957 and requested that Mr. stoner finish the official duties of the annual meeting.

Mr. Stoner asked for a vote of thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Hatton for their gra- cious hospitality and to the committees who had helped with the annual meeting arrangements. He assured the association that he had enjoyed his presidency and thanked all those who had given him help during his term of office.

The first paper of the afternoon was "The Use of Japanese Mist Nets in Bird- Banding" by Don R. Blei tz. As Mr. Blei tz was unable to be present, the paper was read by Dr. Mewaldt and the slides projected by Howard CogS?Tell. During the read- ing of the paper, the members made frequent visits to the mist nets outside. Golden-crowned Sparrows" by Howard Cogswell (illustrated). Mr. Cbgswell is using the photographic method used by other W.B.B.A. banders. He regretted that his file of evidence was still incomplete but hoped to report further next year.

Mr. Kirsher e~pressed the thanks of the association to Mr. Stoner for his long service as President.

No. Species Gillespie, Mrs. Mabel 313 Sharp Ave.,Glenolden,Penna.(Band.in Gal.)) 3 Jeffrey, R. G. Rt. 1,Box 809, Stanwood, Wash. 1141 12 Kilpatrick,Mrs.Helen K. 1889 Orchard St., Eugene, Ore. 1 1 Romig, Mrs. Agnes B. 351 Alma Real Drive, Pacific Palisades 166 19 Woolfolk, E. J. 392 Colorados Gourt, Lafayett.e 117 9

Additional Birds Banded -- Calif. Ore. Wash. Total Canada Goose 313- 3I3 Mallard 387 387 Gadwall 14 14 Pintail 244 244 Green4Winged Teal 26 26 Cinnamon and/or Blue-winged Teal 57 57 American Widgeon 38 38 Shoveler 40 40 Wood Duck 4 4 Redhead 3 3 American Goot 15 15 Anna's Hummingbird 1 1 Cliff Swallow 1 1 Scrub Jay 2 2 Plain Titmouse 2 2 Wrentit 11 11 Bewick's Wren 4 4 Mockingbird 2 2 California Thrasher 1 1 Cedar Waxwing 1 1 Orange-crowned Warbler 2 2 Audubon's Warbler 3 3 Brewer's Blackbird 2 2 Brown-headed Gowbird 1 1 Evening Grosbeak 1 1 House Finch 65 65 Rufous-sided Towhee 11 11 Brown Towhee 16 16 Savannah Sparrow 9 9 Oregon Junco 1 1 White-crowned Sparrow 116 116 Golden-crowned Sparrow 35 35

New Grand Total • . . 116,469 Emerson A. Stoner THEFLOCKINGHABITSOF THE GOLDEN-CROWNEDSPARROWIN A WINTERSOCIETY by Frank D. Robertson

This report describes the movements of two flocks of Golden-crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia coronata) in a winter society.

Observations were made between Septeml:>er24, and December 12, 1955. By mid- October the flocks of Golden-crowns under study h.ad stabilized, and their daily movements could be recorded.

The study area is located in Alum Rock Park, which is in the Mt. Hamilton Range, seven miles east of San Jose, Santa Clara County, California. The area concerned in the observations is 1/2 mile long by 1/4 mile wide and covers the main part of the floor of the gorge in which the park is situated. Through the study area runs Penitencia Creek, which flows the year around.

Along this creek grow many varieties of trees and shrubs, including Western Sycamore, Arroya. WillOW',White Alder, Big-leaf Maple, SriowBerry, California Wild Rose, and Toyon. The floor of the park is covered with lawns and asphalt drives, walks, and play areas. Growing here along wi th the aforementioned trees and shrubs are Blue Elderberry, California Buckeye, Coast Live Oak, Valley Oak, Digger and Monterey-Pine, Beet'wood, Deodar Cedar, and various non-native shrubs. Scat- -tared among these trees and shrubs are ~ herbaceous plants, too numerous to mention specifically. There are several fenced areas .containing native and exotic birds and mammals.

/ ROUTES OF GOLDEN-CRO\VNED SPARRO\VS

Approximate Scale o .lgO 2ao f+.

"0 0 0"0 0 0" _-Floc/t 1 .' ••. -.. ••• ~ ••• "oc"" 2

40· slape t The weather was generally fair with some early morning fog during the early portion of the observation period. Then, it became increasingly rainy, a condi- tion which the Golden-crowns seem to enjoy. During this type of weather, they sing their mournful high-pitched song.

After a preliminary survey of the area on September 24, a feeding and trap- ping station was established. (See map) This site was chosen because more Golden- crowns were seen concentrated in this area than any other. This spot later proved to be the only place where the two flocks came together during their daily movements.

A drop trap and a Potter trap were used to trap birds for banding and mark- ing. Food provided at the trap sites included cracked corn, white millet, red millet, and various weed seeds. All birds that were trapped were banded with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service bands. Oregon Juncos (Junco oreganus) and White- c~owned Sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys) were stable visitors during the entire observation. Less frequent visitors were Steller Jays (Cyanocitta stelleri), Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia), Spotted Towhees (Pipilo maculatus), and Brown Towhees (Pipilo fuscus). The Juncos were very wary of the traps and not many were banded. At the outset of the observation, the White-crowns were less numerous than the Golden-crowns.

After banding, the Golden-crowns were individually marked with various colors of airplane dope on the wings and/or tail feathers and assigned a letter. Thirty had been marked by November 8. The marked birds had grouped into two distinct flocks, and, therefore there was no need to do any further trapping. The flocks were designated I and II. These were the only flocks of Golden- crowns seen in the area. No more feed was set out, and the birds were allowed to go about their daily routine unmolested.

As the observations progressed, some of the birds marked earlier had seeming- ly left the area, and they were never seen again. These birds may have migrated farther south while the rest were winter residents.

Each flock was counted on seven different days, and an average number for each was obtained. Flock I ranged from 26 to 29 birds and averaged 27. Flock II ranged from 30 to 35 birds and averaged 33. The variations in the counts may have been due to the coming into and/or leaving the flocks by migratory birds or perhaps in the counts by the observer. I

Daily movement patterns for both flocks were observed and recorded on maps for 13 days between November 10 and December 8. The weather conditions, tempera- ture,and times of sunrise and sunset were also recorded for eactJ.day.

With the aid of a flashlight, the roosting sites for both flocks were lo- cated on November 7, at 0400 A.M. Both flocks were found roosting together behind the small animal cages as indicated on the map.

The movements of the flocks began later and ended earlier as the sunrise be- came later and the sunset earlier. The average route taken by each flock is in- dicated on the map.

The weather conditions seemed to have much to do with the daily movements of the flocks. A cloudy or rainy day slowed the Golden-crown I s movements greatly. Even some of the places visited on a clear day were not visited on cloudy or rainy days. In clear weather the birds frequented open places, such as paths, roads and lawns; on partly cloudy, foggy or rainy days, the birds stayed close to cover under bushes and trees and did not come out into the open as often.

The Golden-crowns evidenced a marked tendency to flock with the 'fuite- crowned Sparrows at about 9:30 A.M. on clear days. On cloudy or foggy days this time varied, but was much later. On days when there was some precipitation, the observer did not see the Golden-crowns and White-crowns flock together at all. At all times the White-crowns moved into an area already occupied by the Golden- crowns.

The main foraging was done by both flocks in the early morning and evening hours. The early morning foraging for Flock I was done in the small animal cages and bushes near by, in the area on the grass, and along the creek directly in front of the swimming pool. During the evening hours, Flock I foraged in the small animal cages.

During the morning hours Flock II foraged in the large animal cages, the area behind the aviary, and along the creek bank directly in the front of the swimming pool. In the evening Flock II fed in the small animal cages. The creek bank in front of the pool was the only meeting place of the two flocks until just before roosting.

The observer and the other people in the park seemed to have no influence on the movements of the flocks.

I am grateful to Lee Silva for his assistance in trapping, marking, and band- ing the Golden-crowns; to Roy West, Superintendent of Alum Rock Park, for his co- operation in the use of the study area; and to Dr. L. Richard Mewaldt, Assistant Professor of Zoology, San Jose State College, who suggested the study and assisted in the preparation of the manuscript.

Paul Steele was proud of being an amateur naturalist. He once wrote a short paper defending the term against those who would use it patronizingly. It was Paul's thesis that the amateur's work is one of pure love, and that his special- ized devotion often bears fruit of a very special kind.

Paul, himself, was possessed of a wonder and admiration for the natural world around him. He was a serious student of astronomy. He was widely known as a con- chologisto His interest in ornithology, and bird banding in particular, goes back to the early twenties, to the very beginning of official banding in the United States. For many years he was active in the ~~stern Bird Banders Association serving for a time as editor of the News and, for two years, as president.

And all of his activities he eagerly shared with others making his good pre- sence felt in the community. There are a great many people who will join with us in saying, we're glad we knew Paul Steele. ON BANDING InJMMINGBIRDS by Don Bleitz The various .species of our Western hummingbirds are, with the exception of the Anna's, great migrants - yet very little is known of their routes, longevity, plumage changes, etc. Last spring on April 17, I banded a male Costa's hummingbird in the Joshua Tree National Monument. This was a very friendly little individual whose favorite perch was the ve~ top twig of a small desert shrub beside 'which I had parked my car. In pursuing an insect he entered the open wind~f of my car and I was able to capture and band him. On March 11, 1957 I saw a male Costa's hummer on this same perch, he was very unafraid and I was able to sit quietly but two feet from his perch. As he re- turned to alight, I saw the flash of a tiny band, a specially cut down band, on his right leg. At present, hummingbirds must be banded with a cut down and reshaped #0, which are really much too large and clumsy for these diminutive creatures. Mr. William Kirsher has done a considerable amount of experimentation in photographically imprinting ano- dized aluminum to form very small clear~ legible numbers and legend on bands suitable in size for the Anna's, Allen's, Rufous, Costa's, Black-chinned and similarly sized birds. I.am now in the process of getting shearing and roll-up dies to form the thus imprinted bands. In order to capture the fifteen Anna's hummers which I banded, I designed a very satis- factory trap which I had a friend build for me. It is covered with i" mesh mist netting; when the hummer alights on the trigger bar in front of the feeder, the doors are released and they close with the energy supplied b,y two stretched pieces of rubber band. (See Illustration) I have had several interesting retraps of Anna's hummers. One of which was a male with feet and 'legs seriously infested with the scaley leg mite "cnemidocoptes mitans", two of the toes were missing from its right leg when captured on December 24, 1956. We treated his legs with kerosene for two days and released him. When he was recaptured on February 28, 1957, the infection had cleared up leaving healthy, if scarred, legs and feet. "California Mockers - taken in box drop trap with trout fly tied on inside of trap as lure. Five birds taken at different times. Be careful to cut off hook well up into feathers. Suspended by translucent nylon leader (practically in- visible) the fly responds to every slight breeze and is very realistic. Three adults - two irmnatures taken and banded. Birds attracted to lure entered trap and snapped at fly several times giving operator ample time to drop trap. San Diego, July 1956

"Sparrow Hawk trap - built after drawings in News to Bird Banders (vol. 31 No.3) used successfully for Sparrow Hawks and Shrikes.--Also trapped with same trap - Western Gull, Glaucous~inged Gull and Killdeer. The trigger used for Hawk and Shrike were as per News but a different device was used for the other species taken. A cross arm of i" iron rod 4" long was welded on top of a 9" piece. This was pushed down into the ground or sand until it was 411 above the surface. A fine linen thread was tied to the ends of the cross am and run taut across to the trigger. A squid was placed on the sand as bait. Birds touching the tn'ead with feet, wing or body sprung the trap. Killdeer ran into thread apparently by accident. Trap can also be operated manually by a drawstring to the trigger. Sparrow Hawks, Shrikes, Killdeer and Western Gull taken in San Diego - Glaucous~inged Gull in Seattle.

"Snowy Plovers - 3 immatures taken at Palm City, California by flashlight, dip net and a great deal of running. Banded and released, two of them retaken by same method 48 hours later at same location. Exciting and fun but only advised for sprinters.

"Pectoral Sandpiper - Nov. 25, 1955 - Lagoon - Naval Training Center - San Diego. One banded Pectoral in company with six others closely observed through 20x scope. Band easily discernible - no recovery - no other bird in group banded."

itA friend of mine called me one day to tell me that he thought there was a Russet-backed Thrush in his yard. When I went to look at it it turned out to be a Wood Thrush. We were lucky enough to trap it and so on October 13, 1956, it was banded and released. As far as I have been able to determine this is the first record for the Wood Thrush in New Mexico. All tol~about 7 or 8 of us saw the bird and there are several Kodachrome slides of it prior to being re- leased, so the record is well substantiated. 'I *~}-i***

From Boulder, Colorado, John and Eleanor Hough report that the fall was high- lighted by the banding of a Fox Sparrow on November 11th as well as the capture of the first specimen of the Carolina Wren in the state. This is now a museum specimen in the Henderson Museum on the University of Colorado campus.

Since January 1st with the advent of a phenomenal number of juncos (without any White Wings population present this year) they have banded over 600 birds. The members welcomed Dr. Earl Catcott, DVM, of the United states Public Health Service, who attended the meeting to explain his work in connection with the local air-pollution problem. Dr. Catcott has been assigned to examine wild life in the Los Angeles basin to determine if smog has any effect upon physiology and behavior. He felt that birds, being unusually susceptible to respiratory ailments, would possibly be easiest to study in this assignment, and that bird- banders, through their close association with problems of bird behavior might give considerable assistance to the study. Discussion followed as to various aspects of bird behavior which would lend themselves to such a study, and it was agreed that Dr. Catcott would meet later in the week with Dr. Wood and Mr. Webb to ex- plore in detail several suggestions that arose at the meeting.

Mrs. Boynton told of the problems of illegal Dove shooting in the Imperial Valley and suggested that we needed legislation to remove the Dove from the game bird list. Other members disputed this point, feeling that the population of Mourning .Doves was not seriously endangered by hunting, but that better enforce- ment of eXisting laws obviously was necessary.

Charts showing numbers of new bird captures according to species were pre- sentedby Mrs. Michener. The data was based on experience at the Michener station over the full number of years that banding was conducted. Of particular interest was the demonstration that in some years certain species were very abundant and considerably in excess of what might be expected from examination of the popula- tion as shown by the curves for other years. These peaks tended to apply to single species without much reference to other species, with the exception of the wood warblers, which as a group seemed to have peak years and general years of reduced numbers.

Mrs. Michener has been observing the preferences of birds for the variety of seeds which she has made available at her feeding tables. No takers at all came for the cotton seeds. Band-tails seemed to like field peas, and to a lesser de- gree lima and soy beans, and then kidney beans. Jays preferred glass marbles to lima beans! Band-tails ate whole corn. Titmice enjoyed watermelon, cantelope, and squash seeds.

Discussion was held on the subject of the new regulations applying to mist nets. The consensus of the meeting was that the regulations were cumbersome in the extreme and contained many needless provisions relative to the registration of nets. It was agreed that certain limitations regarding the use of the nets was desirable, but that not nearly enough emphasis was shown in the regulations to as- sure that personnel was properly trained in the use of the nets. The members felt that the successful employment of nets in bird banding depended hardly at all in the elaborate registration of nets, but did depend heavily upon the skill and training of the banders, a point practically ignored by the regulations. * * ~t- * *

The Pacific International Chapter of the Western Bird-Banding Association held a meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, March 31, 1957. The group met at the Hotel Vancouver at 9:30 A.M. and were taken to Mr. Wm. Hughes' banding station for a demonstration of mist netting. About 35 birds of five species were captured in the nets, and we were greatly impressed by the whole operation, which made a good many of us very eager to try it ourselves.

Following the demonstration 26 members and guests assembled at the entrance to Stanley Park for a luncheon and business meeting. It was decided to amend our by-laws to have four meeting~ a year rather than six, the exact rewording of the statement to be submitted to members with the next meeting notice. Next meeting was set for the Bowman Bay part of Deception Pass State Park on May 19. Attention was brought to the publication The Ring, which is currently taken by two or three members, and to the bulletins of the Thorne Ecological Research Station at Boulder, Colorado. After a brief general discussion the meeting was adjourned, and the members who wished walked along the shore of English Bay. The most impressive part of the trip for many of us was the large number of Barrow's Goldeneyes seen in Vancouver, and an introduction to the Chinese Crested Mynah, which is feral in the city. The members of the Vancouver Natural History Society gave us a wonderful time, and vre are looking forward to meeting them again soon. Zella M. Schultz, Pres. P.I.C.

The January meeting at the Stoner's horne featured Dr. Robert Ie Bowman of San Francisco State College who spoke on the nocturnal migration of birds, parti- cularly across the Gulf of Mexico, as determined by moon watching. There was further discussion on the influence of storm fronts on bird movements, a subject that Howard Cogswell is working on.

The University of California Museum of Vertebrate Zoology was the meeting place for the February meeting. Dr. Alden H. Miller, Direqtor of the Museum, talked on plumage changes in birds illustrating his remarks with trays of study skins from the Museum's collection. Particularly interesting were some striking examples of plumage chan~es through feather wear. The remarkable difference in moults between the Lesser and American goldfinches, both of the same genus, was discussed. Dr. and Mrs. Lynn Foree entertained at luncheon.

The March meeting was held in the Academy of Science Building in Golden Gate Park with Mrs. Juneau·Kellyas hostess. Dr. Robert Miller, Director of the Academy, conducted a tour of the building including the Moffatt library, the col- lection of study skins, and the Dean Witter African bird exhibits now being made ready for public display. Mrs. Joseph Grinnell gave an illustrated talk on her experiences in the Yukon.

Mr. and Mrs. Howard Cogswell were hosts for the April meeting on the Mills College campus. After luncheon and a short bird walk through the campus, Howard Cogswell talked on the work he has be~n doing on plumage changes in Golden- crowned sparrows followed by a brief discussion on statistical representation of banding data.

A paper titled, "Determination of Age in the Spotted Towhee" by Dr. John Davis, was published in the May-June issue of the Condor. Reprints of this paper, which should be of interest to all banders working with this species, are avail- able, at a cost of ten cents, by writing Mrs. Enid Austin, 1116 Mandana Blvd., Oa~land 16, California. Mr. William M. Hughes and John G. Sarles of the P.I.C. write enthusiastical- ly of their' success with the MasonTrap which was developed in the early ,thirties by Mr~EdwinA. Mason, nowpresident of the Northeastern .Bird Banding Association and for several years director of the Massachusetts AudubonSociety Arcadia Wild- life sanctuary.

"This trap was tested and found to be excellent for capturing' ground feeding passeririe s , having taken Juncos, Song Sparrows, and Golden-crownedSparrows. It will probably take House Finches. Mr. William Hughes~s trapped as manyas 19 birds in one set.

"After the birds enter and pass over the overhang into the bait area they seldom if ever escape excepting under crowded conditions. To prevent this, when removing the birds, block the entrances with paper or leaves.

''Wefound this trap to be a time saver. It will attract birds effectively and in good numbers without constant supervision. The birds are readily removed with a gathering cage controlled by a string. The trap is easily carried or stored. The design is flexible, and can be readfly altered by changing the po- sition of the tunnel, etc.

''Weheartily agree with Mr. Bergstrom on the top performance of this trap, and recommendit to be the very best wire trap we have found for trapping passerines."

~"squore mesh hC/rdwCire cloth In response to our request in the October 1956 News for information as to where complete files of the News are located we have()Ilrecord the following com- plete, or nearly complete, files covering the thirty-one years of our publication. The News is printed punched for binding, and a complete file is a valuable banding reference with index for each ten-year period. Mr. J. Harold Ennis, Curator of the Memorial Library of Ornithology at Cornell College states in his letter dated December 7, 1956, "Our Memorial Library of Ornithology is proud to have a complete set of your WBBA News. II

Los Angeles State College, Rolahd Case Ross, Lecturer in Natural Science, 5280 Gravois Avenue, Los Angeles 32, California

Memorial Library of Ornithology, J. Harold Ennis, Curator, Cornell College, Mount Vernon, Iowa

Thorne Ecological Research Station, Oakleigh Thorne, II, President, 1707 Hillside Road, Boulder, Colorado

Hcwrard L. Cogswell, Department of Biological Sciences, Mills College, Oakland, California (VffiBAPresident's file)

There may be other complete sets, and if any are known, please advise the editor. See the April 1956 issue of the News for back numbers or volumes which are still available.

A banded Trumpeter Swan was found dead near Wards Lake, Lassen County, in January 1957. It had been banded at Likely Lake, Terrace Skeena District, British Columbia, by an employee of the Canadian Wild Life Service. When banded on March 21, 1954 it was an immature bird. California Fish and Game employees report that they have seen and heard others at Honey Lake, but none of these reports have been verified as to exact place and date.

Legislation of interest to all conservationists and naturalists has been signed into law ~ Governor Knight. Sponsored by California Audubon Societies and supported by the W.B.B.A. and several other interested organizations, this legislation abolishes the predator classification in both birds and mammals and gives the protection of the law to all non-game birds except Crows, Scrub Jays, Steller Jays, Black-billed Magpies, Starlings and English Sparrows. WESTERN BIRD BANDERS ASSOCIATION 571 Fulton Avenue Sacramento 25, California PAGE 38 39 41 42 43

I) •• 0 44 45 Forthe past four ,years Mr.,merson A. Stoner, a charter member o;f'the Western Bird"':Bariding.A~sociation,has pertormed the duties of president of this organization with efficie'ncy andgraciol.1s~cooperation v,ith tbose wi thwhom we have dealt. Uur sincere appreciation to Mr. Stoner for these years of unselfish donation of his time and knowledge. But we. can take heart; for, although he has retired from the office of president (and from his long-time position at the Benicia Arsenal as well), 1tr. Stoner has agreed to contlllue to act as representa- tive of WBBA in handling applications for California state banding permits - a service for which both the WBBA ilnd the California Department of Fish and Game can be thankful. He will also continue to handle the 1mBA emergency supply of bands.

As the VroBA goes into its 33rd year we have a membership of some 200, and our bulletin, News from the Banders, has achieved a new higher level of value through the untiring efforts of editor Kirsher and his expert copy and publica- tion helpers.

We have also embarked on a n~T activity which should be of interest to all our members. This is an arrangement with Dr. w. Rydz~lski, editor and publisher of The Ring, 1 Altyre Rd., Croydon, Surrey, England, whereby a representative of ~mBA will participate as contributing co-editor from our region to this unique international banding journal. Mr. Laidlaw Williams of Carmel, California, has been appointed representative of ¥ffiBAfor this purpose. Copies of The Ring were passed around at the September meeting of the Northern California chapter, and its various departments and over-all values and needs were discussed. Although Mr. Williams has written Dr. Rydzewski the consensus of this duscussion, the opinions of members from other parts of the Western province are also earnestly solicited. Write yours to Mr. Laidlaw Williams, Rt. 1, Box 152, Carmel, Calif., when you have seen The Ring. The exchange copies which WEBA receives are kept on file by editor W. ~Kirsher, who will loan you some for examination upon request.

The group meeting at Sacramento kept in mind that The Ring has heretofore been produced through the one-man efforts of Dr. Rydzewski,-and that most of its shortcomings will disappear when his plan for contributions from regional co- editors throughout the world gets into full swing. We also felt that this dis- tinctive international flavor and attempt at world~ride coverage of sib~ificant banding (ringing) is the major value of the journal, and that this is very worth- vnlile maintaining. Articles contributed to it should be such as to be of interest to banders everywhere. Some of its other "departments" have been: listings of re- coveries of international quality and of longevity records; reports on activity at specific bird-ringing stations (chiefly in Europe) and of regional or national as- socia tions of ringers (throughout the world); description of "mystery rings II (bands recovered but from unknown sources) with later publication of information regard- ing the place of banding (this item, of course, is more meaningful in the Old World where there is no uniformity of banding schemes); and citation of titles of recent literature (in any language) pertaining to banding, with brief reviews of more important papers.

Articles or briefer notes from WBBA members on unusual trapping methods found to be effective, reports of birds recovered at any point far from banding site, or of longevity records, etc 0' are always welcomed b;y our own editor for inclusion in }_J_ev_T_s_f_r_om_t_h_e_Banders. Our membership is so widespread that we need to be in touch more through the medium of The News than we are. Particularly if you are embarked upon any special study project, let Messrs. Kirsher and Williams know about it. If your report is published in our N~rs then it will get to The Ring in that manner, as Dr. Rydz~rski extracts those-of special interest to the inter- national scene. I urge all those seriously interested in banding and its results to look into Th~ Ring and subscribe to it if you can ($2.50 per year).

RHINOCEROS AUKLETS ON PROTECTION ISLAND, WASHINGTON by R. L. Pyle

Close to the point where Puget Sound empties into the [;trait of Juan de Fuca is a small bit of land called Protection Island. Houghly a mile long and half a mile wide, the island was given its name by Capt. Vancouver because of its stra- tegic position at the mouth of Discovery Bay. Today, however, the name has added significance since large numbers of waterbirds find this isolated privately- owned refuge a safe haven to rear their young. Sh~Ting few evidences of the pre- sence of man, it is one of the f~T islands that have remained unmolested in this pleasure-boating center of the west coast. It is high, flat-topped and encircled completely by steep cliffs, yet it is fairly accessible ~ small boat. Thus it provides excellent opportunities for studying the Pelagic Cormorants, Rhinoceros Auklets, Tufted Puffins, Pigeon Guillemots and even Violet-green Swallows which nest in holes, burr~[s and ledges on the steep earthen slopes. In addition, Glaucous4~inged Gulls nest in large numbers on a low grassy point at one end of the island.

During this past nesting season, the Hhinoceros Awclet colony on Protection Island was the subject of a special study by Dr, Frank Hichardson, indefatigable investigator into the private lives of seabirds. These auklets dig burrows into the steep grassy hillside which go in at least six feet and usually much farther. Consequently, little is known about such things as incubation periods and growth rates in this species, since digging out the burrmv to reach the nest would of course end abruptly any further activity on the part of the adults.

But Frank, using a probing wire, was able to estimate the approximate course of certain burr~~s at the top of the hill and by digging in from above, managed to expose the nest without too much disturbance to the burrow. He then roofed the ca\Titywith boards and replaced some soil, so that the nest could be uncovered and examined again on subsequent visits. Thus, perhaps for the first time, the progress of naturally-nesting Ithinoceros Auklets was studied through a complete season.

An important part of this study was to capture and band as many auklets as possible which could be definitely associated with a particular burr~[. The adult birds are absent during the daylight hours except when actually incubating. They come into the site just about the time it gets too dark to see, and leave in the morning just as dffivnbegins to break. Not wanting to dig them out, it was necessary to devise some means of capturing them just as they entered the burrow.

Our first attempt was to make a circular hoop of stiff wire and attach a bag-shaped piece of fish-net. The hoop was embedded firmly around the entrance with the net poked back into the burrow. The auklet was then supposed to become entangled in the net as it tried to go down the burrow. This was a complete fail- ure, however, since the birds, strong and pugnacious, simply backed out of the burrovr after encountering the net without ever getting tangled.

It was evident that a much more secure and effective trap was required, and the problem was put to Mr. Howard Channing. Howard designed and constructed some ingenious traps from large vegetable cans, about 7 inches high by 6 inches in di- ameter. The top lid of each can was cut out and mounted on the snapping mechanism of an ordinary mousetrap. The mousetrap was attached firmly to the inside top rim of the can in such a way that!J when sprung, it would snap the lid over the open top of the can and lock it. The mousetrap was carefully triggered with a longer wire extending to a roller on a loop of thread mounted well within the can. The can, on its Side, was forced into the mouth of the burrow.

Although one or two birds were captured in these traps, the tracks nearby indicated that many more birds were approaching the traps but refusing to enter. Frank decided that the birds must be alarmed by seeing the bottom of the can blocking the way down the burrow. So the bottoms were cut from the cans and re- placed by fish-net, which greatly improved the effectiveness of the traps.

During the 1957 season we banded a total of 28 auklets, which included three half-grown juveniles. Tvrelve of these represent both members of pairs occupying six burrows. In comparison, Bird-Banding News for August, 1950 carried a tabula- tion showing that a grand total of only two Rhinoceros Auklets had been banded up through the year 1949. Since 1949, perhaps one or two more of this species have been banded according to the W.B.BoA. Annual Reports. Thus the 1957 bandings on Protection Island represent a substantial addition to these totals. It is hoped that this is only the first year of a continuing study of the auklet colony, and that banding will be an important means of gaining information on the life-history of this interesting species.

As an additional note to the 1957 season on Protection Island, Mrs. Zella Schultz and assistants managed to capture and band 884 juvenile Glaucous-winged Gulls there in mid-July, and could have banded hundreds more that day had she not run out of bands.

Barbara B. Oakeson tells elsewhere in this issue of her banding activities with Gambel sparrows on their breeding grounds in Alaska. She points out that probably no individual of this species has ever been trapped at both ends of its migratory route.

With unusually large numbers being banded on the breeding grounds this year you might be the priveleged one to write the other half of the story.

EugerillKridler writes: I would like to extend an invitation to members and their friends to visit the refuge. At the present time we have in excess of half a million ducks here. Peak populations of a million and a half to two million birds usually occur in mid December, with several hundred thousand being geese. GAMBEL SPARROW BANDING IN ALASKA by Barbara B. Oakeson

Since last May I have been watching and banding Gambel's White-crowned Spar- rows at the University of Alaska, located at the town of College, on the outskirts of Fairbanks (lat. 640 54' N.)o My purpose is to band large numbers of birds in the breeding range of this race, in hopes that some will be trapped at banding stations on the migration routes or on the wintering-groundso To date, I have banded 273 Gambel's Sparrows, of which 27 were nestlings, 211 were birds fledged this season, and 35 were adultso I have used two-celled Potter traps exclusively 0 Besides Gambel's Sparrows, I've caught a few Slate-colored Juncos, Tree Sparrows, Fox Sparrows; Savannah Sparrows, and Alaskan Longspurso

I have trapped most of the Gambelis Sparrows between July 1 and the present, at sites on two sides of an approximately square piece of land about 009 square miles in area, on ground farmed ~. the Fairbanks Agricultural Experiment Station 0 It is an ideal spot for Gambel's Sparr~rs, and the birds I've caught represent, I think, not only local breeding birds and young, but migrants as wello

The ground where I am trapping looks superficially like the agricultural land around Davis, California, where large flocks of Gambel's Sparrows wintero So familiar does the landscape appear at this season, in fact, that I find it hard to realize that this place is close to the Arctic Circle, that the geese now waddling in the fields are not domesticated, but wild migrants on their way south, that the rabbits are not Cottontails but Varying Hares, and that the little animals trot- ting across the field in early morning are not dogs, but red foxeso However, when I came upon a huge bull moose on the nearby railroad tracks one morning, I knew I could not be in California!

I hope that banders who operate stations on the migration routes of Gambelis SparrO¥fs will catch some of those I have banded here, Even if none is caught this fall, there is still the chance that some may be trapped next spring as they re- turn north, Also, I hope that all banders who live where Gambel's Sparrows winter will keep a sharp lookout for banded birds, from this coming October through next April, for it would add greatly to our knowledge of this race if we could find out where a given breeding population winters, Just one capture would be of the utmost value, for as far as I know, not one Gambelis Sparrow has ever been trapped at both ends of its migration route, So, in spite of the rich data we have on the habits of white-crowned sparrows, much of which was obtained through records of bird-banders, we still don't know how far a given individual Gambel's Sparrow flies between summer and winter homeso

A White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) banded as an immature on February 3, 1956, at Mills College, Oakland, Alameda County, California, by H. Lo Cog~rell (and never trapped again there), was found dead ~r Mrs. So Jo Rosen in Seattle, Washington, on April 17, 1957 (reported by Mro Leo Ro Childers, 322 Federal Office Bldgo, Seattle 4), This is some 690 miles airline from the band- ing point. The bird was tentatively identified as of subspecies pugetensis when banded, and the locality of recovery strongly indicates that this was correcto At the September meeting of the Northern California Chapter of lVBBA it was de- cided to extend our chances of learning fuller details of the changes in crown plumage in the Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla; formerly Z. coro- nata) by adding a color-banding scheme to the operations of those who take ---- Golden-crowns and are willing to participate. I have written to the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service for permission to embark on such a program, outlining our in- tent as follows:

1) To put a single colored band (which I am in the process of ordering from the best source now, in England) on each new Golden-crowned Spar- row banded, in addition to the aluminum service band.

2) To have all banders doing such color-banding in the Pacific States, B.C., and Alaska use the same color during the same tlGolden-crownll year (July 1 through Ju:ne 30 in wintering and/or migration areas).

3) To have all participating in this project place the colored band on the same leg as the service band if (and only if) the bird can safely be assumed tobe of the previoussummer's hatching. Our previous study of returning banded birds has indicated that this is a safe assumption only when the crown is uniformly and finely streaked, with little or no yellow (and none as a patch), and with no indications of lateral crown stripes, even pale brown ones. With birds which do not meet these specifications the colored band should be placed on the opposite leg to that bearing the service band. (This seems the only logical way for US to make such age information as we know available to the sight ob- server and yet provide for the variation that exists among banders as to the leg upon which they normally place the service band).

4) All banders and other bird students in··the range of the Golden-crowned Sparrow will be asked to watch for color-banded birds and to note which leg or legs the bands (service and colored) are on, and, of course, to describe as fully as possible the pattern and color of the crown plu- mage at each date of observation.

No doubt the bulk of information obtained from this project will come from the participating banders; but we should not neglect to encourage other bird observers to help with it also. The most valuable records will be those of birds returned to wintering or migration areas after having worn the color bands for one or more breeding seasons. All banders who trap or net Golden-crowned Sparrows are urged to participate. As soon as the bands are received (we are requesting. RED ones for 1957-58), I shall be glad to mail some at cost (amount not yet known, but supposedly reasonable) to any permittee who has had his permit vali- dated for this color-banding work.

Howard L. Cogswell Mills College Oakland 13, California AN ACCOUNT OF A RECENT ALASKAN TRIP by Don Bleitz

On June 13, 1957 my young assistant, Howard Haigh, and I flew to Alaskao We went directly to McKinley National Park to photograph and band the various species of birds that occur in that area.

There are approximately ninety miles of gravel road in the Park, with spruce woodland ranging upward onto the open tundra which in this latitude occurs around 3,000 feeto The spruce, aspen and birch are gradually replaced by various species of dwarf trees, maple, birch, oaks, etco None of them gr~,ing more than twenty-four inches above the ground 0

The spruce, birch, aspen association occurs approximately ten miles south of the McKinley Park Station, extending down the high?ray (which will eventually con- nect with Anchorage) and is well populated with Bohemian waxwings, common redpolls, Canada jays, northern water thrushes, varied th~lshes, eastern robins, white- winged crossbills, Arctic warblers (these frequent the will~r growths), orange- crowned warblers and various shore birds including solitary sandpipers, lesser yell~rlegs, northern phalaropes, Bonaparte's gulls, willow ptarmigan, tree spar- rows, rusty blackbirds, Boreal chickadees, slate-colored juncos, horned grebes, black-billed magpies, fox sparrows, white-crowned sparrows, Swains on 1 s thl'"'ISh,and a number of species of ducks including buffleheads, American and Barrow's g~lden- eye, old squaw, scaup and eider duckso I was fortunate in both photographing and banding almost all of the species thus far namedo

On the higher areas along the edges of the melting sn~ldrifts we found the Hepburn's rosy finch, a species of the grey-crowned rosy finch, moving upvrard toward the barren rocky fissures where they nest. We were successful in photo- graphing and banding this species hereo

Along the Savage River mew gulls nested both in trees and on small islands at ground level and foll~,ing the gravel bars we found several pairs of wandering tat- tlers. Northern shrikes were also feeding young just out of the nest in this same areao

On the open tundra there are many small blossoming plants, blueberries, cran- berries, etco, which rise above the mass of lichen that covers the groundo Nesting on the open tundra we found golden plovers, rock ptarmigan, horned larks, Whimbrelis, long-tailed Jaegers and Lapland longspurs. I was particularly im- pressed with the beautiful coloration of the newly hatched golden plovers, the dark down being flecked allover with spots of gold, most beautiful indeedo

Here on the open tundra we found the water pipits nesting in locations similar to the longspurs, their small covered nests built somewhat in the style of the more familiar (to us southlanders) mead~rlark, they are covered over com- pletely and I usually found them at the base of a little tussock of grasseso The beautiful alpine flowers everywhere made all of these nests most beautiful and interesting for photographyo

In 1951 one hundred and ninety-two adult Cliff swall~!s were banded at one colony near Sacramento, Caiif. by WoKe Kirshero In June of this year (1957) four of the original number were recaptured at the same site 0 Since these birds were at least one year old when banded they had attained an age when recaptured this year of no less than seven years. While this may not be a record for the species it is interestingly documented by repeated captures during the intervening years.

DUCK BANDlll'GIN ALASKA by Eugene Kridler

The banding took place near the small Indian village of Tetlin located in the Alaskan interior about 50 miles from the Yukon Territory and near the Alaskan Highway. The village was reached by traveling about 15 miles dawn the Tanana River, swift and milk,r, from Riverside Lodge on the highvray then up the Tetlin River from the mouth of the latter to the banding camp, another 10 miles. In the winter the natives use ~og teams' to get to the lodge for supplies and access to the highway. We took a small boat plus a Gruman canoe on our initial trip, and the rest of the supplies were brought in to us by a small float plane operated by Service personnel. Food, camp gear, and other such supplies were then portaged to the camp while the banding equipment was left at the landing for use on that lake.

The lakes up 011 which we banded ranged in size from a few acres to several thousand and were generally only 5 to 6 feet at their greatest depth. The shores were lined ~ scrub spruce and birch, typical muskeg country. The waters were choked with heavy growths of pondweeds, prime waterfowl food. Sizeable numbers of divers such as scaup, bufflehead, Barrow's goldeneye, plus lesser numbers of white-winged and surf scoters and canvasback were using the lakes for both breeding and moulting. Large numbers of horned grebes were also present as were a few green-winged teal, mallard, and pintail. Almost every lake, regardless of size, contained at least one pair of Pacific loons. Arctic terns, Bonapartes gulls, and short-billed gulls were also very common, as breeders.

Regular fish netting, with about 2-inch squares comprised most of the trap. A small holding pen with a funnel entrance of fish netting was first con- structed by cutting birch or aspen saplings for poles then wrapping the netting around a square or circle 15 feet or so in diameter formed by the poles which were sunk into the lake bottom near the shore. Part of the netting was then strung along the shore as one wing, and another wing was extended at an angle into the lake to form a large funnel. The netting of the wings was suspended on poles, and the bottom was either weighted by lead weights or old telephone in- sulators or else stamped into the muddy lake bottom to prevent the ducks from diving under the wing. Setting up the trap by the three-man crew took quite a bit of time especially when poles had to be cut some distance from the trap site and carried or boated to the trap. Poles from a previous trap setup were left behind this year for the crew coming in the next year. So even though we had much more work, next year time consumed setting up traps should be lessened considerably. We were hampered quite a bit on one lake by the vast number of leeches infesting the waters, and one of the fellows pulled over 27 off his legs. Occasionally ducklings, and sometimes adult ducks, were infested by these animals, especially in the nostrils.

After the trap was set up, we used the canoe wi th a 3 horsepower outboard to move the ducks to the end of the lake above the trap. One man in an Indian "rat" canoe plus the two men in the aluminum canoe slowly herded the ducks along the shore into the trap. At times we would have several thousand flightless ducks moving into the throat of the trap, but most would dive under us and es- cape. One more man in a rat canoe would have helped considerably. After a sizeable number moved into the trap, we had to work very fast to close the trap and remove the birds from it and the wings to prevent drowning as excited birds would get hung up in the nets underwater. Shorts were the uniform of the day at this stage, but horned grebes complicated matters by jumping at our faces as we gathered both ducks and them in the holding pen and placed them into burlap bags for banding and weighing. Grebes made their presence in the bags quickly known by either pecking at us through the burlap or viciously attacking our hands as we thrust them into the sack for a bird to be banded. Buffleheads were the easiest species to drive into the traps, and the next easiest were the golden- eyes. Scaup were the most difficult as th~ either dove under or else flapped furiously around us; however, we were able to band about 100 of both young and adults. All told we banded approximately 4S0 ducks and another 100 horned grebes. Much work was involved in portaging heavy nets, weights, canoes, motors, etc. on our backs from lake to lake over Indian trails now neglected by present- day Indians.

As time permitted we banded a number of Bonaparte and Short-billed gull young which had not as yet reached flight stage. These would generally swim away from shore as we approached and were easily captured as we pursued them in the Gruman canoe with a 3 horsepower outboard attached. The man in front was able to scoop them up in a landing net as adults swooped and dove at our heads. We made a number of attempts to net the adults as they dove at us, but they always were to quick and manuverable for our efforts.

Prior to our move to the banding lakes, we conducted production studies near the Northway area, and were able to band a number of bank swallows in our spare time. Quite a few old gravel pits and cuts along the Alaska Highway con- tain colonies of these birds. During June and July, nights are practically, nonexistent in this part of Alaska, and it remained very light most of the time. We located one colony one evening and were able to capture the birds by shining a light into their burrows as we held a net over the opening. Once in a while we gently prodded the birds as they set in the far end of their holes. The light seemed to act as a magnet as they would scuttle towards the flashlight into the net. We were able to band 39 in one colony, but time ran out on uSj and we never were able to do any more of this work.

We saw a number of interesting things while there. One day we recorded a scoter female with 76 young in tow. Just how many broods this constituted was diffic~lt to say. Scaup were a little late in nesting and a number of times broods of ducklings were small enough to escape through our nets; however, they would have been too small to band, and we also hated to see such broods broken up so we were content to see them pass through. The hen usually tried to decoy us until the brood was a safe distance away. Beaver were quite plentiful and the lodges Imlch larger than any I have seen in the states. Moose were very connnon, and we were thrilled to have a huge bull emerge from the bush only SO or so feet from where we were standing along one small muskeg pothole. After seeing us he silently and unhurriedly disappeared among the scrub birch and spruce lining the shore. "Why Not the Bank Swallow. The discovery of a conveniently-located colony of Bank Swallows along the American River at Sacramento, California prompted me to check into banding records and methods of capture of these swallows.

"First of all, I found that very few Bank Swallows are included in the last ten annual reports in W.B.B.A. News: only 120 since 1947 from Alaska and British Columbia and NONE from the western United Statesl

"Secondly, in ~ search for methods to use in the capture of the Bank SwaJ,- low, our own editor, Bill Kirsher, referred me to an exhaustive work published in 1936 by Dayton Stoner: Studies on the Bank Swallow in the Oneida Lake Region (NoY.) (Roosevelt Wild Life Annual Bulletin, Vol. 9) pp-. 122-233. Although a majority of Stoner's birds were captured in their burrows by digging, his netting method was intriguing enough for me to try it out.

"Imade a butterfly-type net with about a 15" diameter hoop and with an off- whi te nylon mesh bag about 36" long. By placing this over the burrow entrance and flashing sunshine into the burrow with a pocket mirror, adult and older young waddled out of the burrow and dropped right into the waiting net, just the way Stoner had described!

ttAlso, I learned that younger birds sometimes could be enticed to the mouth of the burrow by shadowing it v'lithmy hand or head. Apparently they respond to this action as to an adult bringing food to the burrow.

"Regretfully, my available free time permitted only a few hours experimen- tation with the American River colony. Very few birds were taken because the peak of young development was missed this year. Undoubtedly a method capture more efficient than I used will be forthcoming through the use of mist nets." ..~~ i~ -~~ ~} *

"My netting operation in the three months I have been on our new place have produced an interesting and hard to explain situation. When birds are netted I walk dawn to the net which is 50 feet from where I live. I bring the bird or birds up to the house - examine - band and release them. If I release them in view of the netting area, they immediately fly right back into the net. If I step around the corner to the east and release them, they fly in various directions but not back into the net. The following species have flown directly back into the net on being released: Brewer's Blackbird, Robin, Spotted Towhee, Russet-backed '"Thrush, Oregon Junco, Traill's Flycatcher, Western Flycatcher and Black-capped Warbler. The only species which did not do this was Song Sparrow - on three occasions they were released and flew to netting area but over, under or around it. Can anyone solve this for me?"

The very active Don Bleitz, 1001 N. McCadden Place, Los Angeles 38, is doing all sorts of interesting banding as the following excerpts will show:

" ••• there isn't too much of a trick to catch these hummingbirds with this hummer trap. This little trap (News Vol. 32 No.3) will spring itself when an Anna's lights on the bar. However, for the Calliopes I attach a thread to the bar, and as the bird goes in I pull the thread and catch it. Very often I catch three or four at a time with no difficulty because I put the feeders inside the trap~ and leave the traps open. I gradually remove all other feeders,so that in a little while all the hummers are having to go inside the traps to get their food.

" .• Several of my friends awn a gun club near here, and it is just full of shore birds, Phalaropes, Black-bellied plovers, rails, Spotted, Least and Western sandpipers, etc. There are ponds arranged with dikes between them, and at night we stretch nets on the dikes. The birds flush easily at that time. They fly from one pond to another over the top of the dikes. • •. Between 9:30 and 10:30 we. captured scores of Western and Least sandpipers, 3 Ringed plovers, and some BJa.ck-bellied plovers. It 571 Fulfon Avenue Sacramenfo 25 C,,/I!'ornla