Western Bird Bander

WESTERN BIRD BANDER

CONTENTS Page FROM THE PRESIDENT by Lillian K. Henningsen 1 RESOLUTION: WILL lAM K. KIRSH ER 2 SHEARWATERS AGAIN by Dorothy B. Hunt 2 GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULL MOVEMENTS by Campbell and Sarles , 3 ANNUAL ME ETI NG , , 4 OPERATION RECOVERY: BAITING by Allegra Coil ister 5 NEWS FROM THE BANDERS: AN ANNIVERSARY 6 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS by Robert C. Paulson, Jr •...... 8

EX ECUTI VE COUNCI L ME ETI NG >0 .•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 9

Address all correspondence for the Western Bird Bander to Mrs. Eleanor Radke, P.O. Box 94, Cave Creek, Arizona 85331. Membership correspondence should go to Mr. Ken Legg, Business Manager, D. L. Bli ss State Park, Home- wood, California; PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF ADDRESS.

January, 1926 to January, 1966 -- forty years since Volume I, Number I, of News From the Bird Banders was published by an enthusiastic group of banders embarked on a new venture. Eighty-nine members constituted the Charter Membership of the Westem Bird-Banding Association. Our membership has grown considerably during the ensuing years. Many of the original group are still active banders in WBBA today; you will be hearing more about them later. If you are interested in reading the history of our organization, we have 0 circulating volume of "The News", which in April, 1961, changed its name to Western Bird Bander. Mrs. Enid K. Austin, 1116 Mandana Blvd., Oakland, Calif., is custodian and will be happy to correspond with you if you would like to borrow a file of our publication.

May I remind you that Annual Reports for WBBA are now due. Please fill them in carefully and return them promptly to Mrs. Dorothy Hunt, Secretary, 4111 Trout Gulch Road, Aptos, Calif. The immense amount of work that goes into the compiling of our Annual Report, published in the April issue, is all done by volunteers, and you can help immeasurably by being prompt in sending in your report. A "no banding" report helps us keep our records current. Please do not just ignore us. If you have changed your address, please let us know; also advise the Banding Office at Patuxent.

Other reminders: Have you checked your banding permits lately to see when they expire? California permits were all called in and re-issued on a two-year basis; perhaps they didn't catch yours. Did you remember to send a report of your banding to the California Department of Fish and Game in Sacramento (or to the appropriate agency in your state)? California banders are also required to have a special permit to use mist nets :- fee, $10.00. Have you paid your WBBA dues for 1966? They became delinquent January 1st. It is a time-consuming and expensive operation for the Treasurer to send out second, and sometimes third, notices. Please remit promptly.

The area covered by our Western Bird-Banding Association embraces a large territory. Only a few of us have the opportunity to meet bimonthly in a local chapter. The benefits derived from such a group are tremendous. We return to our banding stations inspired by the work others are doing. May I urge you to contact fellow banders in your area, form a chapter and hold occasional meetings. We need your interest and cooperation in our organization to keep it healthy and growing. What will you do to take an active part in it? Write us once in a while to let us know of your banding activities.

At our Annual Meeting in Vancouver, B.C., in June, 1965, and again at our Northern California Chapter Meet- ing in September, an expression of appreciation was offered to Mr. Tom Balch, our former Treasurer, for his many years of faithful service. Thanks were also expressed to Mrs. Enid Austin, Membership Chairman, for her continuing efforts in maintaining our membership. A resolution was presented to Mr. William K. Kirsher, our Editor for the past ten years, for his tremendous contribution. (See below - Ed.) All of us are grateful to him and to his wife, Celeste, for their faithful duty, well done. May I urge you to give your continued support to our new editor. She needs good material for publication; send her an article soon.

Vice-President W. K. Kirsher will officiate for me during my absence on a three-and-one-half month freighter trip to Africa. I anticipate an interesting and exciting adventure.

WHEREAS, during the past ten years the quarterly publication of the Western Bird-Banding Associa- tion has been most efficiently and regularly issued; and WHEREAS, it has furthermore been so produced under a consistently high editorial standard; and WHEREAS, the character of the publication has been changed from that of a newsletter alone to that of a journal with additional varied information and lead articles pertinent to banding and results of banding studies in the West; and

WHEREAS, the latter improvement is now reflected in the name "Western Bird Bander", under which we now publish; and WHEREAS, the most worthwhile report of birds banded in the Western Province has been continued and the burden of publishing it greatly eased, as well as other articles illustrated, through the photographic and other expertise of one person;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Northern Cal ifornia Chapter of the Western Bird- Banding Association record its profound gratitude and sincere appreciation of the services of WILLIAM K. KIRSHER as editor for WBBA these past ten years.

Dr. Howard L. Cogswell, for Northern Cal if. Chapter of WBBA & Executive Council of WBBA.

On the night of August 25 and the morning of August 26, 1965, great numbers of dead shearwaters 1 were washed up onto the beach at Seacliff State Park, Aptos, Cal ifornia. None were found, however, at adjoining beach lit could not be determined from information given the author if there were species other than the Sooty. (Note: For the story of a previous encounter with shearwaters see "The Day the Shearwaters Landed" by Dorothy B. Hunt, in the January, 1962, issue of Western Bird Bander. Ed.) areas. A number of the dead birds were sent to the Department of Fish and Game, Monterey, but they were not delivered promptly as had been promised and Gene L. Gerdes, Wildlife Manager, reported that "No definite con- clusion could be reached by our laboratory regarding the cause of death of the birds. This was primarily due to their arrival at our lab in such a condition as to make diagnosis difficult. There was no evidence, however, that the ingested anchovies contributed to their death."

Mrs. Viola Anderson went to Seacliff Beach as soon as she heard about the situation and looked for bands on the dead birds. She found one, a New Zealand band, and wrote to the Dominion Museum. The following is a copy of the letter she received: Dominion Museum Wellington e.3. New Zealand October 18, 1965

Dear Mrs. Anderson: Thank you very much indeed for your interest in the Sooty Shearwater Z-230 found at Seacliff Beach. The bird was banded on 1.10.63 as an adult on Titi Island 400 53'S - 1740 10'E by Mr. B. D. Bell of our Wild- Iife Department. This was a particularly important recovery, being the first of this species from the American coast within our Banding Scheme.

Yours faithfully, e.J.R. Robertson Banding Officer

At our Spring meeting in 1959 a joint banding project by members of P.I.e. (Pacific International Chapter of W.B.B.A.) was discussed. The problem of finding a worthwhile project in which all members could participate was difficult. The logical solution seemed to Iie in mass, short-term banding. This naturally led our discussion to the colonial nesters such as cormorants, gulls, swallows, etc. Now the problem was to select a species in which band returns were regular and also one which, upon completion of the project, would be a contribution to bird- banding literature on the West Coast. Finally it was decided that our project should be centered around "The Dispersal and Movements of the Glaucous-winged Gull (Larus glaucescens)." Young gulls could easily be mass- banded in a relatively short time and disturbance and damage to the colony could be kept to a minimum.

Our project formally started in the summer of 1959. Since then thousands of young gulls have been banded. South of the "49th',' gull colonies on Colville Island, Hall Island, Protection Island and Viti Rocks have been banded. Northward, banding centered around Christie Islets, Mandarte Island, Mitlenatch Island and Snake Island.

As time passed returns started to come in. This was a regular but seemingly slow method of obtaining data. What we needed was numerous sight observations of live gulls by birders, hunters, fishermen, etc., as well as by banders. The pioneer method of band-reading by telescope, done by the late R. F. Oldaker of Vancouver and pre- sently carried out by Mrs. Schultz of Seattle, certainly is one way of adding data to our project, - but these enthusiastic people are few. The only solution which would result in reported mass sightings would be to color- mark the young gulls. Since this was a long-range project, we needed a lasting "identification" means of coloring. Plastic bandettes was the answer. 4 (January 1966) In 1963, under the sponsorship and administration of the Canadian Wildlife Service, a color-banding program for Glaucous-winged Gulls was initiated. Tabulated below is a brief summary of the color-banding scheme to date. NO. GULL COLONY YEAR COLOR BANDED

1963 Black 395 1964 White 359 1965 Blue 588 Total 1342

1964 Yellow 1500 1965 Red 1723 Total 3223

1964 Pink 398 1965 Green -.lQL Total 565

GRAND. TOTAL 5130

Returns as well as sight records have accumulated into a wealth of useful data. Members of P.I.C. are now faced with the task of compiling and analyzing this data. The termination of the project will be discussed at our Spring meeting with the hopes of publ ishing a paper.

Meanwhile, if readers of Western Bird Bander and other interested persons happen to notice gulls wearing colored plastic bandettes, - usually on the left tarsus, - we ask for their co-operation in reporting sightings to:

Canadian Wildlife Service 6660 S. W. Marine Drive Vancouver, B. C.

Please include the following information in your report: Color of bandette •• Date seen •• Place seen •• No.pf birds seen .• Reported by: Name •• Address ••

The 1966 Annual Meeting of the Western Bird-Banding Association will be held June 18-19 at Donner Lake State Park near Lake Tahoe. Our hosts, Ken and Florence Legg, are arranging a program that will indude a papers session (two papers have already been submitted), business meeting, and an informal get-together.

One of the highlights of the meeting will be the field trips into surrounding areas. Ken writes: "My wife and I have spent springs and summers seeking out nests in order that I might take pictures. In our seeking we have found a place near Donner that we consider best. It seems to be the prettiest, have more flowers, and abave all, more birds and more species. It is on Sagehen Creek. (The University of California experiment station is just upstream.)

"Nesting species of the area ••• (include) .•• Green-winged Teal, Goshawk, Yellow-bellied and William- son's Sapsuckers, Bank Swallow, Mountain Chickadee, Dipper (maybe I can have a convenient Dipper's nest), House Wren, Western and Mountain Bluebirds, Yellow Warbler, Green-tailed Towhee, and Chipping Sparrow. In the general area Thre.e-toed Woodpecker has been seen and could be discovered." Details regarding accommodations, schedule of the meeting, and directions for getting to the meeting-place will appear in the April issue of Western Bird Bander. A question has arisen regarding the advisability of baiting at Operation Recovery stations. It is assumed that banding at a particular location is a long-range project lasting for approximately the duration of heavy fall migration.

My initial reaction was in favor of baiting though personally I have never tried it during eight years of OR banding. It appeared that provision of various types of grain might be considered the equivalent of a bountiful natural food supply for those species that are attracted to such material. Presence of food and a goodly number of birds would certainly attract more migrants to the area and result in greater numbers in nets. Numbers would flucuate with passage of fronts and other weather conditions in a more or less normal pattern with the southward movement of migrants.

However, there would be an abnormal number of repeats, - birds that lingered because of abundant food. Un- less a pertinent study were being carried on, removal and recording of such repeats would serve no valuable purpose that occurs to me and would be wasteful of the bander's time and effort.

It seems that baiting or not baiting might depend somewhat on what studies are underway in connection with OR banding. The original purpose, that of banding birds at one station and retrapping them at another point on their southward journey, was abandoned long ago as infeasible. Simply put, it did not work out and results were meager. Other projects such as bird population studies (what species are in an area), correlation of migration with passage of weather fronts, detailed examination of each bird and recording of statistics regarding age (such as by skull oss ifi cation), wei ght, wi ng length, para sites, etc., have replaced the earl ier objecti ves. Some of these studies are worthless unless conditions are normal in every respect. Others (such as collection of parasites, and population studies) would not be adversely affected by baiting.

Dr. Chandler S. Robbins, in charge of migratory non-gamebird studies and director of OR banding, gave me his views in a personal note from which I quote the following:

"We prefer not to have baiting at OR stations as this is likely to cause birds to remain in the vicinity of the station longer than they normally would. Also, it could affect weights of birds at stations where weights are being kept. "I think the answer to your question might depend on what type of baiting is done. For instance, I don't believe it would hurt at all to set up some dripping water adjacent to or between nets. On the other hand, if you net at a well-established feeding station, neither your daily catch nor your weights would be typical of conditions away from the banding station. This would be especially true in the case of permanent resident species and of birds returning to their winter territories. The adults that have been there in past years would go to the station immediately, and the age ratio of your birds would not be representative of that in surrounding areas. This would affect, of course, only those species that respond to the baiting."

Banding history for recovery data. Two aluminum bands, bearing the inscriptions, "SAG 1965840" and "SAG 1965879", were recovered from seagulls (questionable) late this summer (1965) off southern California. Bands and recovery data are currently in the custody of Leo Pinkas, 511 Tuna Street, Terminal Island, California 90731. Leo Pinkas, Marine Biologist Marine Resources Operations Cal if. St. Fisheries Lab. For our fortieth anniversary issue, it seemed appropriate that this department be devoted to recollections of those involved in editing the first volume of News from the Bird Banders, as our publication was then known. The late Mr. Harold Michener was co-editor (with Mr. Harlan Edwards); Mr. J. McB. Robertson was responsible for the Annual Reports.

MRS. HAROLD MICHENER, 418 North Hudson Ave., Pasadena, writes: "Bird-banding in the Los Angeles area, when we began, was under the guidance of Mr. J. Eugene Law. Mr. and Mrs. Law lived on the edge of Eaton Canyon and there he gave unstintingly of his time and knowledge to the small group of early banders. We were not a group of trained ornithologists. Mr. Law was convinced of the value of bird-banding as a method of study. We did, necessarily, have enough knowledge of the local birds to get the bander's license. The members of this group came from varying distances and represented locations from the ocean to the San Gabriel Mountains.

"Our banding group met one Sunday each month at different homes or, in good weather, in some bird-filled picnic area. We often had visitors and their comments were of great value. These might be Mr. George Willet or Dr. Bishop, well-known ornithologists, and our meetings were long and enthusiastic, lasting sometimes into the evening hours.

"Miss Helen S. Pratt of Eagle Rock was banding when we began. Her recent death was a reminder of summer afternoons in her garden and of many young students started in bird-study by her. Mr. and Mrs. Harlan H. Edwards also were banding and are now living in Seattle where she is a Councilwoman of the City and her husband is still in his engineering work. Miss Jessica Potter (she invented the Potter trap) and Miss Blanche Vignos did their banding in the heart of Los Angeles. The J. McB. Robertsons and J. A. Calders of Buena Park were in our group as was Mr. W. I. Allen, who had the love of natural history and accuracy of observation common in English students. The Laws were the center of all.

"Our home here is about three miles from Las Leyes where the Laws lived and we were more able to ask his help than were some of the more-distant banders; but our problems were the same, and I describe our place and work.

"Our lot of three-quarters of an acre had in the deep back yard a number of varieties of fruit trees, a few tall, old trees and increasing shrubbery as my husband's ill health made his recreation of gardening impossible. We were rather strictly limited and could not go far afield to trap and band. We therefore put all our effort on our common birds, easily trapped, to study their molt, plumage, rate of feather growth, color changes, - anything one could get by handling one bird sometimes hundreds of times. And any rare or, to us, unknown bird -- a phone call to the Law home and Mr. Law was here.

"Our traps were made by us entirely at first. They were always shown to the group, if effective, and often improvements were suggested.

"Food to attract birds was bought, although chance visitors helped often. A Humane Society employee pro- cured all the bread scraps from a large hotel and would bring us a sack at times. A sack of weed seed was a present and greatly liked; it was excellent bait but was soon to be forbidden by law - although the weeds in so small an area as ours were no problem. Crushed walnuts used for hog-feeding came in huge sacks at low cost but again the law forbad it. Peanut hearts at two cents a pound were long the regular ba it. The pri ce crept up, and at 17 cents a pound we abandoned it. Cull raisins from Fresno in ton or half-ton lots were now a favorite, until the day came that they were used for wine-making. Chick food was always available but is loved by English Sparrows, and we did not want overly many.

"For a time we deported California (Scrub) Jays until they were so few we missed them and relented. And Sharp-sh inned Hawks we deported and they rarely returned from even a few miles. "In our early time Mr. Lincoln was director of the banding in Washington. We knew and liked him, and our vi sits to Washington always included a stop at the banding office to see and know their problems and meet Mr. Lincoln again.

"Times change. Automobiles became so many that the long trip was too trying from more distant places. Death took its toll of old members and friends who had come. At last we had to give up our meetings. But the real center, - the life of the organization, - was now in the San Francisco Bay area. And Mr. Kirsher had the Western Bird Bander, as it was now called, well-established. There was not a ripple when we gave up.

"The whole new system, with netting being done and more strict supervision, produces wonderful results. It did not come into being spontaneously; it grew from a small beginning, and we were a part of it."

~rom MR. JOHN McB. ROBERTSON, 623 Sunset Oro, Paradise, Califo,: "My own involvement in bird-banding started soon after I recorded in The Condor of July, 1923, a short note entitled, "Recurrence of White-throated Sparrow in Orange County." Mr. J. Eugene Law was actively promoting bird-banding at that time, and he pointed out to me that if the bird that visited our premises in 1921 had been banded and the bird of 1923 captured we would have known if it were the same individual. So I joined the local bird-banding group and started attending the meetings of the Bird-Banding Chapter of the Cooper Ornithological Club.

"In December of 1924, I was one of a committee appointed to draw up a constitution for an organization of bird-banders to cover the whole "western province/' - the area not already covered by the eastern and inland associations. So, on Sunday, January 11, 1925, we held a meeting in Fowler Hall, Occidental College, Eagle Rock, California, our host being Dr. C. O. Esterly. Wright M. Pierce, the chairman of our committee of organization, presented the. proposed constitution, and after some discussion it was adopted and temporary officers were elected as follows: President - J. Eugene Law; Vice-President - Wright M. Pierce; Secretary - Mrs. Myrtle Edwards; Busi- ness Manager - Harold Michener. Members of the Council were: Miss Jessica A. Potter, Mrs. F. T. Bicknell, Mr. C. A. Barnes, Dr. Clifford Wood and myself. Thus was the W.B.B.A. born a year before News from the Bird Banders was first issued. And our local group became the Los Angeles Chapter of the W.B.B.A., although we maintained very close relations with the Cooper Club for a long time.

"As the annual reports of the banders came to me, I recorded from time to time the outstanding records that developed. When several Nuttall's White-crowned Sparrows that had been banded in the Puget Sound area were recovered in winter in California, - Nuttall's Sparrows were considered to be non-migratory, - Dr. Joseph Grinnell decided to investigate and asked for the loan of any study skins available. With the help of Wright Pierce, I was able to send a number of study skins to Berkeley. The outcome of the study was the naming by Dr. Grinnell of Zonotrichia leucophrys pugetensis and the confirmation of a migratory pattern of a northern group wintering south of a sedentary southern group.

"My days as an active bird-bander ended in 1930, when I started to help W. Lee Chambers with the business management of the Cooper Ornithological Club. This activity so occupied my leisure time that I no longer had time to attend to my traps. I have followed with great interest the growth of the W.B.B.A. and look forward to its continued growth beyond its first forty-one years."

AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY, OR THE NATURAL HISTORY OF BIRDS OF UNITED STATES, by Alexander Wilson, was published in nine volumes from 1808 through 1814. These are now rare old books; probably few complete sets are now in existence and only a scattering of broken sets, single volumes, or plates which have been removed from these books. The numerous plates were all hand colored, many of them being done by Alexander Wilson himself.

Mrs. John Lueshen, Wisner, Nebraska, is making an attempt to learn the whereabouts of the remaining books. Some of these are in publ ic Iibraries, others are privately owned. Anyone knowing where there are complete sets, single volumes, or plates from AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY by Alexander Wilson is requested to write to Mrs. John Lueshen, Wisner, Nebraska 68791. In connection with a research project concerned with the summer and year-round distribution of the Black- crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), I would like to solicit the help of persons in reporting sightings of specially marked birds. The birds under study will be marked in one or more of the following ways: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service numbered leg band, colored leg band, and/or leg streamer. Please observe carefully all birds of this species seen, and report the marked birds in the following manner:

1. Exact location of sighting: from nearest town, so that I can find the precise spot myself; or give range- township-section, etc.

5. Number of bands on legs, and colors of bands (if any), and if at all possible the number showing on the colored band (only if number was positively identified by the use of binoculars).

I am also interested in learning of the locations of all known Black-crowned Night Heron rookeries (nesting areas), their size, associated species, and age.

Mr. Robert C. Paul son, Jr. Graduate Student 2504 College St. Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613

These 671", long-nosed pi iers have holes bored in the jaws to fit standard band sizes, so as to make it quite easy to get a perfect fit. This avoids the danger of lapped bands, which may injure the leg if not corrected, and which are troublesome to remove even with good tools. There is a split pin on the top of the plier, which enables the user to open a bond evenly with one operation. A spring on the side of the plier provides tension to keep the opened bond in the plier while handling the bird. While new banders may welcome such pliers to increase their confidence in attaching the band, many experienced banders have shown interest in the pliers in order to handle birds more rapidly at peak times. One size will handle band sizes 0, 1, 1B and 1A (price $6.00); the other will handle band sizes 2 and 3 made of the hard alloy as well as the regular 2 and 3 bands (price $6.00). These prices include postage within the U.S. Orders should be sent to: Mr. Roger N. MacDonald 850 Main Street Lynnfield, Massachusetts 01940 HIGHLIGHTS OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING NOVEMBER 21, 1965

A motion was passed to name Mrs. Enid Austin as the representative of Western Bird-Banding Association at the International Ornithological Congress in 1966.

Mrs. Henn ingsen announced that Dorothy Hunt wi II do the compi ling of banders' reports for the annua I summary this year and Dr. John Davis will do the commentary.

A Nominating Committee, consisting of Emerson A. Stoner, Chairman, Dr. Howard L. Cogswell and Mrs. Enid Austin, was named to present a slate at the 1966 Annual Meeting next June.

A formal motion was made by William Kirsher, seconded by Dorothy Hunt, to accept the proposal outlined in Dr. Bergstrom's letter of October 14, 1965 (regarding representation for WBBA on the editorial staff of Bird-Banding magazine - Ed.), and to take the necessary steps to comply with the terms therein stated. Carried unanimously.

SUPPLIES FOR BIRD BANDERS, a list of names and addresses of manufacturers and/or distributors of traps, nets, pliers, scales, and other items needed by bird banders is available for ten cents (stamps accepted), plus a self-addressed stamped envelope. Send request to Mrs. John Lueshen, Secretary, Inland Bird Banding Association, Wisner, Nebraska 68791.

It is made of #16 gauge, welded wire, soldered for durability. The cell size is 6" wide, 8" high, 12" long. It is available in a bottomless design as well.

The tripping mechanism is the main feature of this trap, as it was designed to take birds as light as chickadees. (Jays, too.) A copper bait pan is available.

The trap, packed for shipping, weighs 3 pounds, F.O.B. Eugene, Oregon. Give the zip code #97401 at your post office, and they will give you the postal rate.

Made by Donald E. Payne Route 4 - Box 159A Eugene, Oregon 97401 WESTERN BIRD BANDER p. O.Box 94 Cave Creek. Arizona 85331 WESTERN BIRD BANDER

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING ...... •. .. 10 ANNUAL REPORT compiled by Dorothy B. Hunt. . .. 12 ROSTER OF REPORTING BANDERS · 19 TAGGED COWBIRDS...... · 22 COMMENTARY ON ANNUAL REPORT by John Davis . . 23 BIRD-BANDING AT ZION NATIONAL PARK by Roland H. Wauer • 24 REVIEW: BIRDS OF ZION NATIONAL PARK AND VICINITY · 26

Address aU correspondence for the Western Bird Bander to Mrs. Eleanor Radke, P.O. Box 94, Cave Creek, Arizona 85331. Membership correspondence should go to Mr. Ken Kegg, Business Manager, D. L. Bliss State Park, Homewood, California.

The Annual Meeting of the Western Bird-Banding Association will be held June 18 and 19, 1966, at Donner Memor'ial State Park on Route 40 near Truckee, California. This Park is located in the Canadian Life Zone of the Sierras; it is a dramatically scenic setting, rich in bird life. Ken and Florence Legg will be our hosts.

Saturday morning: Field trip led by Dr. Howard Cogswell, starting at 8: 00 a. m. , to get acquainted with the birds and other natural history of the area. Nesting birds include Green-winged Teal, Goshawk, Yellow-bellied and Williamson's Sapsuckers, Bank Swallow, Mountain Chickadee, Dipper, House Wren, Western and Mountain Bluebirds, Yellow Warbler, Green- tailed Towhee, and Chipping Sparrow.

Saturday afternoon: Informal discussions of banding problems; exhibits; social get-together.

Saturday evening: Pot-luck dinner, followed by a talk on the Donner Party by the Park Ranger, and a showing of members' slides.

Sunday morning: Short field trip for early risers. Program of papers on banding activities and related subjects.

Sunday noon: Dinner ($2.75) at Donner Lake Lodge. Business meeting. Adjournment. The Lake View Motel, Box 936, Truckee, Califom ia, has seven units, four with kitchens. Rates are $6.00 for one bed; $8.00 for two beds. Units with kitchens are $1.00 more.

Members are urged to bring slides of their banding activities, to participate in the discussions, and to present a paper on some aspect of their banding activities.

There will be provIsIon for selling bird-banding supplies at the meeting. Anyone having items to sell, - on a consignment basis, if desired, - should make arrangements through the Editor.

It is necessary, particularly for dinner reservations, that our hosts know how many banders will attend. Please return the enclosed registration form by May 31 to Mr. Ken Legg, D. L. Bliss State Park, Homewood, California. Further details of the meeting will be sent to those responding.

If you live in California, Oregon, Washington or southwestern British Columbia and can attract American Goldfinches (Spinus tristis) to your banding site, you may be able to make a significant contribution to a project now underway.

Since 1958, Tom Balch of Glenn, California, has banded more than 5,000 American Goldfinches in an effort to verify an apparent pattern in their movements. Mr. Balch would now like to enlist the aid of banders in the above- mentioned areas in gathering more data for his study. He has had eight foreign recoveries from this region but none were from banders.

Anyone who feels that he can help on this project IS urged to write to Mr. Tom Balch, Box 95, Glenn, California 95947.

From MR. CHANDLER ROBBINS at Midway Island in the Pacific: "We have had many thousands of returns, some of 32-year old Laysan Albatrosses. "

From Santa Cruz, California, MR. HARRY R. SMITH writes: "I have banded six Hooded Orioles in the past three years, which is of no particular interest, but the method of trapping may be. When the birds fed, or attempted to feed, from the perch on my hummingbird feeder, I placed the feeder inside a Potter trap and captured them."

A note from TOM E. BALCH, Glenn, California: "Together with 871 goldfinches banded in 1965 were 42 returns, two dating back to 1960. Also, there were two foreign recoveries, from Agassiz and Murrayville, B. C . " An analysis of bird-banding reports for the year 1965 within the area of the Western Bird-Banding Association, compiled by Dorothy B. Hunt.

Yukon, Wash. Idaho Nevada Wyo- Ariz. Hawaii, B. C.& and and and ming, and Mex- Pacific Alberta are. Mont. Utah Colo. N.Mex. ico Islands

Horned Grebe 1 5 6 Eared Grebe 1 2 3 Western Grebe 1 1 2 Pied-billed Grebe 2 1 1 4 ~'Fork-tailed Petrel 40 40 Leach's Petrel 1,507 1,507 Ashy Petrel 425 425 Red-tailed Tropicbird 1 754 1 754 White Pelican 1,475 875 452 64 2,866 Brown Pelican 1 1 Double-crested Corm. 36 23 59 Brandt's Cormorant 5 5 Pelagic Cormorant 1 1 Great Blue Heron 12 37 114 163 Common Egret 112 100 212 Snowy Eqret 7 1 39 47 Black-ern. Niaht Heron 9 14 12 35 American Bittern 1 1 Whistlinq Swan 1 1 Trumpeter Swan 30 30 Canada Goose 695 10 426 942 1 417 1 324 1 923 6 737 Black Brant 2 045 2 045 White-fronted Goose 483 483 Snow Goose 1 088 773 85 1,946 Ross Goose 13 7 20 Mallard 2,203 8,357 10,386 2,341 1,162 11 ,755 35 36,239 Mexican Duck 98 98 Black Duck 2 2 Gadwall 127 86 56 1 61 151 482 Pintail 1 915 2 559 1 482 3 888 536 1,562 8 2 10,953 Green-winged Teal 303 501 190 1 545 122 236 629 3,520 Blue-winqed Teal 1 236 7 1 168 4 5 1.283 1,866 5,569 Cinnamon Teal 166 57 299 186 18 85 811 Blue wqd. &/or Cinn. 126 39 62 65 65 357 American Widaeon 25 90 1 635 132 1 484 84 167 3 617 European Widqeon 5 5 Shoveler 82 8 21 43 154 Wood Duck 279 6 1 7 293 Redhead 1 11':: 82 420 101 1 447 289 2,453 Ring-necked Duck 2 7 15 2 19 45 Canvasback 112 14 11 11 78 15 3 244 Greater Scaup 139 17 156 Lesser Scaup 3.894 77 6 26 102 124 48 4,277 Common Goldeneye 10 3 1 4 18 Barrow's Goldeneye 301 7 308 Bufflehead 96 1 1 1 99 Oldsquaw 404 404 Surf Scoter 1 1 Ruddv Duck 2 9 1 136 148 Hooded Merganser 3 1 4 White-tailed Kite 4 4 Sharp-shinned Hawk 4 5 5 11 1 26 Cooner's Hawk 1 14 1 2 18 Red-tailed Hawk 4 51 4 4 63 Swainson's Hawk 3 2 1 6 Red,.shouldered Hawk 1 6 7 Ferruqinous Hawk 16 10 ~b Golden Eagle 1 14 13 28 Marsh Hawk 3 ~ 1 6 Prairie Falcon 1 43 1 45 Peregrine Falcon 3 3 Pigeon Hawk 9 9 'Sparrow Hawk 49 10 2 106 2 22 3 194 Willow Ptarmigan 245 245 Saqe Grouse 200 200 California Quail 132 27 7 166 Gambel's Quail 2 2 5 9 Sandhill Crane 1 83 84 Virginia Rail 1 1 13 (April 1966)

Yukon, Wash. Idaho Nevada Wyo- Ariz. Hawaii, B.C.& and and and ming, and Mex- Pacific Species Alaska Alberta Ore. Mont. Calif. Utah Colo. N.Mex. ico Islands Total

Sora Rail 1 1 2 American Coot 73 151 43 57 130 454 Black Ovstercatcher 2 2 Semipalmated Plover 1 42 43 Snowy Plover 19 2 21 Killdeer 14 16 23 6 3 62 American Golden Plover 62 62 Black-bellied Plover 1 1 Ruddy Turnstone 3 561 3 561 Black Turnstone 2 2 Common Snipe 1 1 2 Spotted Sandpiper 3 4 3 1 2 13 Solitary Sandpiper 1 1 Willet 3 4 1 8 Greater Yellowleqs 2 1 3 Lesser Yellowlegs 1 4 5 Pectoral Sandpiper 6 3 9 Least Sandpiper 255 255 Dunlin 72 72 Short-billed Dowitcher 66 66 Long-bi1led Dowitcher 3 2 5 Western Sandpiper 16 892 908 Marbled Godwit 3 5 8 Sanderling 3 3 American Avocet 4 14 18 Black-necked Stilt 12 12 Wilsonls Phalarope 2 5 1 8 Northern Phalarope 168 1 169 Glaucous-winaed Gull 2 621 3 501 1 6.123 Western Gull 690 690 California Gull 1 102 914 200 854 3 070 Ring-billed Gull 1.694 48 405 81 2 228 Franklin1s Gull 538 538 Bonaparte1s Gull 24 24 Forster1s Tern 3 222 225 Sootv Tern 333 122 333 122 Least Tern 25 25 Eleqant Tern 32 32 Caspian Tern 247 247 Pigeon Guil1emot 3 3 Cassin1s Auklet 90 90 Band-tailed Piqeon 675 771 1 28 1 475 White-winged Dove 2 2 250 2 252 Mourninq Dove 607 3 243 3.960 4 033 24 11 961 23 828 Spotted Dove 6 6 Ground Dove 4 4 Inca Dove 47 47 Roadrunner 2 1 3 Barn Owl 13 10 1 87 111 Screech Owl 4 7 1 6 1 19 Flammulated Owl 1 1 Horned Owl 4 7 9 2 2 8 32 Snowy Owl 15 15 Pygmy Owl 1 3 4 Burrowing Owl 82 82 Long-eared Owl 3 3 Short-eared Owl 141 9 2 152 Saw-whet Owl 5 1 6 Poor-wil1 1 5 3 9 Common Niqhthawk 1 10 8 19 White-throated Swift 2 2 Black-chnd. Humminqbd. 1 6 44 51 Costals Hummingbird 13 13 Annals Humminabird 40 1 41 Broad-tailed Humminqbd. 18 3 21 Rufous Hummingbird 2 15 2 4 7 30 Allenls Humminqbird 3 3 Calliooe Humminabird 2 2 Rivolils Humminqbird 50 50 Blue-throated Humminabd 16 16 Belted Kingfisher 1 1 Yellow-shafted Flicker 1 1 ;,: (April 1966) 14

Yukon, Wash. Idaho Nevada Wyo- Ariz. Hawaii, B.C. &- and and and ming, and Mex- Pacific Species Alaska Alberta Oreg. Mont. Calif. Utah Colo. N.Mex. lCO Islands Total

Red-shafted Flicker 2 12 11 64 16 30 3 138 Hybrid Flicker 1 2 1 5 9 Pileated Woodpecker 3 3 Gila Woodpecker 1 5 6 Acorn Woodpecker 2 35 1 38 Lewis' Woodpecker 2 2 Yellow-beld. Sapsucker 2 1 19 16 9 5 52 Williamson's Sapsucker 1 4 5 Hairy Woodpecker 2 6 2 4 2 11 2 29 Downy Woodpecker 1 3 14 17 4 29 68 Ladder-backed Woodpkr. 2 1 3 Nuttall's Woodpecker 9 9 White-headed Woodokr. 1 7 8 Eastern Kingbird 2 12 14 Western Kinabird 3 3 3 10 1 20 Ash-thr. Flycatcher 3 5 4 12 Black Phoebe 25 3 1 29 Say's Phoebe 3 9 6 1 1 20 Traill's Flycatcher 23 6 14 7 12 2 15 79 Least Flycatcher 28 10 13 51 Hammond's Flycatcher 6 2 1 1 6 16 Dusky Flycatcher 1 3 1 2 17 5 4 33 Gray Flycatcher 1 1 2 Western Flycatcher 6 122 16 13 157 Empidonax sP.? 3 5 124 4 7 4 147 Western Wood Pewee 3 7 3 41 22 40 8 124 Olive-sided Flycatcher 2 5 1 3 11 Horned Lark 35 3 15 3 56 Violet-green Swallow 4 1 39 1 5 41 96 187 Tree Swallow 8 47 15 2 4 15 91 Bank Swallow 50 1,018 1 068 Rough-winged Swallow 4 55 59 Barn Swallow 10 56 11 53 9 17 2 158 Cliff Swallow 14 21 526 148 709 Purple Martin 139 139 Gray Jay 8 3 2 11 24 Blue Jay 21 21 Steller's Jay 10 36 1 23 11 78 3 162 Scrub Jay. 30 85 19 20 12 166 Mexican Jay 4 4 Black-billed Magpie 2 13 57 164 236 Yellow-billed Magpie 1 1 Common Raven 1 1 2 Common Crow 3 2 1 6 Pinon Jay 31 31 Clark's Nutcracker 1 1 2 Black-capped Chickadee 15 108 77 17 106 323 Mountain Chickadee 7 105 21 35 22 190 Boreal Chickadee 9 9 Chestnut-bkd. Chickadee 1 17 100 118 Plain Titmouse 4 74 5 10 93 Verdin 5 1 74 80 Common Bushtit 36 93 2 131 White-brstd. Nuthatch 9 41 5 1 56 Red-breasted Nuthatch 14 7 4 7 32 Pygmy Nuthatch 1 45 1 5 5 57 Brown Creeper 5 2 2 1 10 Wrentit 69 69 Dipper 17 17 House Wren 1 5 9 6 3 20 44 Winter Wren 7 10 4 21 Bewick's Wren 1 12 39 2 2 56 Cactus Wren 1 104 1 106 Long-bId. Marsh Wren 2 3 5 Canyon Wren 1 1 Rock Wren 2 2 Mockingbird 131 2 1 9 143 Catbird 3 1 11 15 30 Brown Thrasher 2 9 11 Bendire's Thrasher 8 8 Curve-billed Thrasher 71 1 72 California Thrasher 5 5 Crissal Thrasher 5 5 15 (April 1966)

Yukon, Wash. Idaho Nevada Wyo- Ariz. Hawaii, B.C. & and and and ming, and Mex- Pacific Species Alaska Alberta Oreg. Mont. Calif. Utah Colo. N.Mex. ico Islands Total

Sage Thrasher 1 4 13 18 Robin 22 60 355 42 90 62 175 24 830 Varied Thrush 1 5 23 29 Hermit Thrush 6 8 2 121 11 11 18 177 Swainson's Thrusp. 25 19 12 17 294 9 43 419 Veerv 5 4 6 15 Western Bluebird 26 61 7 1 2 97 Mountain Bluebird 49 5 27 81 Townsend's Solitaire 5 2 3 2 12 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3 1 4 Blk. -tail. Gnatcatcher 1 1 Golden-crnd. Kinalet 12 12 Rubv-crowned Kinalet 5 4 12 3 181 33 23 21 1 283 Water Pipit 2 13 5 20 Cedar Waxwing 41 6 55 304 12 5 10 433 Phainopepla 1 4 1 6 Northern Shrike 1 1 1 2 5 Loggerhead Shrike 5 2 35 17 3 9 71 Starling 15 1,647 14 1,690 335 7,732 167 11,600 Hutton's Vireo 18 18 Solitary Vireo 1 1 15 7 2 2 28 Red-eyed Vireo 29 1 9 39 Warbling Vireo 2 17 1 108 31 20 5 184 Tennessee Warbler 137 1 2 1 141 Orange-crnd. Warbler 14 37 15 2 346 10 29 26 479 Nashville Warbler 3 2 103 5 1 3 117 Virainia Warbler 1 4 21 19 22 67 Yellow Warbler 113 20 224 16 218 64 29 3 687 Myrtle Warbler 33 19 9 6 237 3 16 1 324 Audubon's Warbler 3 49 58 748 414 104 151 2 1.529 Blk. -thrt. Gray Warbler 3 25 5 5 38 Townsend's Warbler 1 3 138 4 9 155 Hermit Warbler 1 35 36 Blackpoll Warbler 10 77 1 2 1 91 Ovenbird 5 3 2 10 Northern Waterthrush 11 5 1 1 2 7 3 2 32 MacGillivray's Warbler 1 40 3 24 23 21 18 130 Yellowthroat 1 19 2 31 10 9 72 Yellow-breasted Chat 2 8 31 8 6 55 Wilson's Warbler 5 26 22 4 499 20 180 32 788 American Redstart 27 1 8 1 5 42 House Sparrow 1 88 51 714 26 213 1,093 Western Meadowlark 3 3 20 39 4 69 Yellow-head. Blackbird 10 347 47 29 438 216 1 1 088 Redwinged Blackbird 36 273 37 722 123 7 296 e.'!87 Tricolored Blackbird 864 864 Hooded Oriole 15 1 2 18 Scott's Oriole 1 1 23 25 Baltimore Oriole 4 5 1 10 Bullock's Oriole 3 23 27 101 222 25 16 417 Brewer's Blackbird 17 281 23 289 141 21 1 773 Common Grackle 1 3 499 503 Brown-headed Cowbird 4 39 13 2 684 216 65 14 3.035 Bronzed Cowbird 1 1 Western Tanaqer 6 24 13 274 613 80 20 1,030 Cardinal 3 32 1 36 Pvrrhuloxia 4 2 6 Black-headed Grosbeak 2 10 92 86 30 57 277 Blue Grosbeak 3 9 1 2 15 Lazuli Buntinq 4 5 13 37 109 288 2 458 Evening Grosbeak 143 3 32 1 179 Purple Finch 7 46 231 10 294 Cassin's Finch 1 8 7 20 7 42 1 86 House Finch 199 1.608 39 3 890 124 1.547 59 7 466 Pine Grosbeak 2 2 4 Grav-crn. Rosy Finch 3 144 147 Hoary Redpoll 44 44 Common Redpoll 163 5 168 Pine Siskin 20 27 5 315 7 375 41 790 American Goldfinch 3 181 26 1 072 13 19 1 314 Lesser Goldfinch 2 195 2 11 37 247 Lawrence's Goldfinch 7 7 Yukon, Wash. Idaho Nevada Wyo- Ariz. Hawaii, B.C. f1 and and and ming, and Mex- Pacific Alaska Alberta. Oreg. Mont. Utah Colo. N.Mex. ico Islands

Red Crossbill 45 4 1 50 Green-tailed Towhee 3 39 67 19 5 133 Rufous-sided Towhee 9 143 2 138 73 251 18 1 635 Brown Towhee 1 197 14 1 213 Abert's Towhee 1 . 4 5 Lark Buntinq 1 6 383 390 Savannah Sparrow 24 1 17 27 345 4 34 9 461 Grasshopper Sparrow 18 18 Baird's Sparrow 1 1 2 Vesper Sparrow 3 1 10 40 54 Lark Sparrow 1 62 99 12 174 Rufous-winqed Sparrow 46 46 Rufous-crn. Sparrow 1 2 3 Black-throat. Sparrow 1 1 2 4 Saqe Sparrow 34 34 White-winged Junco 23 23 Slate-colored Junco 56 57 3 9 1 18 127 271 Oregon Junco 161 37 962 104 1.409 954 1 902 139 5,668 Gray-headed Junco 9 2 1 534 508 314 1.368 Junco (sp.?) 2 2 Tree Sparrow 70 56 38 1 519 684 Chipping Sparrow 18 14 10 54 128 678 58 10 970 Clay-colored Sparrow 1 3 3 7 Brewer's Sparrow 1 5 8 7 25 1 47 Harris' Sparrow 1 1 1 6 9 White-crowned Soarrow 212 27 102 95 3 837 392 680 215 6 5.566 Golden-crown. Sparrow 6 16 123 1 458 8 1 1 612 White-throated Sparrow 34 6 3 8 2 2 55 Fox Sparrow 20 10 38 9 136 2 215 Lincoln's Sparrow 14 16 3 1 72 44 83 9 3 245 Sonq Sparrow 2 28 291 16 425 42 82 27 4 917 Lapland Longspur 1 131 1 133 Snow Bunting 5 5

AreticLoon 1 1 Black-footed Albatross 4.700 4 700 Laysan Albatross 32 669 32,669 Wedqe-tailed Shearwater 19.366 19 366 Christmas Is. Shearwater 1,112 1 112 Newell's Shearwater 25 25 Audubon's Shearwater 324 324 Dark-rumped Petrel 2 2 Phoenix Is. Petrel 2.96~ 2 969 Bonin Is. Petrel 6.542 6,542 Bulwer's Petrel 44 44 White-thr. Storm Petrel 226 226 Sootv Storm Petrel 166 166 White-tald. Tropicbird 3 3 Blue-faced Booby 3,064 3,064 Brown Booby 627 627 Red-footed Booby 4,381 4,381 Great Friqatebird 1.326 1,326 Mallard/Pintail X . 1 1 Laysan Teal 25 25 Broad-winqed Hawk 1 1 Lesser Prairie Chicken 70 70 Mountain Plover 63 63 Bristle-thiqhed Curlew 30 30 Wandering Tattler 1 18 19 Rock Sandpiper 8 8 Sharp-tailed Sandpiper 4 4 Ruff 1 1 Pomarine Jaeqer 1 1 Red-legged Kittiwake 1 1 ':

Fairv Tern 1 340 1.340 Black-billed Cuckoo 1 1 Red-headed WoodDecker 1 1 Wied's Flvcatcher 1 1 Northwestern Crow 1 1 Bridled Titmouse 1 1 Gray-cheeked Thrush 7 1 8 Aretic Warbler 5 5 Yellow Waatail 5 5 PhiiadelDhia Vireo 4 5 2 11 Black & White Warbler 4 1 5 *Prothonotarv Warbler 1 1 *Worm-eating Warbler 1 1 Lucy's Warbler 4 4 Parula Warbler 1 1 Magnolia Warbler 17 1 18 *Cape May Warbler 4 4 Myrtle/Audubon's X 1 1 Black-thr. Green Warb. 1 1 2 Chestnut-sided Warbler 1 1 Bay-breasted Warbler 4 4 *Pine Warbler 1 1 Palm Warbler 1 2 3 ~'Connecticut Warbler 1 1 2 *MourninC/ Warbler 8 8 *Red-faced Warbler 3 3 *Canada Warbler . 2 2 Painted Redstart 1 1 Summer Tanager 2 1 3 Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1 1 2 Indigo Bunting 2 2 Indigo/ Lazuli X 2 2 'C ass In s SDarrow Q q Mexican Junco 4 4 Field Sparrow 1 1 Swamp Sparrow 1 2 3

I 384 SPECIES I 9,1521 9,660 131,1521 23,8941 51,689115,986 144,505119,858 I 39 1429,833 1635,768 I

Henry E. Childs 332 Marlowe Drive Oakland, California 94605 Paul W. Colburn 278C Avenida Carmel Laguna Hills, California 92653 Aden L. Gokay Canaan, New York 12029 John Q. Hines Box 584 Dorris, California 96023 Loring M. Jones 1546 Borah Ave. Moscow, Idaho 83843 Albert Mozejko 117 N. 35th St. Corvalis, Oregon Pacific Project Room.601W, Museum of Natural Hist., Smithsonian Institution Washington, D. C. 20560 Mrs. J. A. Roberts Box 1268 Williams Lake, British Columbia, Dr. Stephen M. Russell Dept. of Zoology Canada University of Arizona Tucson, Arizona 85721 Loiel S. Ryan 307 Riverwood Kittle Falls, Minn. 56345 Fred Charles Sibley 1013 Sunset Place Ojai, California Walton A. Smith P.O. Box 625 Gridley, California W. L. Swearingen 663 Augustine Lane Lafayette, California Robert P. Yunick 1527 Myron St. Schenectady, New York 12309 Mourning Do"e Hiko , Nevada 08/14/64 Tepoztlan Morelos, Mexico 04/19/65 G. H. Wilson Mourning Dove Mercury, Nevadi;l 07/11/61 Visalia, California 09/01/64 M. Killpack Mourning Dove Mercury, Nevada 06/18/61 Salt Lake City, Utah 09/ /64 M. Killpack Short-eared Owl Vancouver Airport 09/02/64 Grand Coulee, Wash. 04/17/65 W. M. Hughes Short-eared Owl Released 4 mi. south 09/02/64 Palmsdale, California 11/ /65 W. M. Hughes Scrub Jay Paradise, California 08/03/60 Paradise, California 06/25/65 M. Elmore Mockingbird Benicia, California 10/12/63 San Rafael, California 04/ /65 M. Elmore Mockingbird B~nicia, CaJifornia 11/07/64 Alameda, California 03/23/65 E. Stoner Robin Benicia, California 09/07/61 Pleasant Hill, California 03/12/65 E. Stoner Cedar Waxwing Benicia, California 02/26/64 Orinda, California 04/ /64 M. Elmore Cedar Waxwing Benicia, California 12/23/61 Salem, Oregon 08/ /65 E. Stoner Cedar Waxwing Benicia, California 02/18/64 Grass Valley, California 02/25/65 E. Stoner Cedar Waxwing Benicia, California 02/21/64 Modesto, California 04/06/65 E. Stoner Cedar Waxwing Medicine Lake, Montana 06/01/65 Havre, Montana 06/ /65 Medicine Lake (260 mi. west) NWR Starling Pl'OVO, Utah 02/16/64 Idaho Falls, Idaho 04/ /65 M. Killpack Starling Eureka, Nevada 01/07/64 Evuns, New York 03/ /65 A. Bia:le Redwinged Williams Lake, British 06/07/65 Renelstoke, B. C. Blackbird Columbia (300 mi. distant) 06/ /65 A. Roberts Cardinal Longmont, Colorado 01/27/60 Rockport, Texas 03/31/65 A. Collister House Finch El Monte, California 12/26/64 N. Burbank, California 03/04/65 A. Felt Oregon Junco Boise, Idaho 02/01/64 Williams Lake, B. C . 04/30/65 A. Roberts (Band No. observed on live bird) Oregon Junco 03/29/65 Prince George, B. C. 04/ /65 Gambel's W-c Sparrow 05/06/64 04/12/65

Downy Woodpecker W. Plum Creek, Colorado 09/05/64 10/29/65 C.H. & M.O. Snyder Eastern Kingbird Medicine Lake, Montana 07/02/64 05/19/65 Medicine Lake NWR Black-cap. Chickadee Longmont, Colorado 05/08/61 09/21/65 Allegra Collister Black-cap. Chickadee Ogden, Utah 10/06/62 01/18/64 Merlin Killpack Mountain Chickadee Idyllwild, California 07/01/60 09/12/65 Arthur C . Felt Chestnut-bk. Chickadee Santa Cruz, California 03/24/60 03/12/65 Harry R. Smith Catbird Medicine Lake, Montana 06/30/64 07/11/65 Medicine Lake NWR Audubon1s Warbler Santa Cruz, California 12/04/60 01/08/66 Harry R. Smith Audubon's Warbler Sacramento, California 01/15/61 01/20/65 Muriel Kaminsky Brewer1s Blackbird Benicia, California 02/11/59 12/04/64 Emerson Stoner Cassin's Finch Colorado Springs, Colorado 04/09/64 03/18/65 R. G. Beidleman House Finch Escondido, CaHfornia 11/23/62 06/17/65 Fred Gallup House Finch Ogden, Utah 12/24/63 05/08/65 Merlin Killpack House Finch Santa Maria, California 11/04/61 02/19/65 George Lakata House Finch Santa Maria, California 11/01/61 04/11/65 George Lakata Rufous-sided Towhee Blaine, Washington 12/12/58 06/29/65 Lucile Kline Slate-colored Junco Longmont, Colorado 11/07/62 11/12/65 Allegra Collister Oregon Junco Longmont, Colorado 10/26/61 10/11/65 Allegra Collister Oregon Junco Ogden, Utah 01/19/63 11/27/65 Merlin Killpack Oregon Junco Sacramento, California 12/06/63 01/31/65 Muriel Kaminsky White-cr. Sparrow Longmont, Colorado 11/29/62 02/09/65 Allegra Collister White-cr. Sparrow Whittier, California 01/06/60 04/07/65 Arthur Felt White-cr. Sparrow Benicia, California 03/13/60 04/10/65 Emerson Stoner White-cr. Sparrow Escondido, California 12/11/59 01/21/65 Fred Gallup (36 repeats) White-cr. Sparrow Sacramento, California 03/10/60 01/19/65 M. Kaminsky (also 1963) White-cr. Sparrow Santa Maria, California 12/15/61 03/14/65 George Lakata White-cr. Sparrow Santa Barbara, California 11/03/59 11/28/65 Joseph Kittredge Golden-cr. Sparrow Benicia, California 11/03/59 03/28/65 Emerson Stoner Golden-cr. Sparrow Santa Cruz, California 10/15/59 01/25/66 Harry R. Smith Golden-cr. Sparrow Santa Barbara, California 12/26/60 02/13/65 Joseph Kittredge

Nevada Fish and Game Commission, P. O. Box 678, Reno, Nevada: 9 species, 1,750 birds: Mallard 418, Gadwall 3, Pintail 262, Green-winged Teal 947, Cinnamon Teal 30, American Widgeon 55, Shoveler 1, Redhead 4, American Coot 30. Edward C. Channing, 1101 Sierra Drive, Turlock, Calif.: 1 species, 21 birds: Mourning Dove 21. SUMMARY REPORT OF INDIVIDUAL BANDERS (1965) (225 Responding Banders)

....§ll... No • Adamson, Harry & Betty 995 Carol Lane Lafayette, California 94549 1 2 Anderson, Anders 3221 E. Kleindale Rd. Tucson, Arizona 85716 2 106 Argante, Mrs. A. J. 4970 Walnut Ave. Sacramento, California 95841 4 52 Arizona Coop. Wildlife Research Unit University of Arizona Tucson, Arizona 1 1.495 Arizona Game & Fish 105 State Off. Bldg. Phoenix, Arizona 85007 2 8,111 Armitage, James H. 3226 Dianora Dr. Palos Verdes Peninsula, 4 11 Balch, T. E. P.O. Box 95 Glenn, California 95943 9 997 Bawden, Eugene D. 908 8th Ave. Safford, Arizona 5 10 Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge P.O. Box 459 Brigham City, Utah 84302 1 504 Beidleman, Dr. R. G. Colorado College Colorado Springs, Colorado 14 548 Biale, Arthur Box 248 Eureka, Nevada 89316 38 1,078 Birchett, Mrs. J. T. 202 E. 7th St. Tempe, Arizona 7 32 Bitter Lake N. W. R. P.O. Box 7 Roswell, New Mexico 88201 25 926 Blankenship, Dr. L. Rt. 8, Box 565 Tucson, Arizona 3 1,005 Bleitz, Don 5334 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood, California 90027 27 109 Bosque del Apache N. W•R . P.O. Box 1 San Antonio, New Mexico 87832 6 1,249 Bowdoin N.W.R. P.O. Box J Malta, Montana 59538 26 2,702 Bradley, Dorothy M. 1848 Mathers Ave. West Vancouver, B. C. 16 377 Brechbill, Ray A. 3769 E. Wyoming St. Las Vegas, Nevada 89104 1 100 Brockner, Mrs. W.W. RR 2, Box 140 Evergreen, Colorado 80439 20 91 Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife (Alaska) 210 Admiral Way Juneau, Alaska 99801 13 7,725 Buttery, Robert F. 33 Starling Court Walnut Creek, California 94598 2 3 California Fish & Game 1416 Ninth St. Sacramento, California 95814 6 7,429 Camas N.W.R. Hamer, Idaho 83425 6 1,138 Campbell, R. W. 5536 Hardwick St. Burnaby 2, B.C., Canada 14 1,978 Channing, C. Howard Box 666 Clear Lake, Washington 20810 6 32 Cogswell, Dr. Howard L. 1548 East Ave. Hayward, California 94541 15 240 Cohen, S. F. 9967 Parkinson Ave. Whittier, California 5 122 Collier, Gerald San Diego State College San Diego, California 92115 2 4 Collister, Allegra 706 Hover Street Longmont, Colorado 80501 127 3,943 Colorado Game, Fish & Parks P.O. Box 567 Ft. Collins, Colorado 80521 12 7,719 Columbia N.W.R. P.O. Box 1465 Othello, Washington 99344 6 543 Combs, Donald M. P.O. Box 712 Lewistown, Montana 59457 8 1,063 Coppersmith, Michael M. 5001 E. Ocean Blvd. Long Beach, California 90803 1 100 Craig, Alan M. 712 Tarento Dr. San Diego, California 92106 123 3,633 Crenshaw, Dr. Fred 5151 N.W. Cornell Rd. Portland, Oregon 97210 15 113 C rom well, James S. 511 N.W. Broadway Portland, Oregon 97209 2 372 Crowley, Lawrence D. 756 19th Street Boulder, Colorado 3 8 Curtis, Mrs. Vee K. 2255 Floral Ave. Chico, California 95926 1 6 Davis, Dr. John Hastings Reservation Carmel Valley, California 5 313 Deer Flat N.W.R. Rt. 1, Box 335 Nampa, Idaho 83651 ' 6 402 DeLong, Richard Box 278 Shenandoah, Iowa 44 338 Desert Game Range (Charles G. Hansen) 1500 N. Q.ecator Blvd. Las Vegas, Nevada 891.08 43 1,533 Diem, Kenneth L. University of Wyoming Laramie, Wyoming 1 740 Dubois, Henry M. Rt. 1, Box 370 Clackamas, Oregon 97015 2 14 Edmunds, Dr. Jane 411 S. Baker St., P.O. Box 111 McMinnville, Oregon 2 8 Edwards, Dr. E.P. Sweet Briar, Virginia 2 7 Elems, Stan W. P.O. Box 4021, Kearny Sta. Modesto, California 95352 15 983 Elmore, Marjorie M. 922 Riley Drive Albany, California 94706 13 44 Elshoff, Cal Rt. I, Box 326 Bend, Oregon 97701 7 17 Enderson, Dr. J.H. Zoology Dept., Colorado College Colorado Springs, Colo., 80903 4 13 Erickson, Dr. Mary M. 3505 Foothill Rd. Santa Barbara, California 93105 14 158 Erpino, Michael J. Dept. Zoology, University of Wyoming Laramie, Wyoming 1 135 Felt, Arthur C. 617 N. Newlin Ave. Whittier, California 90601 43 758 Feltes, Charles H. 437 Myrtle Ave. Modesto, California 95350 50 2,424 Ferris, Reed W. 941 S. 13th East St. Salt Lake City, Utah 84105 12 79 Finlay, J.C. Site 9, RR 7 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada 3 179 Fish Springs N. W. R • Dugway, Utah 84022 8 434 Flavin, John W., Jr. 4696 N. Zediker Ave. Sanger, California 93657 12 145 Freeman, George (Ducks Unlimited) Strathmore, Alberta, Canada 6 158 Galicz, George 13281 60th Ave. RR 4 N. Surrey, B.C., Canada 1 3 Gallup, Fred N., Sr. 142 W. 6th Ave. Escondido, California 92025 18 423 Gammell, Dr. & Mrs. Robt T. (Banded in Montana) Kenmore, North Dakota 1 750 Gehlert, R. E. 12155 96th St. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada 4 71 Genelly, Dr. Richard Humboldt State College Arcata, California 1 32 Greenberg, D. A. 2830 Carson Way Sacramento, California 95821 26 245 Guarino, Joseph L. Denver Wildlife Research Denver, Colorado 18 Center, Bldg. 45, Fed.Cent. Guild, Eugene R., Capt. Box 915 Glenwood,Springs, Colorado 23 321 Haas, Florence E. Box 621 Soquel, California 95073 27 188 Hampson, C. G. R. R. 3 South Edmonton, Alberta, Canada 1 1 Hanson, Wayne 1609 Judson Ave. Richland, Washington 99352 3 958 Harper, Thomas J. 1949 New Jersey St. Fairfield, California 94533 1 451 Harrington, Robert F. P.O. Box 532 Kaslo, B.C., Canada 28 184 Harris, S. W. Humboldt State College, NatlJ Res. Game Mgt. Arcata, California 48 3,812 Hatton, Louise M. 200 Calera Canyon Rd. via Salinas, California 93901 4 39 Hayes, Dr. R.O. P.O. Box 1097 Greeley, Colorado 80631 1 39 Henderson, Florence 6000 Sacramento Blvd. Sacramento, California 95824 2 4 Hennings, Lise 1865 Euclid Ave. Berkleley 9, California 1 74 Henningsen, Lillian K. Box 554 Diablo, California 94258 12 244 Hines, John Q. 209 Triangle St. Dorris, California 96023 16 241 Hogue, James H. Box 334 Brigham City, Utah 84302 15 670 Holmes, Richard T. 108 Packard Ave. Medford, Mass. 7 15 Hough, J. N. & E. S. 1515 Mariposa Ave. Boulder, Colorado 8 32 Hudson, Dr. George E. Box 75, Rt. 1 Pullman, Washington 5 40 Hughes, William M. 8755 S.W. Marine Dr. Vancouver 14, B.C. 7 324 Hurlbert, Elgin B. Box 123 Pacific Grove, California 13 176 Idaho Fish & Game 600 S. Walnut St. Boise, Idaho 17 5,601 James, Robert G. 20434 Tenth Place S. W. Seattle, Washington 98166 16 329 Jones,E. T. 6115 141st St. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada 49 639 Kaminsky, Muriel 1213 Robertson Way Sacramento, California 95818 7 60 Kebbe, Chester E. 5414 N. E. Emerson St. Portland, Oregon 97218 24 491 Kiff, Lloyd F. 8850 Cattaraugus Ave. Los Angeles, California 90034 45 488 Killpack, Merlin L. 1726 24th St. Ogden, Utah 84401 37 424 Kinghorn, R. G. Box 1306 Albuquerque, New Mexico 87103 1 554 Kinsey, Eric C. 17 Southwood Ave. Ross, California 94957 37 597 Kirven, Monte N. 950 F Ave. Apt. 4 Coronado, California 92118 2 262 Kittredge, Joseph 2663 Tallant Rd. Santa Barbara, California 93105 14 260 Klasson, Barbara Jo Box 114 Lewiston, California 96052 19 165 Kline, Lucile H. Rt. I, Box 41 Blaine, Washington 98230 19 173 Klingenberg, Gerald 12901 Boron Ave., Star Rt. Boron, California 93516 1 1 Kuhn, Lloyd D. Box 493 College Hts., Alberta, Canada 35 161 Lakata, George D. 3718 Woodburn Rd. Annadale, Virginia 5 123 Lancaster, Gary R. 27027 Lake Ridge Dr. Liberty Lake, Washington 2 6 Larson, Kenneth H. Rt. 2, Box 369 Gaston, Oregon 97119 3 2,006 Lasiewski, Dr. R. C . U . C. Dept. Zoology Los Angeles, California 90024 3 17 Legg, Ken D. L. Bliss State Park Homewood, California 15 136 Linsdale, Dr. Jean & MaryAnn 657 Kirkwood Ave. Salinas, California 9 152 Lohr, Lloyd M. Box 40 Erskine, Alberta, Canada 1 2 Lyon, Dr. L. J. Box 120 Missoula, Montana 1 2 McKnight, Mrs. D.M. P.O. Box 10 Cedar Crest, New Mexico 87008 61 969 McNary N.W.R. P.O. Box 19 Burbank, Washington 99323 7 1,149 Mack, William E. 1321 Vallejo St. Santa Rosa, California 95404 7 44 Malheur N.W.R. Box 113 Burns, Oregon 97720 67 3,331 Marshall, David B. 4265 S. W. Chesapeake Portland, Oregon 97201 17 56 Martin, Sid 1110 Wilder Ave. Helena, Montana 8 92 Matteson, Clyde P. 7705 78th S.E. Mercer Island, Washington 98040 3 4 Medicine Lake N. W. R. (Vivion, O. H. ) Medicine Lake, Montana 59247 66 2,849 Merkel, Dalton E. 326 E. Padre St. Santa Barbara, California 93105 4 15 Merrick, George G., Jr. 4537 N.E. Beech Portland, Oregon 97217 20 2,184 Merrill, Howard U. C., Riverside, Denver Denver, Colorado Wildlife Research Center 4 400 Mewaldt, Dr. L. Richard 4150 Golf Drive San Jose, California 95127 20 589 Minidoka N.W.R. Rt. 4, Minidoka Dam Rupert, Idaho 83350 43 1,449 Moldenhauer, Ralph R. 2500 Garfield Corvallis, Oregon 97330 26 220 Montana Fish & Game Wildlife Restoration Division Helena, Montana 10 4,693 Monte Vista N.W.R. Box 511 Monte Vista, Colorado 81144 15 5,802 Moos, Louis M. Box 855 Bozeman, Montana 59715 11 1,519 Mozejko, Albert 117 N. 35th St. Corvallis, Oregon 97330 10 44 Muir, Allister 12971 101A Ave. North Surrey, B.C. 1 167 Neff, Johnson A. 3965 S. Bannock St. Englewood, Colorado 80110 20 547 New Mexico Dept. of Fis;l and Game Box 491, State Capitol Bldg. Santa Fe, New Mexico 6 3,726 Oakland Park Deparment 634 14th St. Oakland, California 13 237 0' Neill, Edward J. P.O. Box 69 Merrill, Oregon 97633 5 8 Oregon State Game Comm. P.O. Box 3503 Portland, Oregon 97208 16 4,515 Orians, Dr. Gordon H. University of Washington Seattle, Washington 98105 5 631 Ouray N.W.R. P.O. Box 398 Vernal, Utah 84078 1 104 Paige, Bruce B. Everglades Nat'l Park Flamingo, Florida 33030 50 621 Parratt, Lloyd P. 500 W. 14th Upland, California 91786 27 Paul, W. A. B. Telegraph Repeater Station Kleena Kleene, B. C., Canada 4 Payne, Donald E. Rt. 4, Box 159A Eugene, Oregon 97401 118 Peppel", Miss M. 1551 Madison St. Denver, Colorado 80206 15 Peterson, Donald 1705 Evergreen St. Burbank, California 36 Peterson, Liven A. 2015 Sunrise Rim Rd. Boise, Idaho 83705 189 Peyton, Leonard J. University of Alaska Ins. Arctic Biology P.O. Box 550 College, Alaska 99735 515 Peyton, Sidney B. Rt. 2, Box 260 Fillmore, California 93015 70 Pinkas, Leo 3127 Volk Ave. Long Beach, California 90808 1 Pinkston, Ronald L. 10176 Central Ave. Garden Grove, California 92640 246 Pt. Reyes Bird Observatory Star Rt., Lighthouse Road Inverness, California 94937 3,660 Radke, Eleanor P.O. Box 94 Cave Creek, Arizona 85331 109 Ralph, C. John Dept. of BioI. Sciences, San Jose State College San Jose, California 155 Red Rock Lakes N.W.R. Monida, Montana 59744 287 Richardson, Carl 647 Crowson Road Ashland, Oregon 97520 347 Ringering, Orley D. 820 E. Berkeley Gladstone, Oregon 97027 189 Ritchie, Mrs. H.B. P.O. Box 383 Cave Creek, Arizona 85331 115 Ritter, W.E. and J. R. Dowell 125 S. State, Rm. 2205 Salt Lake City, Utah 84111 277 Robbins, Chandler 1409 Brooklyn Br. Rd. Laurel, Maryland 20810 8,090 Roberts, Don R. Box 1564 Bakersfield, California 93302 1,536 Roberts, Mrs. J.A. Box 1268 Williams Lake, B. C ., Canada 29 Rogers, Thomas H. E. 10820 Maxwell Spokane, Washington 99206 54 Royall, Cal Denver Wildlife Research Ctr. Denver, Colorado 946 Ruby Lake N. W.R. Donald Lewis, Mgr. Ruby ValIey, Nevada 89833 2,765 Russell, Charles N.W.R. P.O. Box 110 Lewiston, Montana 59457 1,991 Russell, Dr. S. M. University of Arizona Tucson, Arizona 85721 270 Ryder, Dr. Ronald A. 1314 Walnut St. Vancouver 9, B.C., Canada 904 Sacramento N.W.R. Rt. 1, Box 311 WilIows, California 95988 57 Salton Sea N. W•R. Robert Prather, Box 247 Calipatria, California 3,320 Sarles, John G. 1855 Balsam St. Vancouver 9, B. C ., Canada 273 Schultz, Zella M. 3253 37th Ave., S. W. Seattle, Washington 98126 1,825 Sealy, Spencer Box 175 BattlefoI'd , Sask., Canada 2 Shepard, Marianne R. Box 141 Glen Ellen, California 305 Sheppard, Jay M. 2622 E. Carson, Apt. 2 Long Beach, California 90810 942 Shier, Mr. f1 Mrs. Geo. R. Route 1, Box 821 Golden, Colorado 2,021 Schultz, Miss Carol Rt. 6 Caldwell, Idaho 83605 207 Small, Arnold 3028 Cavendish Dr. Los Angeles, California 90064 2 Smedley, Constance f1 Vee Nealey Route 1 Colbert, Washington 99005 97 Smith, Anna Margaret 207 Alexander Ave. Larkspur, California 94939 8 Smith, Harry R. 1549 Escalona Dr. Santa Cruz, Cqlifornia 95060 212 Smith, Miss Susan M. University of Washington Seattle, Washington 76 Snyder, Charles H. f1 Mildred O. 161 Del Mal" Circle Aurora, Colorado 80010 1,835 Springer, Heinrich K. Box 375 College, Alaska 185 Staebler, Dr. Arthur E. 32580 Lodge Rd. Tollhouse, California 3 Stevenson, Thelma V. 2837 North Ave. Grand Junction, Colorado 81501 49 Stillwater N. W. R • Box 592 Fallon, Nevada 89406 989 Stockton, Frances W. Granite Station via Bakersfield, California 93301 65 Stokely, John M. f1 Ruth C. 45 Marinita Ave. San Rafael, California 94901 27 Stoner, Emerson A. 285 East L St. Benicia, California 94510 447 Storm, Robert M. 3800 Neer Ave. CorvaIlis, Oregon 97330 391 Strauch, Dr. f1 Mrs. Joseph G.Jr 804 Michigan Ave. Albion, Michigan 49224 666 Stribling, Charles R. P .0. 1688 Pocatello, Idaho 83201 658 Sturges, Dr. Franklin 810 Leonard St. Ashland, Oregon 204 Sugden, Lawson G. 742 Federal Bldg. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada 1,170 Sullivan, Mrs. Berene 8323 Valmont Dr. Boulder, Colorado 80302 153 Swearingen, W. L. Jr. 663 Augustine Lane Lafayette, California 94549 16 Swinehart, D. B. Jr. 5512 Valhalla Dr. Carmichael, California 335 Taylor, Walter K. Arizona State University Tempe, Arizona 80 Thomssen, Mrs. Richard 168 Lorna Vista Drive Sonoma, California 95476 70 Thorne, Dr. Oakleigh 11 1229 University Ave. Boulder, Colol'ado 80302 524 Tolman, C. F. P.O. Box 984 Morro Bay, California 126 Travis, James f1 Mary Lou 4285 Fairway Los Alamos, New Mex., 87544 121 Tule Lake N.W.R. Rt. 1, Box 74 Tulelake, California, 96134 6,375 Turnbull N.W.R. Rt. 3, Box 107 Cheney, Washington 99004 879 Udvardy, Dr. M.D.F. University B.C. Vancouver 8, B. C., Canada 1 U. S. Nat' I Museum Smithsonian Institution Washington D. C. 20560 421,743 Utah Dept. Fish f1 Game 1596 W. North Temple Salt Lake City, Utah 3,066 Veitch, Elden James RR 5 Kelowna, B. C ., Canada 422 Washington Dept. of Game Mt. Vernon District Mr. Vernon, Washington 98273 5,263 Wauer, Roland H. Box 231 Springdale, Utah 2,968 Weitzel, Floyd E. 3018 Shenandoah, #1 Houston, Texas 77000 69 Wendler, John D. P.O. Box 111 Lakeview, Oregon 97630 2,165 West, Dr. George C. University of Alaska College, Alaska 99735 563 Weston, Dr. Henry G. Jr. San Jose State College San Jose, California 95114 21 Wight, Howard M. Oregon State University Corvallis, Oregon 97331 338 Willamette N. W•R • Philip A. Lehenbauer, Refuge Mgr., Rt. 2, Box 208 Corvallis, Oregon 97331 57 Willapa N. W•R • R. J. Houser, Mgr. Ilwaco, Washington 98624 23 Williams, Laidlaw Rt. 1, Box 128 Carmel, California 93921 34 Williams, Dr. Ralph B. Box 2354 Juneau, Alaska 99801 192 Wilson, Gene H. 1500 N. Decatur Blvd. Las Vegas, Nevada 89108 649 Wilson, Howard E., M.D. 14045 N. E. 6th St. Bellevue, Washington 98004 3,182 Winkler, Howard, M.D. 678 Humboldt St. Denver, Colorado 80218 163 Witt, Richard T. 18334 Meridian Ave. N. Seattle, Washington 9-8133 174 Woodard, Gaylin R. 2511 E. 104th St. Tacoma, Washington 98445 7 Woody, Jack B. 1095 Silverada Elvd. Reno, Nevada 117 Wyoming Game f:I Fish C. Box 567 Torrington, Wyoming 3,931 Zajanc, Adolph Denver W.R.C. U. of C., Davis, California 5,213 Zeillemaker, C. Fred Box 113 Burns, Oregon 97720 206 Zimmerman, Dale A. 1011 W. Florence St. Silver City, N.M., 88061 182

Between January 14 and March 14, 1966, 434 male Brown-headed Cow- birds (Molothrus ater) were banded at a cattle feedlot in Phoenix, Arizona, by Cal Royall, a biologist with the Denver Wildlife Research Center. Size two bands were used, and attached to each band is a blue plastic tag, 2-1/211 long. Cowbirds with unnumbered tags were banded in January. Those with tags marked "2" were banded in February, and those with tags marked "3" were banded in March. Ifblue-tagged cowbirds are captured or seen, Cal would like to hear about it. His address until mid-June is P.O. Box 1006, Mesa, Arizona, 85201. After that, he will be at the Wildlife Research Center, Bldg. 45", Federal Center, Denver, Colorado 80225.

Glenhaven Traps are now made from half by one inch mesh, sixteen gauge, welded wire cloth, in place of the .047 hardware cloth formerly used. Also new are the 'automatic locks for both top and side doors to ensure the birds' safety and security. Latches for top and side doors allow use of the trap as a feeder.

Two and four cell sizes are available. Prices from $5 to $10. Send for descriptive folder to Mr. Russell S. Davis,Glenhaven Farm, Clayton, Illinois 62324. In 1965 there was a very slight increase over 1964 in most indexes of banding activity. The total of 225 individual reports was seven more than in 1964. The total number of birds banded was 635,768, an increase of 131,885 over last year's total. Subtracting the almost incredible 421,743 birds banded by the U. S. National Museum, 214,025 were banded by all other banders com- bined. This is an increase of only 4561 (2.1 per cent) OVer the similar figure for last year (erroneously reported as 309,464 rather than 209,464). The total number of species banded in 1965 (exclusive of hybrids) was 384, the same as in 1964. Thirteen species were newly banded in WBBA territory last year and 11 this year (Fork-tailed Petrel, Black-naped Tern, Prothonotary Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Pine Warbler, Connecticut Warbler, Mourning Warbler, Red-faced Warbler, Canada Warbler, and Cassin's Sparrow). Thus, in most respects 1964 and 1965 showed no significant differences. This past year, however, there was a marked increase in the number of species for which new highs were banded, 95, as opposed to only 57 in 1964. These highs are too numerous to list by species; they were divided among families as follows:

Albatrosses, 2; Shearwaters, 1; Storm Petrels, 5; Pelicans, 1; Herons, 1; Swans, Geese, and Ducks, 5; Hawks and Harriers, 1; Grouse and Ptal,"'migan, 2; Plovers, etc., 4; Sandpipers, etc., 5; Phalaropes, 1; Gulls and Terns, 6; Pigeons and Doves, 1; Owls, 1; Goatsuckers, 1; Hummingbirds, 2; Woodpeckers, 4; Flycatchers, 3; Swallows, 3; Crows and Jays, 2; Titmice and Chickadees, 1; Dippers, 1; Wrens, 1; Mockingbirds and Thrashers, 1; Thrushes, 1; Old World Warblers, Kinglets, and Gnatcatchers, 2; Vireos, 3; Wood Warblers, 18; Weaver Finches, 1 (House Sparrow); Blackbirds and Orioles, 5; Tanagers, 1; and Buntings, Sparrows, etc., 9.

The greatest single change from last year was in the enormous increase in the number of Sooty Terns banded by the National Museum, the total of 333,122 representing an increase of 214,061 over last year's total. The truly impressive nature of this total may be realized from the fact that the increase over the 1964 total repre sents 36 more individuals than the entire total of all birds banded in 1965 by all banders except the National Museum.

Among the non-professional banders Mrs. Collister of Longmont, Colorado, banded the greatest variety of species, 127, followed by Alan and Jean Craig of San Diego with 123. These were the only non-professionals to band over 100 species. Mrs. Collister also banded the greatest number of individuals, 3943, followed by S. W. Harris of Humboldt State College, Arcata, California, with 3812, the Craigs with 3633, and Dr. H. E. Wilson, Bellevue, Washington, with 3182. These were the only non-professionals to reach the 3000 mark.

The preceding data are of interest but they fail to reveal the true nature of the banding effort in 1965. Excluding the National Museum totals, which must be considered as being in a class by themselves, we find that 136,133 birds, or 63.6 per cent of the remaining total, were banded by professionals. Adding the 3660 birds banded by the Pt. Reyes Bird Observatory, 65.3 per cent were banded by professionals or organized groups. Considering species represented by 5000 or more individuals, we find -that 11 species, or only 2.9 per cent of the total of 384, accounted for 128,214 individuals, or 59.9 per cent of the 1965 total. Considering species represented by totals of 2500 or more, 18 species, (April 1966) 24

01'" 4.7 pel'" cent of the total variety, accounted for 151,058 birds, 01'" 70.6 pel'" cent of the 1965 total. Corresponding figures for species represented by 1000 01'" more individuals are 32, 8.3 pel'" cent, 172,609, and 80.6 pel'" cent. Of the 32 species just mentioned, 17, 01'" 53 pel'" cent, are relatively large, and presumably relatively long-lived~ bipds. They include one pelican, ten geese and ducks, three gulls, and three pigeons and doves. It seems likely that the greatest amount of information on movements and longevity will be gained from these species, especially those of game importance, since hunter kills increase the recovery rate considerably.

As for the remaining species, one has only to read the paper by A. J. Cortopassi and L. R. Mewaldt on II The Circumannual Distribution of White- crowned Sparrows" (Bird-Banding, Vol. 36, no. 3, pp. 141-169, 1965) to realize how inefficient the general banding of small birds is as a means of gathering information. These authors found that there have been only 198 recoveries of 226,516 White-crowned Sparrows banded over a period of 44 years. They state, "It is generally thought, and is certainly confirmed by this study, that for the effort expended little is learned from the promiscuous banding of Zonotrichia. This is principally because the ratio of recoveries to birds banded is very low. Much more valuable are specific studies made in which the investigator uses bands to mark birds for studies of local movements, weight and molt cycles, territorial and nesting studies, population dynamics, etc." These remarks apply as well to the great majority of species banded in our area. Banders are urged to spend their time and energy, either as individuals 01'" as members of local 01'" larger groups, on specific projects of the kinds mentioned by Cortopassi and Mewaldt. In this way we can gather data far more valuable than those summarized in this report.

By Roland H. Wauer Z ion Park Naturalist

Bird-banding has oiily recently assumed an important role in the study cf birds at Zion National Park. From February 1963 through 1965, more than 5,400 birds of 100 species were banded within the Zion Park vicinity. The data has been included within a 92-page book, "Birds of Zion National Park and Vicinity," written by this author and Dennis L. Cartel"'. (Note: A brief review of this book will be found on page 26. Ed.) Continuation of bird-study within the Zion area and south along the Virgin River drainage will provide additional information for an analysis of the influence of the Virgin River Basin on bird distribution and movement.

The project began as a study of the altitudinal movement of the Gray-headed Junco from the highlands of the Markagunt Plateau to the lowlands of southwestern Utah. A permanent banding station was established in back of my home in Oak Creek Canyon, Zion National Park. A total of 1,127 Gray-heads were banded during the winter months, but only one banded individual was reported for the Kolob in summer. Although the recovery of Gray-heads was discouraging, banding at Oak Creek Canyon continued. Today, the three years of banding are beginning to show results that offer a much better understanding of bird movement, distribution and density within the Zion Park area.

Other areas were trapped, too. The most productive of these was the Springdale Ponds, at Springdale, just south of the Park's South Entrance. And, in 1965, the Ponds were established as a Bird Refuge. Under the sponsorship of the Springdale Lions Club, the 110 acres are protected from hunting and mis-use for the preservation of the many bird-species that frequent the area, especially during spring, summer and fall. The Refuge, situated at the base of beautiful Zion Canyon, forms a center to an area that offers the birder a number of birds that are not found anywhere else in the state. Southwestern Utah possesses such a variety of habitats that it is not too surprising to find a large number of birds here at the northern edge of their range. The most outstanding of these is the Black Hawk, found breeding at Springdale in 1962. It had previously been found only as far" north as central Arizona but has now been found nesting several places along the Virgin River. Other birds that extend their range north to southwestern Utah include the Least Bittern, Common Gallinule, Costa's Hummingbird, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Black Phoebe, Vermilion Flycatcher, Cactus Wren, Phainopepla, Lucy's and Grace's Warblers, Scott's Oriole, Abert's Towhee, and Rufous-crowned and Black-chinned Sparrows.

One of the most fascinating phases of bird-banding, as all banders know, is the continuous surprise of the capture of a new bird for the area or even for the state. Three state records obtained during banding include an Eastern Phoebe and a Rose- breasted Grosbeak at the Springdale Ponds, and Rufous-crowned Sparrows at Oak Creek Canyon. Other important records include Flammulated Owls which which were captured and banded on two consecutive years following early May snowstorms, a Tree Sparrow taken at Oak Creek in November, and a Swamp Sparrow at Springdale in March. A Mockingbird was banded as late as mid-October, a Northern Waterthrush was banded at the Ponds, and an Indigo Bunting and Black-chinned Sparrows were banded in Oak Creek Canyon.

Banding returns are also of interest as they offer an indication of which species regularly winter and summer here or pass through the area in migration. Oregon Junco returns were highest as 143 individuals were recaptured at least at 90-day intervals. Fourteen Gray-headed Juncos were recaptured, eight White-crowned Sparrows, four Rufous-sided Towhees, three Scrub Jays, two Black-capped Chicka- dees, two House Finches, and one each of the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Hairy Wood- peckel', Hermit Thrush, Plain Titmouse, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Brown-headed Cow- bird, Black-headed Grosbeak, Slate-colored Junco, and Rufous-crowned Sparrow.

All during the 1965 spring migration, mist nets were used to capture birds at the Springdale Ponds. Captured birds were taken to Oak Creek Canyon, four miles up canyon from the Ponds, where they were banded and released. A surprisingly large number of these birds were recaptured within the next few hours to few days at the place where they were first captured. Species found to return to the place of capture included the Say's Phoebe, Rough-winged and Violet-green Swallows, Western Bluebird, Yellow Warbler, Audubon's Warbler, Redwinged Blackbird, Bullock1s Oriole, and Lincoln's and Song Sparrows. Such findings suggest that migratory birds return to the locations where their northern movement was disrupted before proceeding with their normal northward trend.

Of the 100 species of birds banded, thirty-nine of these were banded each of the three years, twenty-six species were banded two years, and thirty-five species were banded only one of the three years.

Mr. Robert C. Paulson, Jr., who has requested information on Black-crowned Night Herons (see the January, 1966, issue of Western Bird Bander), asks that such information be sent to his new address: 630 Grove St., East Lansing, Michigan 48823. BIRDS OF ZION NATIONAL PARK AND VICINITY. By Roland H. Wauer and Dennis L. Carter. Illustrated by Howard Rollin. Zion Natural History Assoc., in cooperation with the National Park Service, Springdale, Utah, 1965: 92pp. $1.15.

Here is an excellent example of observational and bird-banding data made available to the general public in attractive and useful form, and in easily-under- stood terms. This reviewer has long felt that one of the ways in which bird- banders, banding organizations and bird clubs can give to their activities a useful purpose is by cooperating to produce publications such as this. IIBirds of Zion National Park and Vicinityll should provide further impetus to such projects being considered or under way.

The book is well-organized and is divided into four sections: Habitats of Zion (a description of desert, riparian woodland, pinyon-juniper woodland, high country, and water areas); Bird Finding (migration, the seasons); Bird Study in Zion (bird-banding, Christmas counts, studies of behavior and distribution); and a 45-page Annotated List of Species (records through mid-1965 for 233 species) .

Seventeen color photographs of habitats and birds taken by the senior author and others enliven the text. Color plates (plus silhouettes) of the common birds of four habitats are well-executed; field marks are clearly portrayed, colors are reasonably good, pictures are sharp. I have one minor criticism: birds were not drawn to a uniform scale, presumably in order to portray clearly the field marks of the smaller species. Unfortunately, this could be confusing. It would have been helpful if length had been dimensioned on each of the silhouettes.

This book should prove to be a valuable aid both to the beginner and the advanced student visiting Z ion National Park.

As of June 30, 1966, many California bird-banding permits will expire. Mr. E. C. Fullerton, Chief of the Wildlife Protection Branch, Department of Fish and Game, has stated that he expects to mail renewal applications to those individuals whose permits do expire. However, it is the responsibility of the bander to see that he does receive a renewal application and that it is submitted in time to allow for the reissuing of his license.

Painted both sides, black on white, with the official flying-goose emblem of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Lettering reads: IIU •S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bird Banding Station. II Sign is 2011 x 3011 heavy-gauge metal. Lettering is 1-1/211 x 3/411• Price $12.00, postage paid •. Allow two weeks for shipment. Gordon L. Nelsen, 117 N. 5th St., 0' Neill, Nebr. 68763. WESTERN BIRD BANDER p. O.Box 94 Cave Creek. Arizona 85331 WESTERN BIRD BANDER

FROM THE PRESIDENT ...... ANNUAL MEETING . • . . . . • . . . • . . • . BANDING IN BRITAIN AND CALIFORNIA by M.C.W. Evans FALL BANDING - ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION by Allegra Collister OPERATION TRANSIENT AT PRBO by C. John Ralph NEWS FROM THE BANDERS ...... • . . . PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL CHAPTER DISBANDS TETHERED NETS ...... •..

Western bird-banders, individually and as an Association, have a tremendous opportunity for enhancing the value of the banding program. I am referring to the gathering and publishing of data for ageing and sexing western birds. This is an enormous task, but one to which all banders can make some contribution. Eastern banders have already accumulated considerable data on many eastern species. The age and sex criteria for a few species have been published in the Bird Banding Manual, and we understand that criteria for many more species will soon appear in Bird Banding Notes. However, for most western species, this data is either not available or has never been condensed for easy use by the bander.

Admittedly, it is probably impossible to establish complete age and sex criteria for any species without access to museum specimens. Banders who live reasonably close to a museum with a sizeable bird collection and who also handle significant numbers of any species are in the best position to develop these criteria. Banders who do not have access to a collection can concentrate on those characteristics which are difficult (and in some cases impossible) to determine from specimens: mouth color, juvenile eye color, progression of skull ossification and of molt, differences in the color or shade of juvenile and adult primaries and primary coverts, etc. Even banders who do not handle significant numbers of any species can con- tribute by researching technical publications and condensing detailed studies down to the essential characteristics. Eventually, the age and sex data will be published by the Banding Office. Meanwhile, as quickly as we can gather this data, it can be published in Western Bird Bander. This will permit banders in other sections of the West to find out if the published criteria are valid for their local populations of the same species.

Those of use who were able to attend the Annual Meeting at Donner Lake were fortunate to meet, exchange ideas with, and receive guidance from Earl B. Baysinger, Director, and William C. Russell, Biological Technician, of the Bird Banding Laboratory. We were very impressed with their enthusiasm for the banding program and by their sincere desire to establish closer relations with the banders through the regional banding associations. We were also impressed with the fact that recent policy changes at the Banding Office, some of which have been misunderstood, all have good reasons behind them and all have only one goal -- improving the banding program.

The Banding Office is striving to reduce the time-lag between the receipt of recovery reports and the issuance of the recovery punched-cards. The major stumb- ling block is the time required to check our schedules for accuracy of AOU numbers, coordinates, etc. Mr. Baysinger brought with him examples of schedules that were absolutely atrocious. No doubt each one of us can make some improvement in our schedules by insuring that they follow Banding Manual instructions to the letter and that they are legible, accurate and complete. We must check and then double check the AOU numbers, and then have another person check them again. Now is none too soon to begin typing this year's schedules; Mr. Baysinger said that they may be sent in as each series of 100 bands is used, rather than all at once on 31 January.

At the business meeting, our Editor brought to our attention the rising cost of publishing the Western Bird Bander. She reported that she had taken every possible step to hold costs down without lowering the quality of the printing. It was the con- census of opinion that the high quality should be maintained; consequently, a resolution was passed to II recommend to the Executive Council that the matter of dues be studied and an increase made, if necessary to keep the organization financially sound. II After the business meeting, the Executive Council met, determined that an increase in dues was necessary to keep the Association in the black, and decided to raise annual dues for Active and Associate Members from $2.50 to $3.50. In accordance with our By-Laws, this automatically increases dues of Sustaining Members from $5.00 to $7.00. The increase was made effective 1 July 1966. Our dues are still lower than those of the Eastern banding associations, and it is hoped that no one will begrudge the increase since it is essential for maintaining the high quality of the Association's most important product, the Western Bird Bander.

It is planned that the program for next year's Annual Meeting will be similar to the banding workshops held in the East, covering such topics as skull ossification, brood patches, identification of confusing species, trapping techniques, netting in unusual situations, etc. With this in mind, and upon the invitation of C. John Ralph, it was decided to hold the 1967 meeting at Point Reyes Bird Observatory. The date (probably in Mayor June) will be set later, to conform with the wishes of as many members as possible.

In closing, I should like to solicit your suggestions, your questions, and your criticisms at any time about what your Association should (or should not) be doing, about what you would like to see at the Annual Meeting, or about any other matter relating to banding.

Walter Taylor of the Department of Zoology, Arizona State University, Tempe, is working on the breeding biology of the Verdin (Auriparus flaviceps). This is his second year on the project, and he has banded approximately 90 birds to date, using both Federal bands and color bands. His studies indicate that there are some inaccuracies in the literature.

Mr. Taylor would appreciate first-hand information (j. e., personal observations) on such things as clutch size, number of eggs that hatch, number of young fledged, feeding habits of the adults, and any other data relating to the breeding behavior of the Verdin. The forty-first Annual Meeting of WBBA was favored with near-perfect weather, as 41 members and guests met on the weekend of 18-19 June 1966 at Donner Memorial State Park, Truckee, California. Attending were: Arizona: Mrs. Eleanor L. Radke Australia: Terry Browning California: Mrs. and Mrs. A. J. Argante, Mrs. Enid K. Austin, Mr. and Mrs. Tom E. Balch, Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Case, Dr. Howard L. Cogswell, Lt. AlanM. Craig, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur C. Felt, Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Haas, Mrs. Florence Henderson, Mrs. Lillian K. Henningsen, Mr. and Mrs. H. R. Hunt, Capt, and Mrs. Elgin Hurlburt, Mr. and Mrs. Fritz Kaminsky, Mr. and Mrs. Ken Legg, Miss Marie L. Mans, Dr. and Mrs. L. Richard Mewaldt, John Mewaldt, C. John Ralph, Norbert Ralph, Mrs. P. C. Scampin~ Mrs. Marianne R. Shepard, Fred C. Sibley, Mr. and Mrs. Emerson A. Stoner, Art Wang. Maryland: Earl B. Baysinger, William Russell Oregon: Mr. and Mrs. Carl Richardson

Dr. Howard L. Cogswell led four field trips, among them an all-morning trip to Sage Hen Meadow and a late-evening owl prowl.

The program, given in part on Saturday afternoon and concluding Sunday morning, included the following presentations: (1) "Spring Migration at Point Lorna," by Alan M. Craig, illustrated with charts showing peak days for banding various migrating species and with slides of some vagrants; ,(2) "Nesting Birds," by Ken Legg, - a series of slides of species nesting in and around the Donner Lake area and supplemented by a slide of a "Raccoon-proof" feeder complete with feeding Raccoon; (3) brief comments on the California Condor "by Fred C. Sibley of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, who is doing a five-year study of this species; (4) "Point Reyes Bird Observatory," by Dr. L. Richard Mewaldt, who showed slides, maps, and aerial photographs of the old and the new locations for Observa- tory headquarters, and emphasized the advantages of the latter in terms of physical plant and of diversity of habitat; (5) a short talk by Arthur C. Felt of Whittier on techniques for banding Brown Creepers, and on the behavior of an adult Brown Creeper and its fledgling young while the former was being banded; and (6) a talk by Earl B. Baysinger, Director of the Bird Banding Laboratory, covering changes in procedure and forms, a progress report on the publication of the revised banding manual, the new program for coordinating and controlling color-banding, and a plea for help from individual banders and from banding organizations in several specified fields. (This latter will be covered in some detail in subsequent issues of Western eird Bander.)

The slate of officers presented by the Nominating Committee (Emerson A. Stoner, Chairman, Mrs. Enid K. Austin, and Dr. Howard L. Cogswell) was elected unanimously. Officers of the Western Bird-Banding Association for the 1966-1967 term are: President: Lt. Alan M. Craig, San Diego, California First V. Pres: D. Bruce Swinehart, Jr., Carmichael, California Second V. Pres: Dr. William J. Hamilton III, Davis, California Secretary: Miss Marie L. Mans, Berkeley, California Business Manager: Ken Legg, Homewood, California The members expressed their appreciation to Ken and Florence Legg for their efforts in making the arrangements for the Annual Meeting and to the outgoing officers for their contributions to the Association during their term of office.

A stay in the United States presents many exciting opportunities for a visiting bird-watcher from Britain. My wife and I have been living in the San Francisco area for the past year and a half, and during this time we have been most impressed by the large variety of habitats with their many bird species which are readily acces- sible in California and the neighboring states. In fact, we were able to see almost twice as many species of birds in fifteen months in the U. S .A. as in fifteen years in Britain. A brief look at the check-list of birds recorded in Britain and in California would suggest that they have similar numbers of species, both lists being about 500. However, the British list has been compiled over a far longer period of time and includes a much larger number of birds which occur only accidentally, or are now virtually extinct. A better idea of the relative abundance of species is given by the fact that there are nearly 300 breeding species in California but only 180 in Britain.

There are a number of reasons, both natural and man-made, for the relatively small number of species in Britain. Table 1 shows the area, populations, and number of bird species in California and Britain. Britain, particularly England, is far more heavily populated than California, with nearly three times the population in one third

TABLE 1 Approximate areas and populations of Britain and California

Area (S9. Mi.) Population California 158,600 17,000,000 England &' Wales 57,800 48,000,000 Scotland 30;000 5,000,000 Great Britain 87,800 53,000,000 of the area. No part of Britain is in a truly natural state, all of it having been affected by man at some time. The most obvious effect on the bird population is the loss of the larger species, particularly raptors. The only common buteo is restricted to the hill areas of the north and west, and, since the introduction of modern pesticides, even the Kestrel has become scarce. The draining of marshes and cutting of woodland has led to the loss of many species, while others such as the Avocet, Marsh Hawk, Golden Eagle, and Peregrine have been reduced to populations similar to that of the Condor in California. We have been most impressed to see buteos and vultures as common birds, and by the large numbers of shorebirds and wildfowl which, at least for the present, survive even in San Francisco Bay.

The paucity of species in Britain is not entirely due to the efforts of man but in part to the position of Britain on the northwestern edge of the Palearctic region. It is, compared to California, a northern country, between latitudes 50 and 60 north, similar to the "far northern outpost" of Kodiak Island described in a recent Western Bird Bander; but the climate is rather more temperate. The birds of the Palearctic are at the western edge of their range in Britain, many occurring only as migrants, while others are common in France but have never crossed the 22 miles of the English Channel. Britain is also on the extreme edge of the main migration routes through Europe, and many species which are abundant farther east occur only rarely on the east coast of Britain. Finally, the relatively uniform habitat covering most of Britain - there are no mountains over 4,000 feet, no deserts, and no areas more than 150 miles from the sea - results in a uniform bird population.

As there are many contrasts between bird-watching in America and in Britain, so there are many between the banding schemes of the two countries. These result from the very different history and aims of the two schemes. The banding scheme in Britain is not a government operation. Organised banding began in 1909 when two schemes were started; one of these at Aberdeen University survived only until World War I, the other founded by H. F. Witherby through his magazine, British Birds, has continued to the present time. Witherby continued to organise the scheme until 1937, when it was handed over to the British Trust for Ornithology (B. T.O.), the Bird Ringing Committee of which now runs the scheme. The scheme was sup- ported entirely by the banders until 1954. At this time, the scheme became too large for voluntary organisation, and since then financial support has been given in grants by the Nature Conservancy, a government agency, to support a ringing officer and other staff. Banders pay for the bands they use and also pay a small license fee each year.

I should, perhaps, say a little about the B. T .0., as there is no directly comparable organisation here. The B. T .0. was founded during the 1930' s to organise the activities of amateur bird-watchers to more productive ends, particularly to the type of study which cannot be carried out easily by a small group of workers, either amateur or professional. The majority of the projects of the B . T. O. have involved studies of the population and distribution of individual species throughout Britain. The longest of these is a census of the Grey Heron, which was first done in 1928 and has continued with frequent sample censuses, and full censuses at longer intervals, ever since. Many studies of other species have been made, organised by both amateur and professional ornithologists, using the experience of the B. T . O. in the design of questionnaires and the members as a source of information. The most recent large -scale project is a breeding season sample census of common birds. Over the last five years, this has grown to the stage where about 250 areas of 200 acres each are being censused by Trust members in an attempt to provide an index of the effect of ecological changes, both man-made and natural, on the bird population.

TABLE 2 Numbers of birds banded in Britain and California in 1963

No. of species Total no. No. wildfowl No. No. banded banded banded recovered banders

186 52,387 20,673 Not avail- 71 able 234 435,925 8,272 14,397 894

To return to banding, the great difference between the two schemes can be well illustrated by comparison of the banding figures for California and Britain in 1963, Table 2. The most obvious facts shown by these figures are the far greater density of banders in Britain and the much larger number of birds being banded there. If we exclude wildfowl and also the large number of Starlings banded by agricultural research workers, we find that 55 non-government banders in California banded 21,714 birds. Virtually none of the birds banded in Britain are banded by government-sponsored banders; the provision of ducks for hunting is not a government occupation and there is nothing to compare with the Fish and Wildlife Service. Most of the wildfowl are, however, banded by a private research organisation, the Wild':' fowl trust. The 427,653 non-game girds are virtually all banded by amateurs .. The great difference between the two schemes, then, is that here the scheme is largely professional, with the control of wildfowl as its major objective, while in Britain the scheme is largely amateur and concentrates almost exclusively on non-game birds, with no economically practical result in view. In the rest of this article, I shall discuss only non-game-bird banding, as there is nothing in Britain to compare with the wildfowl banding programme of the Fish and Wilglife Service. The British banding scheme has always operated on the assumption that it is extremely difficult for one bander to band sufficient birds of anyone species to obtain significant results, particularly in the study of the movements and survival of small birds. The scheme has, therefore, always concentrated on the results of the entire operation (as is the case with wildfowl banding here), rather than of the individual bander. A requirement for each bander to have a formal "scientific" project would not be acceptable. Few banders would wish to operate in this way, and even fewer have either the training or the time to carry through such a project successfully. As the banding scheme has grown, the extent of cooperation between banders has increased. Cooperative studies range from a B. T .0. -sponsored study of Bank Swallows on a national scale, to bird observatories operated by regional bird clubs, to studies of the movements of a single species in a small area by a group of local banders.

Since 1945, a number of bird observatories have been set up in Britain and new ones are still being founded. The majority of them are on the east coast where the opportunities for observation of migration are greatest, but there are some on the west coast and in Ireland. They attempt to provide observational and banding coverage of a limited area, often an island or headland, over a long period of time. They do not provide a "where are the birds?" service for visitors; the visitors, virtually all amateurs, are in fact the observatory. Many observatories are active only at migration times; even those which are open all year tend to concentrate their efforts in the spring and fall. The observatories are manned by both banders and non- banders, and the recording of visible migration is at least as important a part of their activity as banding. None of the British observatories were set up on such an ambi- tious scale as that at Point Reyes; even now, only one or two have trained zoologists as wardens, and none attempt to be complete ornithological research stations. Most of them offer only very simple accommodations, visitors cooking their own meals and taking sleeping bags.

Britain, as is the case in the American West, is off the mam continental migration routes. As a result of this, the majority of observatories do not band large numbers of birds as compared to the more successful Operation Recovery stations. Few band over 10,000 birds a year and many only half this number. The variety of species is also quite restricted, except in years when a migration accident results in large numbers of Scandinavian birds getting lost at sea and blown onto the east coast. Despite these limitations, the observatories have been very successful in providing a detailed picture of both normal and abnormal migration patterns in Britain. They have also been successful in permitting a large number of people to take part in a worthwhile bird-watching project.

Over the past ten years, bird-watching has increased in popularity quite considerably in Britain. At the same time, the banding scheme has expanded very rapidly, from 126,000 birds banded in 1955 to 450,000 a year at present. This has resulted partly from the introduction of many new people to banding and partly from the introduction of the mist net. Mist nets have changed the type of banding operation for most banders; few depend on backyard trapping. The majority now trap away from home -- for example, for finch flocks or thrush roosts in winter, swallow roosts in fall, and so on. Many of the most active banders are young people, often college students with relatively large amounts of time for projects such as visits to seabird colonies in summer and observatories at migration times. The increase in the number of people wanting to become banders has made it possible to improve the standards required to obtain a banding permit. It is now necessary to have banded several hundred birds under the instruction of a senior bander and to be able to identify all the birds which are likely to be trapped, to obtain a permit. Further training is required for a permit to band nestlings or to use mist nets. Failure to maintain the standards set by the B. T . O. may result In the loss of the bander's permit.

Recently, the large number of banders has permitted studies of individual species on a countrywide basis. The most successful of these, a study of the Bank Swallow, was inaugurated by the Ringing Committee. The success of this project, which aimed to study the movements of this species between different nesting and roosting sites, may be measured by the fact that, of the 1,900 recoveries of this species since 1909, over 1,000 were in 1963, - most of them representing the recapture of banded birds by other banders.

Apart from allowing the operation of cooperative studies of individual species, a banding scheme of the British type also provides a large banded population of common birds from which a quantitative measure of the effect of adverse ecological conditions can be obtained. This can give banding an important role in conservation. This was shown in Britain in 1963, when a very cold winter caused extremely heavy mortality amongst small birds. This mortality was clearly reflected in the recoveries of banded birds, and the figures were used to obtain increased breeding season protection for the affected species.

Of the many contrasts between bird-watching in Britain and California, two are particularly striking. The first is the far greater opportunities for seeing a wide variety of species with relative ease in California. The second is the almost complete absence of any attempt to record the present bird population and its changes in California, and the absence of bird clubs on a local or state basis which attempt to publish such information. The collection of numerical data is of quite recent origin in Britain, and, no doubt, as the human population of California increases and it becomes more difficult to add new birds to the state list, more people here will turn to banding and other methods to obtain the detailed information required for the conservation of the birds of the state.

A five-year study of the California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus) by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service is underway at the present time. Fred C. Sibley, director of the project, requests that anyone sighting a Condor let him know where it was seen and from what vantage-point the sighting was made. Mr. Sibley's address is: 1013 Sunset Place, Ojai, California.

"At the present time, the only justifiable purpose for placing aU. S. Fish and Wildlife Service band on a bird is the generation of scientifically usable data which accrues from that banding and/or the subsequent recovery of that band." (Bird Banding Notes, Vol. 6, No.1, March, 1966) FALL BANDING - ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION by Allegra Collister

In their seventh year of participation in Mr. Chandler Robbins' country-wide OPERATION RECOVERY project, cooperators of the Rocky Mountain Region banded 6,696 birds in 14,710 net-hours. Fall banding extended from 10 August through 31 October, with seven stations in Colorado, North Dakota, and New Mexico open for varying periods of time.

August was marked by considerable cloudiness over Colorado, with the stormi- est period the week of 16-23 August when an inch of rain fell in the Denver area. Similar conditions existed in North Dakota, where only five out of 23 days were reported as clear. The usual September cold fronts moved across the region bringing six periods of rain and snow to ~olorado. October weather was generally fair and mild, with the exception of a mid-month general storm that brought snow to the Rockies and rain to lower areas. "Wet or inclement weather" was reported from New Mexico for the three-month period. Two banding stations reported fewer birds than last year, and one bander considered adverse weather a factor.

Colonel and Mrs. Charles Snyder operated 10 nets just south of Sedalia, Douglas County, Colorado, on a ridge that separates East and West Plum Creeks near their confluence. They were obliged, by the effects of the devastating flood on 16 June 1965, to move their station 500 yards away from its former location. They banded on 47 days between 25 August and 31 October. Their total of 990 birds included these rarities: Least Flycatcher (2), Philadelphia Vireo, and Townsend's Warbler. The most common species were Rufous-sided Towhee (143), Chipping Sparrow (141), Pine Siskin (118), and Oregon Junco (101). The Snyders were assisted by Nancy Hurley and Lois Webster.

Mrs. Daniel McKnight operated two stations, one at her home near Cedar Crest, Bernalillo County, New Mexico, and a new station at Capulin Springs, a forest service picnic area just off State Route 44 towards Sandia Crest. Mrs. McKnight writes: "It is in spruce-fir vegetation at 9,200' elevation and about 10 miles up in the Sandia Mountains from our Cedar Crest location. Overflow from one of the springs runs through a pipe into a large hollow log, and it is a prime drinking spot for birds and (other) animals. During the summer, one net placed parallel to the log will keep several people busy clearing it out, as birds fly in almost as fast as they can be removed."

Assisted by Mr. McKnight, David E. Niles, James L. Sands, and John Tatschl, Mrs. McKnight banded 142 birds at Capulin Springs, with Audubon's Warber (40), Gray-headed Junco (27), Mountain Chickadee (17), and Oregon Junco (10) the pre- dominant species. She disclaims any rarities, but it seems that a Calliope Humming- bird and seven Townsend's Warblers deserve special mention.

At her Cedar Crest station, Mrs. McKnight banded 267 birds between 4 August and 29 October, assisted by Mr. McKnight and operating from one to five nets. Most common were Audubon's Warblers (81), Orange-crowned Warblers (17), Oregon Juncos (16), and Gray-headed Juncos (15).

As in previous years, Dr. and Mrs. Robert Gammell operated their very successful banding station at Lower Souris Wildlife Refuge, Upham, McHenry County, North Dakota. Assistants were Darrel Rytter, Stuart Gage, and Deborah Green. They netted 3,772 birds in 23 days, from 10 August through 1 September. In this seemingly ideal location, the Gammells banded 908 Yellow Warblers, 447 Traill's Flycatchers, 270 Tree Swallows, 250 Song Sparrows, and 241 Wilson's Warblers. In one day they banded 298 birds of 33 species. Their report included 18 species of warblers. OR banding at the Gammell's station constituted more than half of the total for the Rocky Mountain Region.

At my Rocky Mountain National Park station, assisted by Mrs. W. C. DeLong, 345 birds were banded from 1-12 September. Audubon's Warblers (59), Pine Siskins (35), Chipping Sparrows (34), and Savannah Sparrows (28) were most numerous, and there were no rarities this year.

A new station was opened at the St. Vrain Wildlife Refuge four miles west of Longmont, Boulder County, Colorado, to determine if this area offered possibilities as an OR banding site. However, birds were somewhat scarce during the period of 15-25 September, when migration should have been at its height, and the station was closed. In this region, the main flow of fall migration appears to be where plains and foothills meet. Birds tend to be less numerous even four or five miles east of the mountains. Of the 106 birds banded at the Refuge, Wilson's Warbler (55) was the most common species.

At my Lykin1s Gulch station eight miles west of Longmont, 1,074 birds were banded from 25 September through 31 October, with five to eight nets in operation. Most numerous were Chipping Sparrows (372), White-crowned Sparrows (289), Tree Sparrows (112), and Oregon Juncos (86). Rarities were Palm Warbler, Field Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, and Swamp Sparrow.

OPERATION TRANSIENT AT POINT REYES BIRD OBSERVATORY by C. John Ralph

Point Reyes will mount its second cooperative assessment of fall migration during August, September, and October of this year. Last year, Operation Transient, patterned after Operation Recovery on the East Coast, was carried out at the old Observatory site and produced remarkably well, accounting for more than 1,400 birds banded.

The Observatory has now moved to a new site north of Bolinas on the southern edge of the Point Reyes National Seashore, on the former Palomarin Ranch, and promises to be extremely productive this fall. This is an area of great aesthetic appeal and of considerable diversity in habitat and thus in the species of birds that occur there. There should be little difficulty in at least tripling the number of birds banded in 1965.

The topography and vegetation forms around Palomarin appear to have excellent possibilities for concentrating birds. As birds move south from the northern areas of the Point Reyes Peninsula, it is highly probable that they will become concentrated in the immediate vicinity of the Observatory and thus should keep volunteers very busy. At the present time, work is in progress preparing net lanes and trapping sites in especially favorable locations.

Concurrent with Operation Transient, Marianne Shepard will be conducting a banding clinic to teach current methods of ageing, sexing, netting, and so forth. This will provide an excellent opportunity to take full advantage of a trip to Point Reyes.

Experienced netters and banders are needed to man nets and traps on a continuing basis for periods of a few days to a week or more. All banding on Point Reyes will be done on the Observatory's Master Permit. Consequently, out-of- state or even foreign volunteers will be able to participate. Recorders and observers with little or no banding experience will be needed to help out at various locations and at the same time will receive training in identification and banding.

To ensure efficient spread of banding time (and to ensure availability of accommodations at the Observatory, if desired), scheduling will have to be coordinated by the Observatory staff. Accommodations, which are limited, include the essentials for sleeping, cooking, and eating, and are available for a modest nightly fee.

Send a brief resume of your experience and qualifications as a bander or observer; and indicate your first, second, and third choice of dates, and what accommodations you will need. (Unfortunately, because of the limited facilities, children cannot be properly accommodated. Dogs are not Pi'lrmitted. Any exceptions must be cleared with the Administrative Officer.)

All correspondence on Operation Transient should be directed to: Dr. Howard L. Cogswell c/o Point Reyes Bird Observatory Palomarin Ranch Mesa Road Bolinas, California

GEORGE R. SHIER of Golden, Colorado, who banded 73 species of birds In 1965, writes of the possibilities for banding studies in that State:

"Colorado has a unique position, geographically, as a place to see birds. Some of the birds of the plains and of the East appear in migration along the east-slope foothills in the center of the State. Some of the eastern birds nest in favorable groves along the eastern border of the State as at Bonny Lake on the Republican River. The southeastern corner of the State holds some birds of Texas. The extensive alpine areas hold birds of the North, and the western valleys contain a number of southwestern species plus some winterinq birds from the Northwest. The most recent Colorado check- list has about 450 species, and additional accidental species plus new nesting species are added from time to time.

"My banding station at Golden is on the line between the grassy plains and the Ponderosa Pines at a point where the foothills consist of a single hogback ridge. The hogback ridge is covered with a mixture of grass, shrubs, and some pines and cedars. My station is at the north end of a ridge where a small creek cuts through to the plains. The Gap (Van Bibber Creek Gap) provides a barrier and the shrubs on the north end of the hogback a resting zone for migrating birds. The ridge also provides an updraft for soaring birds headed north or south. Occasionally, when storms hold up migration, large numbers of birds and species appear in the Gap. Thus, our station is a very favorable location for banding.

"Only a few banding stations are operated in Colorado and most of these that band small birds are located in a north-south position at the foot of the mountains between Sedalia and Fort Collins at varying elevations from about 5,000 feet to 6,500 feet. Slight differences in elevation change the habitat and the species to some extent. Thus far, we have not learned much about migration through banding, because the various stations have not secured the band numbers of other stations and there have been few returns from afar on non-game birds. However, banding has confirmed some species difficult to identify in the air such as the Philadelphia Vireo and the Palm, Magnolia, Tennessee, Worm-eating, and Pine Warblers. More than 30 species of warblers have been reported in Colorado and additional species will be confirmed by banding.

"Despite a great amount of work carried on by past and contemporary ornithologists, much of Colorado has been touched very lightly. Opportunity still exists to add important data on ecology, density, migration, and life history of Colorado birds. Much of what is now known about Colorado birds has been published recently in a two-volume set, BIRDS OF COLORADO, by Alfred M. Bailey and Robert J. Niedrach of the Denver Museum of Natural History. In the 1,175 pages are included colored illustrations of 420 species, as well as many black and white photographs. The set is available from the Museum at a cost of $35."

MRS. W. C. DeLONG of Shenandoah, Iowa, works with her son, Richard DeLong, who is a ranger in the summertime at Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado:

"White-breasted Nuthatch, banded in 1959 at my feeder at Rocky Mountain National Park, has returned every year and again this year - 1965. MacGillivray's Warbler, male, banded in July, 1963, returned in 1964 and again in 1965. It nests here. Two Yellow Warblers, immature when banded in July of 1963, both returned for the first time in June, 1965; they nest here. Male Violet-green Swallow, banded in June, 1961, returned for the first time in 1965. Male (Western) Tanager, banded in 1960, returned in 1963 and 1965."

The following changes should be made in the 1965 Annual Report, Vol. 41, No.2, April 1966, to show the birds banded by the U. S. National Museum (Pacific Project) in Alaska separately from those banded in Hawaii and the Pacific Islands: Hawaii, Alaska Pacific Islands American Golden Plover 34 28 Ruddy Turnstone 3,529 32 Pectoral Sandpiper 3 Page 14 Winter Wren 4 Page 15 Gray-ern. Rosy Finch 144 Page 16 Lapland Longspur 1 Snow Bunting 5 Rock Sandpiper 8 Sharp-tailed Sandpiper 4 Ruff 1 Pomarine Jaeger 1 Red-legged Kittiwake 1 Total for Alaska: Change from 9,152 to 12,887 Total for Hawaii and Pacific Islands: Change from 429,833 to The following is a copy of a letter addressed to Mrs. H. P. Henningsen, immediate past-President of the Western Bird-Banding Association:

"Regretfully it is announced that, following the usual business meeting on February 12, 1966, at Skagit Valley College, Mount Vernon, Washington, the Pacific International Chapter of WBBA was formally disbanded.

"Several reasons for this were: (a) Drop in membership; (b) Problems and distance in communication; (c) Changing Bird-Banding policies.

"A motion was proposed and carried that this formal statement of disband- ment be originated by the Secretary and sent to you.

lilt is planned to hold social-field meetings semi-annually in B. C. and Washing- ton, - April and October, - which will help to bring int.erested members together, with the hope that they will continue to benefit from their contacts.

liOn behalf of our group, may we express our warm appreciation for the very friendly association that has been our pleasure to share throughout the years.

II It has served to build new friendships, and to increase our knowledge in a very worthwhile activity.

(Reprinted from "Decoys, Net Sets and Baits," by Robert P. Yunick, EBBA News, Vol. 29, No.2 •.)

II Frequently (when one IS netting) wind is a problem. Some areas of the country have almost perpetual wind and at such places untethered nets can be worthless. Even taking advantage of available cover is not enough to counter a stiff wind. Tethering involves securing the slack netting on the trammel lines to prevent the wind from gathering the netting at one end thereby making the bulk of the net tight and ineffective. Tether- ing is accomplished in several ways, and two are worth mentioning. They are glueing with Duco cement and tying with nylon fishing line. Both are best done on a quiet day when one can set a net, adjust the slack and then work on the net. If a quiet day is not available and one must work in the wind, the slack should be adjusted and held in place by pinch clothespins, and then the net can be tethered. (Spreading the net out on the living room floor also works, if one uses the fish-line technique. Ed.) Tether- ing with Duco cement involves glueing a mesh of netting to a trammel line at various points. My own 12m nets are fastened at 10, 20 and 30 feet on the top, middle and bottom trammels and 15 and 25 feet on the remaining two trammels. After a year of hard use or two years of moderate use, reglueing is necessary. The fish-line technique involves fastening a line at one end of the trammel and tying knots at regular intervals along the trammel, so that the fish line secures a mesh to the trammel at the point of the knot. A variation of this is to tie the first knot at the middle of the net and work toward both ends with the resulting shorter pieces of line. Some people tie only one trammel, some tie two or more. Some tie every six inches, one foot, three feet or whatever strikes their fancy. Tethering has the slight disadvantage of taking some of the slack out of a net, but this disadvantage is far outweighed by the effectiveness of a tethered net in the wind."

For those not inclined towards the do-it-yourself approach, a new type HT tethered net is now available from the Northeastern Bird-Banding Association. This net is "similar to type H, but tethered on the top edge (an extra shelfstring is tied to the regular shelfstring and mesh at frequent intervals), with the top marked by a white shelfstring. We recommend trying this for' Operation Recovery' work in windy locations. Tethered nets have been used quite widely by some netters, particularly in Britain. Because they do not permit the mesh to move downwind and bunch at the downwmd end of the net, they permit the use of nets under some windy conditions that would otherwise hamper or suspend netting. The difference is most marked for net lanes which parallel the direction of the wind at the time, and least marked for net lanes at right angles to the wind. Obviously tethering of a net will not permit use of nets under all windy conditions, if the wind is blowing a half-gale or is accompanied by rain or cold." (Quote from 6ird- Banding, Vol. 37, No.2, p. 152.) Orders and inquiries for this net (12m long, 2 Am high, foul" shelves, 70 denier, 30 mm mesh) should be sent to: Mr. E. A. Bergstrom, 37 Old Brook Road, West Hartford, Conn. 06117.

T •A. Beckett III, Route 2, Magnolia Gardens, Johns Island, S. C . John Liddy, c/o Post Office, Bunbury, Western Australia Donald Peterson, 1705 Evergreen, Burbank, California 91505 Mrs. T. G. Smith, 5228 Adelaide Way, Sacramento, California 95841 Steven Speich, 7984 Shrewsbury Ave., Fail" Oaks, California 95628

Three detailed reports on endangered species of birds, out of print for several years, have been reissued in paperback editions by Dovel" Publications, Inc. One of these, The California Condor by Carl B. Koford, is of special interest at this time, as last-ditch efforts are being made to save the species from extinction. This book, first published in 1953 as Research Report Number 4 of the National Audubon Society, is the result of investigations supervised by Dr. Joseph Grinnell and Dr. Alden H. Miller of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at the University of California at Berkeley.

The life history study recorded in The Ivory-billed Woodpecker, by James T. Turner. was supervised by the late Dr. Arthur A. Allen of Cornell University. When Mr. Turner completed his work in 1942, there were still 20 to 25 of these birds in the riverbottom and swamp forests of South Carolina, Florida, and Louisiana.

The third book is Robert Porter Allen's The Roseate Spoonbill, probably the finest study ever done of the species.

These editions are the same fine quality as the Dovel" reprints of Bent1s Life History Series. All three are liberally illustrated and are available, at $2.00 each, from Dovel" Publications, Inc., 180 Varick St., New York, N. Y. 10014. t££S8 euoz!J'v' '}jaaJ:> al\e:> 176 xOS'O C:I H30~VOOHIO ~H3~S3£

The Western Bird Bander is published four times a year by the Western Bird- Banding Association. Applications for membership should be sent to the Business Manager. Membership classifications are: Active Member $3.50 per year; Associate Member $3.50 per year; Sustaining Member $7.00 per year.

President: Lt. Alan M. Craig, 712 Tarento Dr., San Diego, California 92106

First V. Pres.: D. Bruce Swinehart, Jr., 5512 Valhalla Dr., Carmichael, Calif.

Second V. Pres.: Dr. William J. Hamilton III, Zoology Dept., Univ. of Calif. at Davis, Davis, California

Secretary: Miss Marie L. Mans, 2723-B Stuart St., Berkeley, California 94705

Business Manager: Ken Legg, D.L. Bliss State Park, Homewood, Calif. 95718 WESTERN BIRD BANDER

FROM THE PRESIDENT . . NOTES ON A FUNNEL TRAP FOR DUCKS by Wayne Campbell DISEASED MOURNING DOVES by Dorothy B. Hunt ..... AGEING BIRDS BY SKULL OSSIFICATION by James Baird. TREASURER'S ANNUAL REPORT. . . REVIEW: BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA REVIEW: BIRDS OF COLORADO

Mary Poppins may have been satisfied with being only "practically perfect," but we must strive for absolute perfection in our banding schedules. Forgive me for continuing to harp on the matter, but this is the last issue of Western Bird Bander you will receive before 1966 schedules are due. The delay in processing our recovery reports is largely attributable to the appalling amount of time required at the Banding Laboratory to process carelessly prepared schedules. (Mr. Baysinger remarked at our Annual Meeting that 40% of last year's schedules had to be questioned.) Thus, one cannot overemphasize the importance of following Banding Manual instructions explicitly - typing (preferably), or printing schedules legibly with black ink; rechecking AOU numbers, coordinates, status codes, etc.; and indicating age and sex only when they can be determined positively.

On the subject of determining age and sex, your attention is directed to James Baird's excellent article on skull ossification in this issue. This is a very valuable technique; however, it should be used with caution until one is thoroughly familiar with its limitations. To quote from a recent letter from Mr. William C. Russell, Biological Technician at the Banding Laboratory: "It works well on kinglets, creepers, sparrows, warblers, vireos, Empidonax flycatchers, some thrushes, small fringillids. Woodpeckers cannot be aged by skull ossification but practically all of them can be aged by eye (iris) color. The eyes of the adult are reddish-brown while rIhose ol] the immatures tend to be olive-brownish. This works for the genus Dendropocos, Centurus, Colaptes, and probably Picoides, Melanerpes, and Sphyrapicus . . . I think the best thing that can be done is for people to take a close look at the birds they catch. In most passerines, there is a difference in eye color between the adults and the immatures. In some species, this is so slight as to be useless as a field technique but in many it is remarkably good. We don't really know how long this difference in eye color lasts, but in some species at least, it's good until the first of the year. Eye color would be useful in ~gein~ woodpeckers, mimic thrushes, probably Zonotrichias, juncos, and many others."

A perusal of copies of permits issued during the past few months indicates that there are numerous projects underway in the Western Region which involve color banding. The Banding Laboratory has been cautious about authorizing color-marking projects because some of the newer methods of marking have proved fatal to the birds; also, colors of plastic markers often fade to the point where they are indistinguishable. Obviously, there is a limitation to the number of projects which can be undertaken at any given time. There is a real need for someone in each regional banding association to coordinate color- marking projects in the r.egion, i. e., to become familiar with the projects and methods that have been authorized, to advise other banders in the region who desire to undertake color marking, and to act as liaison with the Banding Laboratory on these matters. If anyone who has a strong interest, and preferably some knowledge and experience in color marking, would like to represent the Western Bird-Banding Association in this capacity, please let me know.

If you have not received the latest "Memo To All Banders'l issued by the Banding Laboratory on 17 August 1966, or are missing any of the previous four "MTABls" (dated 14 May, 29 Sept., and 9 Dec. 1965; and 25 July 1966), you should request the missing ffio3mo(s) from the Banding Laboratory.

Your Association is fortunate in that Mrs. Enid Austin has' agreed to continue as Membership Chairman. As such, she will be contacting all new permit holders to urge them to join the Association. If you know any active banders (and any others who are interested in banding)' who are not members, please encourage them vigorously to join; also, forward their names and addresses to Mrs. Austin (1116 Mandana Boulevard, Oakland, California 94610). Obviously, if the Western Bird-Banding Association functions as it should in disseminating the latest developments in banding methods and the knowledge resulting from banding studies, and in furthering close relations between banders and the Banding Laboratory, then it is worthwhile for every bander to belong. Conversely, the Association cannot adequately fulfill this mission without the support (financial and active participation) of every bander in the Western Region.

NOTES ON A FUNNEL TRAP FOR DUCKS by Wayne Campbell

The funnel trap, with varying modifications, is probably the most popular unit used by banders to trap waterfowl, especially ducks. The trap is portable, simp ly built, and - most important - yields good results with little chance of injury coming to trapped birds.

From 9 to 18 April this past spring, pond and diving ducks were successfully trapped using a funnel trap of the type shown in Figure 1. This trap was borrowed, with kind permission, from Mr. Alan Best, Curator, Stanley Park Zoo. Since trapping ducks was a new experience for me and many preliminary errors were made, the following notes may be of use and interest to other banders.

The trap itself consists of six 5' x 5' tubular steel frames, covered with galvanized chicken-wire mesh. These, when assembled, form the body of the trap, - 101 x 51 X 51. Another two frames,S' x 21, form the funnel. Note in Figure 1 that the funnel entrance is full height. Each frame has two 6" legs which serve to anchor the trap bottom when pushed into the ground. Frame tops are held together by metal "u" joiners (Figure. 2) . To avoid injury to trapped and excited birds, a stiff rope netting was used to cover the top of the trap instead of conventional wire-mesh frames. The trap can be enlarged simply by adding frames to existing ones. This trap is easily erected and dismantled and requires minimum maintenance to keep in good operating condition. several locations before learning that it was more rewarding to take the trap to the ducks than to bring the ducks to the trap.

For pond ducks, best results were obtained by setting the trap on or near natural feeding-loafing areas. This may be a sandy peninsula, a small islet, or an elevated grassy shore area. In five days, 21 Wood Ducks and 13 Mallards, as well as 32 Coots, 6 Starlings, and 3 Redwinged Blackbirds were trapped from these locations.

For diving ducks, best results were obtained by setting the trap in about t81i of water, on a gentle sloping bottom close to the shoreline. The bottom should be firm so as to prevent bait loss. The funnel entrance should face deep water. In four days, 21 Greater Scaups, 3 Lesser Scaups, 5 Buffleheads, and 6 Mallards were trapped this way.

Whether trapping pond or diving ducks, the trap must be baited. Grains, especially barley and wheat, and peanut hearts sprinkled lightly in and around the trap - and quite heavily near the funnel entrance - are recommended. Pre-baiting an area may be advantageous In certain situations.

Sometim.gs, when operating a trap in one location too long, repeats become a nuisance to a bander. To prevent this, the trap should be transferred occasionally to a new location.

When using funnel traps for ducks, the bander should remember: Never set a trap in fast-moving water or in water where lack of current during the winter may cause the trap to become frozen-in. If possible, place the trap where it will be con- cealed and where it will be protected from the prevailing winds. When trapping diving ducks, especially, leave enough trap above the water surface to compensate for fluctuating water levels. DISEASED MOURNING DOVES by Dorothy B. Hunt

In April of this year there were many reports of sick and dying Mourning Doves in the County of Santa Cruz, California, both in city areas and in agricultural sections. Specimens examined by the Department of Fish and Game showed that the birds were all infected with trichomoniasis, commonly known as canker, a widespread disease caused by the flagellated protozoan parasite Trichomonas gallinae. While the immediate cause of death in some cases was strychnine poisoning from treated rape seed put out for House Finch control, the birds all had the disease, as well.

A pamphlet enclosed with the laboratory report sent us explained that the parasite lives in the throats of doves and pigeons, where it causes inflammation and the formation of large caseous lumps which block the esop'hagus and lead to emaciation and eventually starvation. The organism can survive outside the. throat in water or feed for short periods of time, causing contagion in whole flocks where diseased birds have fed. Infested adults pass the parasite on to the young in "pigeon milk," so that outbreaks of the disease often occur in spring after a dormant period during fall and winter.

While the disease primarily affects doves and pigeons, it may spill over into other species such as finches, sparrows, and blackbirds which frequent the same areas. Even hawks may become infected from eating sick doves.

Medication is impracticable and may even be dangerous. All one can do, apparently, is to discourage backyard feeding of doves so that they will disperse and forage for themselves where infected material is unlikely to be picked up.

This is a matter that banders will want to consider most carefully in their trapping activities. Since heavy feeding is often involved, it might be well to bear in mind that whenever food is concentrated in a small area, and particularly if uneaten food lies around to rot, the danger of spreading fungus and other bird diseases is greatly increased.

If you would like further information about trichomoniasis, write to the Department of Fish and Game, 722 Capitol Ave., Sacramento 14, Calif. Ask for Game Management Leaflet No.2.

AGEING BIRDS BY SKULL OSSIFICATION by James Baird

In the January 1961 issue of Bird-Banding (32:55-57), Dr. Robert A. Norris presented banders with an almost foolproof method of ageing small birds in the late summer, fall, and early winter. This simple technique requires only a hand lens (lOX) and good light, and can be applied to nearly all passerines. The following is basically an abstract of Norris' paper.

"The skull of a passerine bird when it leaves the nest is made up of a single layer of bone in the area overlying the brain; at least, the covering appears single when viewed microscopically. Later the brain case becomes double-layered, the outer layer being separated from the inner layer by an air space across which extend numerous small columns of bone. It is not necessary to section the bone to determine the condition. Externally the skull of the immature bird appears uniform and pinkish in live and freshly- killed specimens. The skull of the adult is whitish, due to the air space, and also it is finely speckled as a result of the dense white bony columns between the layers." (ed.-Miller, Bird-Banding 17:33-35, 1946)

Miller points out that "the double condition is attained progressively and in some species, more rapidly than in others." He says further that "in many passerine species of the north temperate region one may rely on evidence of immaturity persisting in the skull through September and October. Often they may be detected later. Experi- ence must be gained separately with each species in order fully to evaluate the evidence." In the English Sparrow (Passer domesticus), Nero (Wilson Bull., 63:84-88,1951) found that the double condition "had been attained in one specimen 181 days old, but (that) another specimen 221 days old still showed small clear areas." In some species (such as the Pigmy Nuthatch, Sitta pygmaea) the clear areas may have diminished to small size (2 or 3 mm. in diameter) by the first week in November. In others (such as the Savannah Sparrow, Passerculus sandwichensis) comparable diminution in size is not seen, as a rule, until early December.

Miller's method involved cutting the skin, Norris' method was to pluck the feathers and look through the skin, but it was soon discovered that in most instances all that was required was to wet the feathers on the side of the head, part them and then look through the skin.

If the bird's head is held between the thumb and the index finger, the loose skin can be moved back and forth thus enabling one to see, with the use of a hand lens, the many white dots of the a.dult or the boundary between the whitish ossified and the clear pink unossified areas in the immature. The use of a hand lens is essential, if the results are to be as accurate as the potential of the technique. Since the ossification proceeds centripetally and anteriorly, be sure to examine the area between the eyes of all birds with ossified skulls, to make sure they aren't "advanced" immatures. (Editor's note: Use of a jeweler's loupe, which clips to the frame of eyeglasses, instead of a hand lens, will free both hands for holding the bird and manipulating its scalp. The loupe can be swung up out of line-of-vision between uses, and is easily attached or detached from the earpiece of glasses - or empty frames for those who don't require glasses).

~dditional suggestions: A weak soap - not detergent - ,solution will help to wet the skin, making it easier to see the skull. A strong light source is important. Finally, do not expect to be able to age every bird by this method; especially thick skin, a large amount of fat under the skin, or head molt may make it difficult to see the skull. ~_g_dJ~-

TREASURERIS ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 MARCH 1966

Receipts

Checking account balance 31 March 1965 $ 632.30 Savings account balance 31 March 1965 669.34 $1,301.64

Interest on savings 31 March 1965 to 31 March 1966 $ 27.16 Dues and miscellaneous receipts 634.33 661.49

$1,963.13

Disbursements

Western Bird Bander Apr. 1965 $ 243.22 " " " Jul. , 1965 54.47 )I " )I Oct. , 1965 85.56 II )I !' Jan. , 1966 139.39 $ 522.64

Annual report forms and expenses $ 78.52 Treasurerls expenses 26.88 Membership chairman 7.00 Bank service charges .60 Miscellaneous .50

Checking account balance 31 March 1966 $ 630.49 Savings account balance 31 March 1966 696.50 1,326.99

$1,963.13

Membership: 208 Active and Associate, 21 Sustaining, 10 Life Members. BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. A Guide to Field Identification. C. S. Robbins, B. Bruun, and H. Zim. Ill. by A. Singer. 1966. Golden Press, New York. 340 pp. + 150 col. pI. $2.95 paperback. $4.95 library ed.

The ingenious lay-out of this new field guide allows quick reference to range maps, sonograms of song or calls (300 species), descriptive text, and color illustrations of all common eastern and western North American birds. All pertinent information on one specIes IS arranged on opposite pages - no leafing back and forth to match illustrations with text.

The range maps are based on the extensive distributional files of the U. S. Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife. Although of necessity too small to show regional details, they clearly depict, in color, gross geographic and seasonal distribution from central Mexico to Alaska. There is no other field guide on the market that visually illustrates the distribution of all common North American birds, a feature that should greatly aid field birders and banders alike to become more cognizant of the normal range of the birds they identify. Accidental and casual distributional records are generally not shown on the maps.

The text gives much useful information on habitat preference and characteristic behavior patterns. For many species the normal rate of song delivered per minute IS given. Since this rate deviates so frequently from "normal," it will be interesting to test this information for its usefulness in field identification.

The color illustrations by one of our foremost bird artists are excellent, often showing the bird in a species-distinct posture on a bit of typical habitat. In addition to breeding, non-breeding, and immature plumages, when different, several double-page color plates illustrate similar groups of birds on a comparative basis. The silhouettes are particularly well done.

The most unique and interesting feature of this book is the reproduction of audio- spectrograms or sonograms of songs and calls, "included as an experiment to see if ,his technique shows promise for field use." They are well explained, with samples, in the introduction. Examples of "song pictures" very useful to the field birder are the clearly recognizable differences in songs of the Lincoln's, Swamp, and Song Spar- rows, as well as the calls of the two dowitchers and the Red-tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks. One of the major difficulties seems to be the reproduction of comparative loudness; the faint tracings of the loud song of the Connecticut Warbler is a case in point. Instead of the complex songs of the Carpodacus and Spinus finches, sonograms of their distinctive flight calls may be more useful in the field. As a tool for field identification, this objective method of visual reproduction of vocalizations is far superior to the onomatopoetic descriptions of the past. Hopefully, with new material and techniques becoming available, the authors will revise and add to this feature in a future edition.

A few mmor errors were noted: The treatment of marginal records on the range maps IS not always consistent, i. e., the Ruff is indicated as occurring in California, but the Golden Plover is not (the latter is by far the more common of the two on the Pacific Coast); one may argue with the authorsl remark that the Hammo'nd's Flycatcher "avoids dense forest, prefers openings and edge," or that the Scrub Jay "skillfully remains out of sight;" and one may occasionally find the greens and reds in the illustrations somewhat unnatural.

These small discrepancies do not in the least detract from the usefulness of this new field guide which is without question a "Best Buy" in its class. It is a compact, complete, and superbly organized reference source for field identification of eastern and western North American birds, and, with its many unique features, it is a most effective supplement to the regional bird books and field guides on the market. MARIE L. MANS

BIRDS OF COLORADO. By Alfred M. Bailey and Robert J. Niedrach. 1965. Denver Museum of Natural History. Two volumes, folio size, 1175 pp, 124 color plates, 400 photographs, 1 map. (15#) $35.00.

These are the bare statistics as would appear in a book dealer's catalog; but bare statistics do not hint at the excellence of this most recent of State bird lists. There have been articles on Colorado bird-life in the periodicals of each decade, but there have been only three previous attempts at full State coverage, the last in 1928.

Current to August, 1965, this two-volume set covers 439 species of birds that have been observed in Colorado, with all useful data brought up to date in so far as space would permit. However, large sectors of the State have been but casually explored, and new species are still being added to the State list.

There are 124 color plates showing 700 individual birds of 420 species. They represent the work of 23 different artists, ranging from well-known names such as Peter Scott, Roger Tory Peterson, Don R. Eckelberry, and Francis Lee Jaques, to new and little-known artists such as Dexter Landeau and Donald Malick who are now working with the Denver Museum of Natural History. Most of the 400 photographs were taken by the authors or other Museum personnel, although, where choice prints of certain species were not available locally, the best of the nation's bird-photographers have contributed. There is one State topographic map and a detailed gazetteer; interesting sections on early explora- tion, geography and topography, climate, life zones and plant life; a fine bibliography; and an index.

Data for each species include recognition, range, status in Colorado and neighboring states, and life-history activities. Banders may be disappointed that there is little mention of banding, although extensive banding has been done in the State. There are, no doubt, many omissions of data, each one of which might be of interest to someone; yet their omission has not damaged the whole. Considering that this is the first modern, State-wide book of Colorado birds, and that literally hundreds of thousands of items have had to be sifted and judgments made, one can only wonder at the excellence of the final product. To me, and I believe to others in like circumstances, there is now a target, a "bible," some- thing against which to check personal observations for the possibility of new species and new behavior. Birders the nation over should salute this latest great work on local bird- distribution. JOHNSON A. NEFF

SCHEDULE OF ADVERTISING RATES FOR THE WESTERN BIRD BANDER

SPACE PER ISSUE PER YEAR (4 ISSUES) FULL PAGE $14.00 $45.00 HALF PAGE. . . . 8.50 27.00 QUARTER PAGE 5.00 16.00 EIGHTH PAGE (or 6 lines) 3.00 9.50 The second informal field meeting of the members of the Pacific International Chapter was held at Skagit Game Range, Conway, Washington, on 15 October 1966.

The recovery of an albatross in Chile early this year was considered of sufficient interest to warrant space in a number of newspapers across the country. The Associated Press story, dated 9 February 1966:

Santiago, Chile "An albatross believed to have flown 6, 000 miles across the South Pacific from New Zealand is Page 1 news in Santiago. liThe big bird found exhausted on the shore this week with a leg band reading "Museum of New Zealand 4-1756" was revived with massage baths and feeding on fish in the Santiago Zoo and berthed with pelicans and penquins, pending word from New Zealand. liThe pelicans don't like their visitor, the penquins do."

In August, 1965, a Sooty Shearwater, banded by personnel of the Dominion Museum of New Zealand, was found among a number of dead shearwaters at Aptos, California. (See II Shearwaters Again -- And An Important Recovery" by Dorothy B. Hunt, Western Bird Bander. Vol. 41, No.1, p. 2, 1966. )

REMEMBER! 1966 ANNUAL MEETING AT POINT REYES BIRD OBSERVATORY!

Glenhaven Standby, 4 cell $10.00 Glenhaven Standby, 2 cell 5.00 Glenhaven Warbler, 4 cell 10.00 Glenhaven Warbler, 2 cell 5.00 Glenhaven Tree trap 6.00 Glenhaven Decoy Sparrow 7.00 Glenhaven Everset Sparrow 10.00

Ask for folder Russell S. Davis Clayton, III. 62324 I££S8 euoz!J'v' '>jaaJ:) al\e:) 176 X08·0 i::I H30~VR OHIR ~H3~S3~

Second V. Pres.: Dr. William J. Hamilton III, Zoology Dept., Univ. of Calif. at Davis, Davis, California 95616