NOTES ON THE BIRD LIFE OF CEDAR POINT.
Robert F. Griggs.
Ecologically Cedar Point is an exceedingly interesting region. It is a narrow peninsula on one side of which flourishes a xerophytic dune flora, and on the other a luxuriant hydrophytic marsh flora. The meeting of these two gives the flora a very peculiar aspect. Except at its tip Cedar Point has never been inhabited. It is still in very nearly its primitive condition. With a view to seeing how these and other factors peculiar to the region have influenced its bird life, these notes have been assembled. No pretentions to systematic completeness are made; the present purpose is more to determine the general character of the avifauna than to give a complete list including many accidental or occasional species which would overshadow the more characteristic residents. The observations upon which these notes are based were taken during the summer months (1900) when there were few species migrating, so that with the exceptions noted they include only the bulk of the summer residents at the Point. The birds of the marsh and bay are so inseparable from those of the point proper, that the commoner of them have been included, though no special study of them was made. The following birds were observed:
Sterna hirundo Linn. Common Tern, common.
Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis (Gmel.). Black Tern, common, breeds.
Botaurus lentiginosus (Montag.). American Bittern, common.
Ardetta exilis (Gmel.). Least Bittern, common.
Ardea Herodias Linn. Great Blue Heron, common.
Gallinula galeata (Licht.). Florida Gallinule.
Fulica americana Gmel. Coot, common, breeds.
Ereunetes pusillus (Linn.). Semi-palmated Sandpiper. No specimens were taken to render identification sure-occurs in numbers on the beach.
Symphemia semipalmata (Gmel.). Willet, a few individuals.
Aegialitis vocifera (Linn.). Killdeer, common.
Zenaidura macroura (Linn.). Mourning Dove, not common, breeds.
Circus hudsonius (Linn.). Marsh Hawk.
Halæetus leucocephalus (Linn.). Bald Eagle, nests near the foot of the Point.
Coccyzus americanus (Linn.). Yellow-billed Cuckoo, scarce.
Coccyzus erythropthalmus (Wils.). Black-billed Cuckoo, quite common.
Colaptes auratus (Linn.). Flicker. I do not understand why the woodpeckers should not be well represented. There appears to be abundant feeding ground for them; yet I saw only one solitary flicker, the least specialised of all the woodpeckers.
Trochilus colubris (Linn.). Ruby-throated Hummingbird, congregates in small flocks about the frequent clumps of trumpet creeper.
Tyrannus tyrannus (Linn.). Kingbird, breeds. This and the other fly-catchers are very abundant on account of the great number of insects occurring.
Myiarchus crinitus (Linn.). Crested Flycatcher, breeds.
Contopus virens (Linn.). Wood Pewee, very common.
Agelaius phœniceus (Linn.). Red-winged Blackbird, common.
Icterus galbula (Linn.). Baltimore Oriole, one small flock migrating.
Quiscalus quiscula æneus (Ridgw.). Crow Blackbird. This with the redwings and probably the other blackbirds congregates in very large flocks.
Melospiza fasciata (Gmel.). Song Sparrow, common.
Pipilo erythropthalmus (Linn.). Towhee.
Cardinalis cardinalis (Linn.). Cardinal, one pair.
Passerina cyanea (Linn.). Indigo Bunting, very common.
Petrochelidon lunifrons (Say.). Eave Swallow.
Chelidon erythrogaster (Bodd.). Barn Swallow.
Clivicola riparia (Linn.). Bank Swallow.
The Swallows flock to the beach by thousands after a storm, but are not abundant at other times.
Ampelis cedrorum (Vieill.). Cedar Waxwing.
Dendroica aestiva (Gmel.). Yellow Warbler, common, breeds.
Icteria virens (Linn.). Yellow-breasted Chat.
Galeoscoptes carolinensis (Linn.), Catbird, common, breeds.
Cistothorus palustris (Wils.). Long-billed Marsh Wren, very common, breeds.
Parus atricapillus (Linn.). Chickadee.
Merula migratoria (Linn.). American Robin, only one pair, seen only once.
Many birds common in most localities are conspicuous by their absence. The blue jay, crow, thrushes, most of the birds of prey, and the woodpeckers, and many of the sparrows, especially the ubiquitous English sparrow, were not observed at all. But the species occurring are present in great numbers, so that the region may be said to be monotonous in its bird life as well as in its other ecological relations.