Your reporter attended the 1957 annual meeting of the American Ornithol­ogists' Union which was held in Cape May, New Jersey, September 10-15. This town which is situated on the ocean front afforded a fine opportunity to observe Great Black-backed, Laughing and Herring Gulls on the beach. It was interesting to watch the Herring Gulls pluck mussels from the rocks, fly high and drop them on the hard sand presum­ably to open the shells. If they did not open, the gulls picked them up, rose still higher and dropped them again and again until the shells did open. Did the gulls' ancestors discover accidentally that mussels could be opened in this manner, remember it and hand the knowledge down to their offspring? This action oc · curred repeatedly every day.

Nearly every day of the meeting we parked on highways bordering salt marshes and watched hundreds of Great Blue, Little Blue, Green and Loui:;;iana Herons besides Black-crowned and Yel­low-crowned Herons feeding or resting. With them were large numbers of Snowy and American Egrets. At the edg-e of nearby Stone Harbor there is a sanctu­ary containing a large grove of trees. Near sunset these trees had the appear­ance of blooming as hundreds of the birds mentioned above drifted in, tilting and volplaning to a landing. We saw Glossy Ibis feed their young in these trees. Fish American Crows and American American Crows perched together, so the difference 111 size was easily noted. Many species of small birds such as sparrows, warblers, flycatchers and others flitted about in a thicket nearby.

Besides the large birds inhabiting the salt marshes there was a large popula­tion of Clapper Rails moving about in the grassy vegetation where Fiddler Crabs abounded. There were flocks of the dainty little Least Terns, Common and Forster's Terns and a few Royal Terns that flew above us calling. We saw dozens of Black Skimmers feeding and at rest. Ospreys were common and in many cases built nests on the cross arms of telephone poles placed along the highway. In some instances there were not enough poles to accommodate them so poles topped by platforms were put up and used by the ospreys.

On one trip we visited Brigantine Re­fuge several miles beyond Atlantic City where dykes were built in a circular form to keep fresh and salt water from mingling. We drove on these dykes and observed Avocets and Marbled Godwits, familiar birds of our western prairies in the fresh water. Hundreds of birds in­habit this refuge.

On a beach near Atlantic City there were flocks of Knots, Willets, Sander­lings and other shore birds.

Each day there was an early morning trip to a small lake near Cape May where birds were abundant. We ob­served White-eyed Vireos, Yellow-breast­ed Chats, Carolina Wrens and some familiar ones we see in Minnesota. One morning we went to a farm on the outskirts of Cape May and saw several Cattle Egrets accompanying a herd, really a big thrill for me. On the morn­ing of the last day of the meeting we started on a half-day boat trip along the inland waterways near Cape May and out a short distance into the ocean. Observation of bird life was very con·· venient as we moved slowly along. One Purple Sandpiper was noted.

We visited Hawk Mountain Sanctuary on our way home. The lookout is situat- December, 1957 ed on a ridge amid beautiful mountain scenery on all sides. To reach it one must climb one-half mile through a for­est along a path leading from the high­way. The point where the path and the highway meet is a considerable distance up the mountain side. Due to the fact that the wind was in the wrong direction the flight was poor that day. Later we stopped at the new auditorium at Hawk Mountain where Mrs. Rosalie Edge very graciously presided at a tea.

Comment on the papers presented at this meeting of the American Ornithol­ogists' Union was complimentary, the field trips were expertly handled, and we were to be congratulated on having so efficient a committee on arrangements.

In Minnesota the mosquitos were a scourge but the weather was mild and the fall foliage wondrously beautiful. The first snow fell in northern sections October 22-23 and a hard freeze occurred in the whole state October 25. Beginning the last ten days of August, warb­lers migrated leisurely and were still going through the Twin Cities area in early October. Many of the waves were large, so apparently the warbler population was not reduced. A goodly number of Red-breasted Nuthatches accompanied the warblers, but many of them remained in northern and eastern sections. Both kinglets were abundant and migrated in the latter part of September.

Flycatchers began migrating as usual the first week in September. Slate-color­ed Dark-eyed Juncos were very abundant, migrat­ing in large flocks in September and October. In the Twin Cities the first White-throated Sparrows arrived September 26, and Tree Sparrows were seen at the Hill Farm, October 9.

Apparent.ly Eastern Bluebirds nested success­fully for there was a goodly number of flocks in Eastern Bluebird territories during the fall. There were thousands of American Robins in flocks the week of October 10-20, sing­ing merrily as though it were spring. They were reported from all sections of the state. Some lingered around the Twin Cities during October, weathering a cold spell that occurred the last week of the month.

Swallows and Common Nighthawks began migrating at the usual time, but some lingered rather late. A flock of about 300 Common Nighthawks were seen by R. E. Cole at the Hill Farm near St. Paul, Septem­ber 29. Tree Swallows were still with us October 9. There were hordes o{ Red-winged Blackbirds and large flock& of both Rusty Blackbirds and Grackles everywhere in the river valleys during October.

Evelyn Putnam reported the Evening Grosbeaks had arrived in Duluth in late September.

About 50 American Egrets were seen near the Cedar Avenue bridge near Min­neapolis, September 4. There were few reports of these birds this fall, but the observations may not have come in.

Shore birds were coming back early in August but because of high vegetation in the river lowlands it was difficult to make observations. There were some bare mud flats, but only a relatively few shore birds were reported feeding on them. Dr. W. J. Breckenridge reported a very large concentration of shore birds about 20 miles west of Hutchinson, August 18. In the concentration there were many Stilt Sandpipers. In western Minnesota, August 5, Bruce Hayward saw many of both phalaropes in a very large migration of shore birds.

There were many records of Franklin's Gulls over the Twin Cities and sur­rounding country, particularly the river lowlands, during September and the first week of October. Approximately 5000 were seen by Karen and Whitney East· man over the back waters of the Mis­sissippi near Red Wing, October 6. Bonaparte's Gulls were at Duluth, Twin Cities, and several other localities, usually flying with the Franklin's Gulls.

Hunters reported a good sized duck population in western and northwestern Minnesota. Fall rains left shallow stand­ing water in these areas and water bird<' abounded. A large concentration of se'r­eral species of ducks, among them Golden-eyes, was observed by Paul Murphy at Goose Lake, White Bear, October 27. There was a movement of ducks from Canada as far south as the Minnesota border during the last of October brought on by unseasonably cold weather, but at date of this writing October 28, there have been no reports received of the northern migration in Minnesota, al­though some individuals have arrived.

Reportedly there was a considerable movement of Blue and Snow Geese through northwestern sections the last week in October.

The grouse population was estimated to be up over last year and is undoubted­ly on an upward swing so that, al­though foliage was thick, hunters got theh bag limits. At the Hill Farm, near St. Paul this writer was astonished to see a Sharp-tailed Grouse at the edge of an open piece of land surrounded by forest. With it was a Ruffed Grouse. For ten minutes they appeared to l>e mildly sparring as if each was endeavor­ing to make the other leave. They were not belligerent, and it did not appear certain what the action indicated. There was a good crop of Ring-necked Pheas­ants this season, but the hunter's take was poor due to the new law which pro­ hibited hunting in unharvested fields without the farmer's permission. During the first part of the hunting season corn was standing, and for this reason shoot­ing of pheasants was extended one week longer.

The Minnesota Ornithologists' Union field trip to Duluth for the hawk count occurred September 21-22. On the 22nd the flight was really spectacular. Nearly 3000 hawks were sighted and apparently many more migrated back of the ridge. Excepting the Golden Eagle, all species of hawks common to Minnesota were recorded that day. The birds were pre­dominently Broad-winged Hawks, and at times there were many flocks of approx­imately 100 each spiraling high almost beyond sight. Ravens, American Crows, Bluejays, Pine Siskins and other birds moved with the migration of hawks. Hundreds of American Kestrels were seen by observers along the North Shore. On a trip to Park Point, Duluth we were thrilled to see a Parasitic Jaeger harrying the gulls. It was a beautiful and expert aerialist. Golden and Black-bellied Plov­ers, American Pipits and Lapland Long­spurs roamed the grassy portions of the park. A flock of Sanderlings ran o;-, twinkling legs along the waves that lapped the beach.

An interesting report just in, states that Gary Kuyava saw a Swallow-tailed Kite on the flyway at Duluth, October 25. He followed the bird for an hour and had ample opportunity to check his identification.