Part 24

Nests are placed about 13 feet from the ground (ranging from two to 30 feet) in elm, ornamental conifers, fruit trees, cottonwood, mulberry, walnut, hackberry, oak, ash, maple, osage orange, and coffeeberry. Robins rarely nest in manmade structures, such as on rafters in sheds and barns, on bridge stringers, and, exceptionally, on electrical utility pole installations.

=Wood Thrush=: Hylocichla mustelina (Gmelin).--This is an uncommon summer resident in eastern Kansas, presently absent from the State west of stations in Cloud and Barber counties. Preferred habitat is found in understory of forest and woodland. Wood Thrushes appear to have nested in small numbers as far west as Oberlin, Decatur County (Wolfe, 1961), some 50 years ago, but have since disappeared from such places, probably as a result of progressive modification of watershed and riparian timber by man. First dates of arrival in spring are from April 19 to May 20 (the median is May 9), and departure southward is in the period September 3 to October 1 (the median is September 15).

Breeding schedule.--Thirty-eight records of breeding fall in the period May 11 to August 10 (Fig. 7); the modal date of egg-laying is June 5 for first clutches. Fifty-five per cent of all eggs are laid between May 21 and June 10.

Number of eggs.--Clutch-size is 3 eggs (3.4, 3-4; 9).

Nests are placed about 11 feet high in elm, dogwood, willow, linden, and oak.

=Eastern Bluebird=: Sialia sialis sialis (Linnaeus).--This locally common resident and summer resident in eastern Kansas, is only casual west of Comanche County, in open parkland and woodland edge.

Breeding schedule.--Fifty-four records of breeding span the period April 1 to July 20 (Fig. 7); the modal date for first clutches is April 25 and for second clutches is June 5.

Number of eggs.--Clutch-size is 5 eggs (4.9, 4-6; 15).

Nests are placed in cavities about eight feet high in trees (elm, box elder, fruit trees, willow, and ash), and about four feet high in stumps, fence posts, and nestboxes placed by man.

=Blue-gray Gnatcatcher=: Polioptila caerulea caerulea (Linnaeus).--This summer resident is common in eastern Kansas in brushy woodland, edge, and second growth. Specimens taken in the breeding season and nesting records come from east of stations in Riley and Cowley counties, but there is a breeding specimen from Oklahoma just south of Harper County, Kansas. The species is present from March 30 to September 18.

Breeding schedule.--Twelve records of breeding span the period April 20 to June 20; the modal date for egg-laying is May 10.

Number of eggs.--Clutch-size is about 5 eggs.

Nests are placed in forks or on limbs about 17 feet high in oak, elm, honey locust, red haw, pecan, and walnut.

=Cedar Waxwing=: Bombycilla cedrorum Vieillot.--This waxwing is a rare, local, and highly irregular summer resident in northeastern Kansas, in woodland and forest edge habitats. The known nesting stations are in Wyandotte and Shawnee counties; six nests have been found in the period 1949 to 1960. The species has been recorded in all months.

Breeding schedule.--Eggs are laid in June and early July.

Number of eggs.--Clutch-size is about 4 eggs (Davie, 1898).

Nests are placed four to 24 feet high in a variety of deciduous and coniferous trees and shrubs.

=Loggerhead Shrike=: Lanius ludovicianus Linnaeus.--This common resident and summer resident favors open country with scattered shrubs and thickets. L. l. migrans Palmer occurs in eastern Kansas, west to about the 96th meridian, and L. l. excubitorides Grinnell occurs in western Kansas, east to about the 100th meridian; populations of intermediate character occupy central Kansas. These shrikes tend to be resident in southern counties, but are migratory in the north. Dates of spring arrival in Cloud County are between March 9 and 31 (the median is March 21) and the birds leave southward between October 19 and December 19 (the median is November 1).

Breeding schedule.--Fifty-seven records of breeding span the period April 1 to June 30 (Fig. 7); the modal date for egg-laying is April 15.

Number of eggs.--Clutch-size is 5 eggs (5.3, 4-7; 32). There is no seasonal variation in the sample.

Nests are placed about six feet high (ranging from four to 10 feet) in osage orange, small pines, honeysuckle vines, and elm.

=Starling=: Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus.--This species is a common resident in towns and around farms, foraging in open fields of various kinds. Starlings (introduced into North America from European stocks of S. v. vulgaris) first appeared in eastern Kansas in the early 1930s and were established as successful residents by 1935 or 1936. Occupancy of Kansas to the west took only a few years. There are no specimens taken in the breeding season or actual nesting records from southwest of Ellis and Stafford counties; Starlings seem to be resident in Cheyenne County, but no nesting record exists from there.

Breeding schedule.--Sixty-seven records of breeding span the period March 1 to June 30 (Fig. 7); the modal date for first clutches is April 15, and for second clutches is June 5.

Number of eggs.--Clutch-size is 5 eggs (5.2, 4-8; 19).

Nests are placed about 22 feet high (ranging from eight to 50 feet) in crevices in elm, locust, hackberry, nestboxes placed by man, and in a variety of other structures of man.

=Black-capped Vireo=: Vireo atricapilla Woodhouse.--This was a summer resident, apparently of limited distribution but in good numbers, in Comanche County, in oak woodland and brushland edge. No specimens have been taken in Kansas since 1885.

Breeding schedule.--Eggs are probably laid in May and June. Goss (1891:351) found a nest under construction on May 11, 1885, and this is the only nesting record of the species in the State.

Number of eggs.--Clutch-size is about 4 eggs (Davie, 1898).