JUNE BIRDS OF LARAMIE WYOMING (THE STORY OF A VACATION TRIP.)

THE WILSON BULLETIN NO. 90. A VOL. QUARTERLY xxvii JOURNAL MARCH, OF 1915. ORNITHOLOGY NO. .--_ I OLD SERIES VOL. XXVII. NEW SERIES VOL. XXII. JUNE BIRDS OF LAKAMIE, A VACATION WYOMING. TRIP.) (THE STORY OF UY W. F. HENNINGER My long desired vacation had come. For some time 1 had been loo’ ing for a new ornithological field, for one tires of k sameness, besides I wished to study some species in nature in order to be able to describe them accurately in my work. So I had finally concluded to go to ‘ yoming and try my W luck there. A careful perusal of Professors Knight’ ” Birds s of Wyoming ” convinced me that some work might be done there and some new observations might be made. May 2G found me on the train to Chicago where I spent a fmewd:lightful hours with my friend Eifrig and the next day I was speeding across the plains of Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska. As the train left North Platte ‘ #n the morning of the 28th o and sto’ ped at som: smallaer stations I saw the Western p Meadowlark and heard for the first time its beautiful liquid note. Along the l’ atte river was a Great Blue Heron, a l flock of wild ducks and a few Sandpipers, which I could not identify. Cheyennle was r-ached at 3 p. m., but it was on a later visit to this place on June 11th that I could see the Bronzed Gsackle and the Red-headed Woodpecker of true Eastern species. ‘ he real climb towards the divide then T 222 began metres, and TIIE WILSON I:ULLETIN - No. 90 up on the crest, at Sherman, meadow, at the height of 2iOO through which a little Blackbirds sun. Close luck I saw on a mountain th’ ir e me. nut brook gushed down the valley, Ilreening to the favored the first Brewer’ s plumage lxairie in the glossy blua-black were many nmre track gophers, 10 dogs and, as train. than metres away sat a Burrowing And Owl and looked undisturbed to the Laramie oval of dusty, at the long overland then we swung around a sharp curve to begin the descent inPlains, 190 kilometres River meandering long, an almost perfect with a broad silvery its center. Mountains kilometres To at away I,> through Laramie Xi dark green, aolling prairie, band, the Laramie the end of which West a gloomy the east rose the long slo’ ing barren p there stood the Laramie a number of shining Peak X50 in the hazy distance metres high, while to the overtopped icy peaks, and dark whit: wall of mountains, orags and shimmering gilded by the sun’ fiery rays seemed in their sublime and cos lossal majesty -to fomrbid all attempts of frail man to conquer them. And rado’ s met the train icekings eyes. sped on. formed Down Back of us, to the South, barrier. Distance Colo- a perfxt immense and endless before owr us to the Korth as the boundless prairie speed, then a and slowly There we my shot the train at terrific a hissing of airbrakes who with queaking friend, of wheels, 0. rolled into the typical Rev. and Gerhold western town of Laramie. ways during Wichmann, me his two sons Arthur my stay, met -On th: way helped me in many to my in me and conducted ing garb, of the House headquarters. their b:autiful Chaffinch, through town I was everywhere Finches reminding greeted by the memy twitterrose-colored but alas! in ruffian, me of the European and chirping, the dusty street fighting the English that miserable trip Sparromw, who had come to stay. the cool mountain of my outfit I In spite of the long and tiresome the next saunteretl morning along and after air and the glorious sun chased me out of bed rather (early on the unpacking some of the streets with their cotton-wood HENNINGER trees, their sand and iIouse JUNE EIRDS OF IAR.\MII: 22:: tlxeir general unfinishetl apl)earance. Finches everywhere and I stood and watched them fc.1 In the City Park a block away a \\‘ stern e to\vards Meado\vforth away Desert Pacific The its melody and running Horned Ice Plant unusuall.y with early valley the sun’ golden s between \vanderetl and to the hours. orb. their to th: Laramie waters Horned lark was pouring gophers whisked Union A walk of two minutes; and I was on the open pra’ rie, l on the ground Slowly spring I its Reservoir was overtlnxetl. burrows. River. Larks Larks. to rise and the whole had ca!l~etl the 1)esert on all Lon~gqxlrs. and 1leadowlarks seemxl to be fotlntl sides and among them 1 saw my first ~lcCowns .I few steps farther and I ran on to a pair of the I:eautiful Sests of C’ iff Swallow. l I.aralnie, W’ \‘ ., June 13, 1914. .o Lark Buntings. my a bird that is rather attention. Over the rare in this whole region Now a new sight of small river a cloud west of the border attrracted birds was hovering chain of the Rockies. and I hastened over there almost running 224 TI-IE WILSON BULLETIN--0. who slunk barking angrily 90 away into his ease New a At one sento in and up and over a prairiedog, hole. I could make good last tinel gather I study spied of The cloud swooped to my head and with out that it was Violet-green sidse and I was hardly one, then through periect Swallows. loom species on every making anomther one would seemed to make the request to be studied and identified. some old acquaintances : several standin, v on guard enormous flock of Swallow;. I strolled like swallows Killdeefr, a German alighting Greater Yellow-legs up and anothx mud-Eave Finally Altogether towards I never did see as many swallows four weeks: loudly, ment. farther “ Birds Mountain Townsend il:g to in all my life as I saw here in Laramie my headquarters post, warb’ ing l Bluebird. sweetly, there on a telephone tho’ gh not very u amaze- sat a Mountain on was another of Washington Bluebicd, appears thos; I stood in perfect I looked again but across the street sat two more and one warbling, ” the entire the and then I wondered Dawson song “ delightful lumber pile. to write in his of etc.” the of I 1 tradition what had induced my dear old fri:nd including to be quite Bluebirds warble ” without very foundation sat down on a somewhat watch watched dilapidated I was go- closely. Altogether three pairs of them and there was certainlv a sweet So after all delightful warble coming from those throats. Townsend add that was right and Dawson is wrong. And I may I watched Bluebirds in Laramie evelry dxy during they built their my stay and in REV. Wichmann’ s yard where nest the male would sing on top of the nesting box and warble Yes ilzdeed the Moulztain often for 15 minutes at a time. Bluebird ness. hm a delightful warble, although it does not quite and sweetcome up to that of our eastern Bluebird was a White-throated of course I could in power At last I got back to the ho’ se and here in thse yard u and two White-crowned not make Spatrrows but out whether it was leucoplzr3rs Another short stroll added the Sparrows to my list proper or the subspecies. Western Chipping and the Clay-colored of birds observed. HENNINGER- JUNE BIRDS OF LARAMIE 225 The town of Lalramie itself furnished quite a number of species not found on the prairie or in thz mountains. The first day I saw my only pair of Bullock’ Orioles right in the s cotton-wood trees and after that although I searched for them carefully I never saw them again. In town too was the only place I saw the Broad-tailed Hummer in the gardens among the flowers, the Hammond and the Aldw Flycatcher, the Western Goldfinch, the Batchelder’ s Woodpecker and others. May 30th found us on the road towards the Larami: Mountains. This was the warmest day I experienced, the Xest nnd eggs of Wilson’ Pllnlnrolbe. s Carroll IAlieS, \V.vo., Jnne 12, 1014. thermometer sweltered, showing 82 degrees in the shade and the natives I of course thought it delightfully cool. At first we had two miles of gophers and prairiedogs with one Burrowing Owl, one Sparrow Hawk and innumerable Mourning Doves till we got to the City Springs. Here we ran on to a colony of Bank Swallows, a flock of Brewers Blackbirds, a Kingbird and a fine specimen of thz Arkansas - Kingbird. Just beyond the City Springs the bare rock stuck out and ran for about six miles in a kind of a barren plateau. while The solid rock was varied only by greasewood and cactus, with which I got a somewhat painful acquaintance at first, growing out of the crevices. To th: right of us ran a long canyon, the sides of which were densely covered with greasewood and here I cecognized \iesper which stronger, 2 Cre\ver’ s \Ve flow3s Sparrow exceeds at once the song of thz Western to that of the eastern variety between there arose a by its similarity it in s\\-Neetness. In diEcult shrubs more trilling Sparrow. on, song and soon I noticed the performer. to get at ant1 identified grew denser, great colors, in such forth it as Once known it is not quickly forgotM1. but he was exceedingly wanderetl with the beds of dark illexquisite from thz the most intense scarlet, of and glowing dig-o blue, ?unli,qht, dreary ened yellow, and all l-met1 and white, there were burst purity, as I had never geaseivood attentively. sight seen them before, a sutltlen they shone in the bright and glory. I list- a song of great power SureI!, of the songstzr-a Thrasher fine notes and at Sage Thrasher. and he other last I caught certainly 1 had read much nbn~lt the \,ocal powers is a fine songster. above that of Sti!l I would 1)erformance of this biul On the not place his best he helps to put above the stantlall we shou!tl be a ,gootl Catbird. he liv.3 hand ii1 that sterile helped to extol art1 wh’ h c thankful And they waste iii \\hich life, b~eauty and meludv renliy into a wilderness somewhat 13ut aft-r attain. ant1 that may have his vccal powers that he has been placed in these desolate places. again there was a change in the landscape. There song or!uc iii th;: air, great beds of saxe appeared the midst than of it there came still another that of the Brewer’ s as that of the Sa=e Thrasher, it was tinkling but stronger Sparrow. COLI- was a peculiar now and from not as po’ erful w 2lld more beautiful Everywhere pled with +on in this r_> Their q-eat in the sic and that of the Thrasher had clu:te a concert. tion ‘ asy ant1 T had e and the Brewer’ s Sparrow I plain gray garb made identificadelight in watching these Sag: Tn all my travels thfrough the Sage brush howSparrows. ever T was unlucky in not finding that bird otherwise so com- mon in \Vyoming, Wow the ground more laborious. up to the next the Sage Grouse, just as I missed the Blue began to rise and the traveling Horned Owl became Grouse of th,: Mountains. As the echo o’ one of my shots rolled along f flew out of a Juniper-tlrez Hawk, canyon. Then came the first pines, one of the canyon a great them showing three holes, one occupied by a Sparrow on: by a Ketl-shafted bees. Ylourning 110 prowling Fl’ ker c IHere we rested for a while. examined and one by a s\varm of humblethe nest of a Dove in the crevice of a rock down so deep that coyote could ever reach it, and saw two main a tree and enabling us to see that it a pair of some jestic bi~rds come yailing over the crest of the nearest canvon. one of them alighting was that glorious bird, the Ferruginous boundary 3% kilometres away. Robins Solitaire Loudly Ro~qh-leg, which had their nest at the chimney rocks near the Co8iorado Thse canyon showed steep sides farther up and in going down one of these \ve even up a deep si- noticed that the Western here 3000 metres high. gorge sat a Townsend lent and although vias a Rock Wren the beautiful Warbling breasted to limb. Then were to be found unfortupately against On a dvry limb overhanging absolutely my T had hopzcl to hear the song of this bird scolding intrusion him, and from under my feet there slipped out Towhee. \Vhile still watching the w;ell known; quavering Mountain climbing Chickadees note of the and Redfrom limb I was disappointed. Green-tailed right above me I h-ard Vireo and in the pines at my side A~ud~~l~~n’ Walr~ were and hopping blers flitted back and forth, Nuthatches Quite a long time we whiled away here and stuclised forms of bird life. to climb to the top Vulture and at some Plover. the sailed a Turkey came the descent, I not wishing Overhead these interesting at this time. water hole on the plateau I shot a lone Mountain only one I saw during lieve through Knight’ s the L,aramie Plains. my stay and I had been induced to bebook that they we’ e common all over r Tired from this tramp of some 48 kilo- 22s THE WILSON EULLETIN-No. 90 metres up and down the mountain sides we reached home without any further interesting observations. Sunday I enjoy4 an automobile trip to the State Fish Hatchery and of course was not surprised to find a Kingfisher there watching the Esook trout with a covetous eye. Jlonday in a drizzling rain I concluded to try some of the swampy places almost within the city limits. Ringbilled Gulls, Alallards and an occasionai Crow were flying ov:r the river and at the first small pond I saw a fine female of the \Vilson’ s Phalarope standing with head erect displaying its beautiful colors. A little farther on among a number of Red-winged Sest of Tello\v-Ileaded Hl~clilliNl. Lnraniie, Wyo., June 0, 1914. Blackbirds two mc4e Lhowed up, a pair, and thon the air seemed to be alive with them. “ Most ‘ xasperating fowl ” e Dawson calls them and to be sure they were. They came and they went, .:ometimes silently, sometimes \vith a melodious flute-like note. Sow they were swimming gracefully, now gathering food with a continuo,us nodding of the head, again stalking along the shore eyeing ‘ verything with suspicion and e I watched them for hours. When all then disappearing. had disappeared I walked ahead and here they were again HENNINGER- JUNE BIRDS OF LARAMIE 229 circling around me reminding me in their flight sometimes of the Woodcock and then again of the Teal. Truly their nest was there somewhere in this swampy overflowed tract of several hundred acres but it was futile to attempt to find .it. Besides had not Milton S. Ray hunted for years txfore he found the nest, and had not Dawson despaired of ever finding it? Why should I be more fortunate? The next few days I spent in preparing specimens, for the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Miss Rose Bird Maley, had graciously granted me a permit for scientific collecting. And then I had to visit the Rluszum of the Wyoming University and there I surely met Wyoming’ s grand Nest and eggs of Yellow-headed Blackbird. J,arnulie, \V.vo., .June 6, 1914. old man in the person of Professor W. II. Reed, congenial and coucteous in every way. It was a pleasure to list-n to his stories of his participation in all of the Indian wars in this western region, or of his success in finding fossils and, surrounded by the monstrous Dinosaurs, to hear how he found the prehistoric Camel not larger than a Dachshund, how he discovered the only three heads of the Triceratops, the credit for which hme never got in the works of those who us:d his ,230 material. THE WILSON BULLETIN-NO. 90 And how he does know the Mammals and Birds, the Insects and other animals of this region! Truly it was a revelation within itself to listen to this man and many thanks do I owe him for directing me and helping me in my work while out there. The University of Wyoming owes much to him indeed ! June 4th and the 6th found me out on the open prairrie with Rev. Wichmann on a trip to Howell’ s Lakes. As wz were driving over the barren wastie to the northwest, flo’ ks of Wilc son’ Phalaropes whirled over us from one side of the road s to the other, and jackrabbits scampered along in unn-cessary haste. All of a sudden fro’ aoross the river there came a m piercing scream and a powerful bird hurled itself into the air from a wall of old battlements and weather-scarred rocks. Straight at us he seemed to come with incredible swiftness. Over our heads he went like a thunderbolt and perhaps 200 me&s away a poor Meadowlark was picked up by him, then a swoop upwards, ano’ her wild scream and like a meteor he t vanished About half an hour later and again the air was rent with this cruel scream. It seemed to breathe the unbridled spirit of this wilderness, which has its charms after all, and which all things here appear to be inspiaed with. It is in the wilcl winds of these steppes, in the grand and jumbled rocks, in the indestructible mountain grass, iti the intense colors of the flowers, in the eagle’ lofty flight, in the Antes lope’ fleeting form, in the coyote’ doleful howl, in fact in s s everything, but nothing expresses it better than the Prairibe Falcon’ riotous, unrestrained scream, the gleaming fmocity s of his eye and the unerring swoop of his mighty pinions. That is the charm of this region’ this spirit of freedom and ; liberty, How ignoble a Swainson’ Hawk appeared sitting s on the earth mound of a Prairiedog, and yet we know how much more useful this ignoble bird is than the Prairie Falcon, that robber-knight in feathas ! At last we reached the Howell’ s lakes. I walked around two lakes, three lakes, four lakes and not a bird in sight, nothing but sage and jackrabbits. Then we drove home and HENNINCER - JUNE I:IRDS OF LARAMIE 231 I got out to explore a little swampy tract. Wilson’ s Phalaropes galore and Red-winged Blackbirds with manv nests. :\I1 of a sudden back of me a loud “ clock.” I swung- around and there sat a beautiful male Yellow-headed Blackbird. I hastened to watch him and saw him disappear to thz east along the big irrigation ditch. Just when I was getting read; to follow him Rev. 1Yichmann sang out: “ 4 Magpie’ nest ” ‘ s and sure enough in a cotton\vood tree was the big structure \vith five young Magpies. What a time WE had to photograph those little black and white imps and ho\v the old ones came and protested against our actions till a IveIl tlirected “The little I~l:lclzuta. Sitting on top cites as Papilio of a huge granite boulder I looked do’ n thz precipitous wall w of rock and then began to descend the 700 metres to Horse Greek to get some water. How we watch-d the Mountain Marmots, the Woodrats and Chipmunks, the Magpies and Ferruginous Rough-legged Hawks, the Audubon Warblers, how we searched through mountain heather and Sage brush for the Sage Grouse, all in vain, how a fierce storm caught us right o’ the mountain pass would takle too long to tell. Down n we came. When only about 200 metres away from us right at the City Splrings two antelopes jumped up in plain view and stopped abruptly when I waved my kerchief at them, then boundsed nimbly away. What fabulous luck! For 20 years none of these beautiful animals had been seen any closer to the city than 20 miles, and here I, a mere stranger, ran on to them only two miles from the city limits. I was in high spirits, forgostten was the lolig tramp of about 65 kilometres, forgotten the long laborious climb of 3500 metres, I was whistling an old Cossack war so’ g in great glee. n Up went a flock of birds, another long chase and stealthy ap- HENNINGER- JUKE BIRDS OF LARAMIE 237 prOaCh as th? birds placed sentinels on some rocks, at last just one more shot and I held in my hand two males of thle Lark Bunting, seen on my first day at Laramie and since then eluding me like a phantom. And then the train took me East. How I rejoiced t0 see the first sturdy oak again and the fitrst wheatfields, but still many a time since then I dream of the Prairiedog’ bark, of s the Prairie Falcon’ exultant scream, of the Sage Thrasher’ s s powerful melody, of the Avocet’ flute-notes and the graceful s forms of the Wilson’ Phalarope, of th: long undulating prais ries, of the mountain crags and snowbanks, of the wild winds and fielrce mountain storms, and long to set my foot again on the soil of the grand and glorious “ Wild West.” ANNOTBTED LIST. 1. COZ~~?L~I(S nigricollis califol-niczts-11:ared Orebe. Common and breeding at the larger alkali lakes upon the Laramie Plains. On June 12th about 500 were seen at Ramforth’ s lake and txvo taken. 2. T,,ar&s deZu~L’ arensis-I:in~-1)illed Gull. Sot c’ ornmon. Seen on May 29th and June 1st on Lnrnmie River. 3. N~/t7~ocheZidon migra s,cl~inumensis--RlacB Tern. Common at Ramforth’ s lake, where breeding on June 12th in irrigated area. E’ ornierly considered migratory and rare. Not (‘ ouunon summer resident 4. .tnus plat~~rllwchos-Rlallard. mostry along the Lnramie river. 5. .\‘ cltic;n c,aroZinr,lzsC-_(=reen-winged Teal. Fairly common HUIII- nler resident along streams. 6. Qlct/‘ q,rodula tZisco,‘ s-Blue-\vingecl Teal. Common summer resident all over tile Laramie I’ lains. i. ‘ Q ~rwpcle(~uZa ~//(Inoptc~~-Cinnainon Teal. Common summer resident all over the Laramie Plains. (‘ ommon summer resident all 8. Np,atltTa cZ2/peata-Slioreller. over the Laramie Plains. Summer resident, but not common. 9. I)afiZa aclcttr-I’ intail. li’ ound only at Baml’ s orth’ lake. Bittern. Not common, seen along an 10. 1~otartr~s Zaztiginosrrtsirrigation ditch June 6th. Seen along the LaraElue IIeron. 11. 9rdea-l/cl-oclias--Crreat mie river. Not overly common. Seen twice 011 .Junr lst, Rare. 12. Porzana carolW-Sow. and on 12th at Hamforth’ s lake. Rare 13. Fltliea unaericunu-Coot. summer resident in the im- 238 mediate vicinity THE WILSON BULLETIN-No. but common farther 90 out on lidres and conwith resi- of Laramie, tricolor-Wilson’ s Phalarol)e. Exceedingly Kests man at all swaml)y plaves, outranking the Killdeer. one egg and four eggs June 12th at Bamforth’ s lake. Coninion summer 15. Reciwvirostra amerioana-Avoset. lmnds. 14. Ste0anopu.s dent about all alkali llonds and lakes. 16. Totalzus ~rzelanoleztcrrs-Greater Yellow-legs. May 29th one specimen at the Laramie river. Totams pacipes-Tello\\--legs. -\lay 29th and June 1st at l’ i. the Jlaramie river. Rather common along the Laramie river. 18. Actitis nlacularia. 19. Xume~ius lon,qit,ostris-Long-billed Curlew. PITo longer comonly one speriuien seen on *June 12th at the lllon on the lJhinS; Carrol’ s lakes. 20. Ozj/ecllus vociferl/s-Killdeer. Common summer resident at suitiable ljlaces. 21. Podasoeys I~o~lta,c.Irs--JIountaill Plover. Rare. Only one sl)ecimen taken and seen May 30th. 22. Bcn,a/dura wmo‘ um o marginella-Western Mourning Dove. Exceedingly common summer resident. Nest with two eggs found in the Laramie Mountains one meter down in a crevire. septentriolzalis--Turkey Yulture. Fairly 23. Cathan-tes aura common summer resident. 24. Circus I~udso?Gua-Marsh Hawk. Fair1.v common sunmler resident. 25. Accipiter cooperi-Cooper’ s Hawk. Rather rare. One seen May 30th in the mountains. 26. Rrl.too borealis calrcrus-Western Red-tail. Conmlon md esceedingly useful hawk. 27. Buteo szcain80ni-Swainson’ s Hawk. Very common and useful hawk. 28. AqwiZa chr?/s/srrtos-Golden Eagle. Common resident. Seen several times. 2:). Falco nl.e~~canus--Prnirie Falcon. Common and exceedingly destructive hawk. 30. Falco sparverius spa~-~e~‘ j7dS--Sl)arrow Hawk. Common everywhere. I refuse to recognize the subspecies phalrena. Specimens that are bleached have no right to be dubbed a subspecies. 31. Otus atio max:zcelliao-Rocky Mountain Screech Owl. Heard and seen in Laramie ‘ June 15th, 11 p. m. 32. Buho vir,qhaianus pallesce~s-Western Horned Owl. Two specimens in a deep canyon l\lay 30th. 32. 1. Npeotyto ouniculav-ia Rl~~ogcra-Burro\\,in~ Owl. Fairly common. 33. CeruZe aloycn-Belted Kingfisher. Common along wooded streams. all . HENN~NCER 34. Decker. JUNE l:mns OF I_AR.\MIE JIountain IIairy 23!) TYood&lay Jinx June I)r7/ObUtes ailloslca nzonticoln-~Ro~li~r One specimen seen June 16th in the mountains. Woodl)ecker. Wal)suc,ker. Y 35. Dw0bate.s pwbescens holnorf/s-H:ltc.lieltler’ s 31st in dead cottonwood tree in ton-n. 36. Spliyrapioris rarius nzcclcalis-Iced-iinlled 30th in the mountains at 2000 metres. 37. illelaneq% 11th at Cheyenne, eryt7~~‘ oc~p7~ftZus-I~cd-l~e:~tled \Vcodl)eckrr. but not seen at Lxramie. Flicker. Flicker. Ileard Rare 38. Golalptcs awatrts Z/ctcccs-Sortlieln amie mountains in the pines. cafer collaris-Red-slinfted 39. Cola&x smiuner resident up to 3000 metres. 40. Pliaihnoptilus nrcttcrllii-roar-frill. in the outskirts of the town. in the I.arconlmou Very June 5th and l>tli Sight-ha\vk. ComC’ om- 41. Cko~deiles virgim:an/Js I~o~ceZlCIIo\rell’ s Ilion summer resident ererywhere. 42 S’ elasp7~0~~~ p7a~t7~cr?~crcs--Rroa~I-t~iiled Hummingbird. man summer resident; observed only in the town. 43. Tyrannu8 :jOth at the City 44. summer Tyranms resident t77rann/ts-I(inRbird. Springs. ~crticalis-ArBansns up to 2500 metres. PhcPbe. Common sunnner I’ ewee. Rare. I