&0 erials L 671 j84 monthly VOLUME 1 SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA. AUGUST, 1919 Number 8 AUGUST MKETING: I he regular monthly meeting of the Associa- tion will be held on Thursday evening, the 14th of August, at 8 o'clock, in the lecture hall of the California Development Board, Ferry Building. 1 he Plumage and Coloration of Birds will be further discussed by Mr. Douglas, Mr. Ed. Ellis and Mr. Dave Wilson, Secretary California Pigeon Association, will talk on the same subject as related to Poultry and to Pigeons, respectively. ¥ ¥ V AUGUST FIELD TRIP will be taken to Wildcat Canyon and the ridge above Berkeley, on Sunday, 17th instant. San Francisco members will take ferry at 8:40 a. m., transferring to Berkeley car at the mole. Party will assemble at news stand at terminus of the Berkeley line, corner of University and Shattuck Avenues, at 9:20 a. m., and proceed via Euclid Avenue car, leaving shortly thereafter. The distance traversed will depend upo’ii the day and the inclinations of the members of the party. If the canyon is found to be too warm, lunch will be eaten upon some part of the ridge, where a breeze may be counted upon. In any event, canteens should be carried. ¥ ¥ ¥ PROCEEDINGS OF THE JULY MEETING: The thirtieth regular meeting was held on the 10th of July in the Ferry Building, President Lastreto in the chair. Most of the meeting was principally devoted to general discussions on various bird topics, more particularly coloration, and the desire Lvas expressed to bring up the same subject again at the next meeting. At the meeting of the Board of Directors it was decided to furnish Junior members with The Gull, and alscE to furnish each Junior Society with Bird Lore. The Gull was made an open forum for the expression of individual views on subjects pertaining to bird life. ¥ ¥ ¥ ACTIVITIES OF THE JUNIOR ANNEX: A course in Bird Study was given to the Boy .Scouts at their Training Camp, Olema, Cal. Mr. L.as- treto visited the camp several times, and Mr. Hansen remained at camp for two weeks. We found that a great deal of interest and enthusiasm was centered in the work by the .Scouts. Daily trips were taken and fifty dif- ferent species were observed and recorded. A colony of eave-swallows and a great blue heron rookery (about 80 feet above the ground, in some Douglass firs) were found near the camp. A colony of cormorants, prob- ably Brandt, was seen on a rock off the coast. Three pigeon guillemot nests were located. The nests or young of the following were also found: Tree-swallow, California woodpecker. Western mourning dove, coast jay, THE GUX.L and Western warbling vireo. Three hundred Boy Scouts were in Camp, of whom all heard or learned something about birds, at least half went out on different field trips, about thirty have taken a decided interest in the Audubon work, and ten progressed so rapidly that they were able to win their merit badge in Bird Study, before camp closed. It having been vacation time, there is little pro'gress to report in our Tunior Societies. ¥ California Cuckoo Seen at Point Reyes: While on a bird hike with Mr. Lastreto, and a group of Boy Scouts, July 19, 1919, a large bird was seen fluttering in some willows just off the road. Clue of its wings had been injured, and a Scout caught it. The bird was quickly identified as a California Cuckoo. This is ai^parcntly the first record of this species for Marin Count MAROLD E. HANSEN. ¥ ¥ ¥ SPARROW ERADICATION CAMPAIGN In our last number we reported a misguided movement for the com- bating of the English sparrow pest, and that we had caused Dr. Brj^ant to set it in the right direction. It is very gratifying to record the friendly spirit in which our criticism was accepted and the prompt action taken to correct the errors that might have caused more harm than good. The Napa Count}^ Farm Bureau Monthly in its following (July) issue explains that it had “assumed the source from which the article came was dependable” and explains methods prescribed principally in Teachers’ Bul- letin, California Fish and Game Commission, No. 7, June, 1916, by Harold C. Bryant, and also warns its readers that the use of poisoned grain is forbidden in this State because of the attendant danger. Then it goes at some length in urging, proper identification of the house sparrow, enjoining against the killing of the sparrow with a white stripe over the top of the head (white crowned sparrow), with a streaked breast (song sparrow), with a chestnut-colored crown patch (chipping sparrow), etc., which are beneficial, and discourages sparrow destruction by children. The Farm Bureau Alonthly is to be commended for its readiness to correct a mistake, though unintentional, and for its sincerity of purpose. Another example of education applied to conservation. ¥ ¥ ¥ Condor, July-August, discusses some of the results of the study by the Bureau of Biological Survey, Department of Agriculture, of the proldem of Ducks vs. Rice, which was the title to a paragraph on the subject in the first number of The Gull. Correctly commenting that in “many . . . cco- no'iuic problems arising in the course of adjustment of natural conditions to human settlement . . . these often prove to be no valid grounds for con- flict of interests: when there are real grounds, then some fair solution is likely to present itself . . . ,” it announces that the proper authorities will permit growers and their immediates to kill (and to' eat) ducks in the rice fields within certain restrictions, as the best or the only apparent rcmedA' for the damage the ducks are accused of causing to the crops. We recollect that an authority who had irarticipatcd in the investiga- tion has stated that the only rice damaging duck is the pintail, but we fail to note a resulting appropriate limitation of the species that the growers and the members of their immediate families might “herd” and utilize for food, notwithstanding that other ducks rival it as a delicacjn Rut we are still more surprised that another, more efficacious preven- tion of the situation appears to be ignored, particularly because it would THE GUEL contiibuto to Jnci cased croi) |M-o(luclion and not impair tlic iirotcclion that hedcral and State laws altord to ducks. f we h,i\e already recorded, Prof. Alackie explained that in Oriental I icc-pi oduci ng countries ducks had not pro'voked any complaint hccausc t uough more carelul planting those grow'crs avoided hare patches that snow water Irom above and attract ducks to alight within the fields. It is 111 these barren water oiieuings where the harm is started, and thorough cu tnation and jilanting \vill he the doubly desirable remedy obviating a paitly ellectual and rcgretiul cure ojicn tO’ some abuse. \\ e postiiouc joining Condor in apjiroN’ing the investigations and the policy ot the Hureau of Biological Survey on the subject until it adojits nieasures that Oriental jiracticc appear to recommend, or ex])lains their imp racticahility. » » » Conservation Through Destruction: At a recent meeting of the Cooper Club, Air. 1 racy 1 . Storcr developed a new and interesting phase of w’ood- pecker service to forests in the apparently paradoxical method of jirovok- ing causes pf decay hut appropriately applied. Dead trees serve no useful purpose to the forest itself and the quicker they are remo'ved the more rapidly can young seedlings fill in the gap. The activities of many species of w^oodpeckers in drilling forage and nesting holes in dead trees tends to hasten disintegration of such trees by providing many paths through which water and boring insects may get at and reduce the substance of such trees. ¥ ¥ ¥ SMALL BIRDS AS “GAME” A portion of the work of the Fish and Game Commission is the enforce- ment of the laws relating to the protection of non-game birds. A'l ore violations of these huvs occur in the Ba}' region than in the less populated sections. In the fall of the year when the hunting instinct is strongest, hundreds of hunters work out from San Francisco, Oakland and the adjoining cities into Alariii, San Mateo and Alameda Counties. A'lany of these hunters seem to believe that anything with feathers is game and do not hesitate to kill even bush-tits and kinglets. More commonly their “game” co'nsists of robins, meadow and horned larks, crowm, song and grasshopper sparrows, pipits, towhees, flickers, sw'allow^s and thrashers. Shot guns of various sorts from cane guns to ten gauge are the w'capons used, but frequently a more wdiolesale method of slaughter is followed. A small mesh net of silk or codton thread sufficiently long is spread across a small creek or ravine. The hunters commence beating the brush at a con- siderable distance from the net gradually working towuard it. The fright- ened birds fly against tbe* w'ebbing, become entangled, frightened and flut- tering, are killed by the hungry law-breakers. It is difficult to catch this kind of hunters as they w'ork quietly and mostly always have a lookout posted where he can give notice of the approach of danger. As a rule the courts have very little sympathy with bird netters and heavy fines are imposed. The most effective method of handling men who wilfully kill birds in a wholesale manner is by vigorous prosecution. The big stick is more effective than soft words. No amount of education will have any effect on THE GULE men M'ho use a bird net or on those who cannot understand that birds are good for anything other than food. There is, however, a class of offenders that can be reached more effectively through parents, schools and audubon work. Not a few birds are killed by boys with air rifles and o-ther weapons. It is more exciting to shoot at a living target than at a tin can or fence post and that is the boys’ only excuse for killing birds. If by proper train- ing the boys can be shown that birds are of more value as insect destroy- ers than as targets and most interesting as O'bjects of study, the average boy will become a bird protector, and as such, will have a decided influence with his chums. » ¥ » THE JULY FIELD TRIP, Sunday, July 13, ldl9 — Being in the vaca- tion season, very few of the members showed up. The members met at 43rd Avenue and Fulton Street at 9;30 in the morning. The party consisted of Mrs. Roe, Mr. Douglas, Mr. Hansen, one visitor and tAvo of the Junior’s members. The members proceeded around North L.ake, of the Chain of Lakes, where broods of young mallards were seen, some full grown and others just hatched. Some pilleolated warblers were seen flitting around the trees and numbers of willow goldfinches were singing. The party then went to Middle Lake, where chickadees, mallards and bright colored ruddy ducks were seen. Hummers were towering around the trees — both Allen and Anna hummingbirds. The members then walked around the Buffalo Reserve, and in the fields killdeer and Western robins were flying around. They then walked around the Reserve and headed towards North Lake, and on the way some BreAver blackbirds and a Western mourning dove were seen. The mem- bers then separated at North Lake at 11:45 a. m. Yours respectfully, (Signed) EDWARD SMITH, Secty. Hummer Junior Audubon Society. AUDUBON ASSOCIATION OF THE PACIFIC FOR THE STUDY AND THE PROTECTION OF BIRDS President, C. B. Lastreto Corresponding Secretary, C. N. Douglas Superintendent of Juniors, Harold E. Hansen Treasurer, A. S. Kibbe California St., San Francisco Kohl Building, San Francisco 870 Forty-third Avenue, San Francisco 1534 Grove St., Berkeley Meets second Thursday of each month in Lecture Room of California Development Board, Ferry Building, San Francisco. Everyone welcome. Active Membership, $3,00 per year, including Bulletin. The Gull invites free and open discussion. The views expressed herein are not necessarily the views nor the stand taken by this Association, Address Bulletin correspondence to President. Subscription to Bulletin alone, 35c per yoar. Single copies, 5c.