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Mar., 1911 SUMMER BIRDS OF WILLOW CREEK VALLEY, OREGON 65 The avian life of the dry, sage-brush-covered hills appeared to be in general rather plentiful,rthough the almost perfect uniformity of conditions would naturally bring the number of species inhabiting this section within narrow limits. The birds of the sage-brush were found to be for the most part very shy,--a result, doubtless, of the continual ?vatchfulness against enemies demanded by the unprotecting nature of their environment. Aside from the planting of trees on the ranches already mentioned, human agency has to some extent modified the distribution of summer birds in the region under consideration by the cmistruction of reservoirs and irrigation ditches. There are three of these reservoirs, numbered respectively "1", "2", and "3" No. 1 is about two miles from Brogan and some distance to the westward of Willow Creek; No. 3 is in Willow Creek Canyon about eighteen miles above Brogan. Probably several species included in the present list would not have been met with but for the presence of these reservoirs. 1. Anas platyrhynchos. Mallard. Four Mallards were seen flying over the val- ley ou July 13. On July 21 a considerable flock was met with in Reservoir No. 1, and the following day several were startled from an irrigating ditch. It is not at all likely that any of these birds had nested in the neighborhood. They were prob- ably wanderers from Lake Malheur or some of the other lakes to the southwest- xvard. 2; (?uerquedula cyanoptera. Cinnamon Teal. A female accompanied by eight very. young birds was seen in an irrigating ditch June 28. The parent bird had a broken wing. Near the same place, on July 20, a female and two nearly grown young were observed, and on the following day a considerable flock was seen in Reservoir No. 1. The flock were probably of new arrivals from some other locality. 3. Ardea h. herodias. Great Blue Heron. On July 13 a Great Blue Heron was flushed from an irrigation ditch. 4. l?yeticorax n. naevius. Black-crowned Night Heron. Three specimens were seen flying over the valley on June 24, and on June 29 one was startled from a thicket along Willow Creek. It is likely that a few pair nested in the bit of willow timber near Brogan. 5. Fulica americana. Coot. Two Coots were noted in Reservoir No. 1, on July 21. 6. Lobipes lobatus. Northern Phalarope. A small flock was noted about Reser- voir No. 1, on July 21, and others the following day. One specimen was secured. 7. Steganopus tricolor. Wilson Phalarope. A small flock was seen at Reser- voir No. 1, July 21. 8. Gallinago delicata. Wilson Snipe. On July 8 a Wilson Snipe was flushed from the sage brush! A second specimen was seen in a bog near Reservoir No. 3, on July 10. 9. Actitis macularius. Spotted Sandpiper. A pair of Spotted Sandpipers, evidently nesting, were seen at Reservoir No. 1, o?l July 1. They were observed repeatedly alighting in the tops of the sage brush. 10. 0xyechus vociferus. Killdeer. Very abundant along irrigating ditches and about Reservoir No. 1. A female with four half-grown young was noted in Pole Creek Canyon July 16. 11. Colinus v. virginianus. Bobwhite. Bobwhites were heard frequently about Brogan, but apparently they are not common, 12. Centrocercus urophasianus. Sage Hen., Large numbers of Sage Grouse were observed from time to time .and several specimens were secured. About the