The Breeding Birds of Lake View Cemetery

*Wood Thrush: Hylocichla mustelina. Several pairs nest in wooded areas but no nests have been located there. A pair nested in trees above the upper pond for the first time in 1989. The female was observed building a nest in a small hemlock on 17 and 18 May and incubating on 27 May.

*American Robin: Turdus migratorius. This is the most conspicuous nesting songbird throughout the cemetery. Two or three broods are raised. In 1983 a nest high in a still bare tree was under construction in early April, the adult incubating on 21 April. On 23 April a nest containing three eggs was found in an evergreen shrub, but that nest later disappeared. On 20 May a small fledgling was seen. On 28 May a nest contained young being fed. On 8 June another nest was under incubation while fledglings were numerous. Later observations in 1995 include adults carrying food to nests in many places on 14 June and even later, a bird just building a nest on 28 June.

*Gray Catbird: Dumetella carolinensis. Numerous pairs nest in hedges and scrubby growth. Small young were in a nest in a pyracantha hedge on 24 June 1983.

*Brown Thrasher: Toxostoma rufum. Several pairs nest in hedges, shrubbery and second growth. A nest with young was found in an evergreen shrub in 1976. Adults were feeding a fledgling on 8 June 1983. Young in a nest in a magnolia were being fed on 6 June 1984. Their numbers have decreased since 1983.

*Cedar Waxwing: Bombycilla cedrorum. Several pairs probably nest annually, but this species is quite erratic. On 2 September 1975 a young bird, unable to fly, was being fed on the ground. On 19 June 1985 adults were feeding small, vocal young in a nest in a sycamore near the ponds.

*European Starling: Sturnus vulgaris. This introduced species is a very common breeding bird, taking advantage of the many nest cavities throughout the cemetery. Young in a nest cavity were very vocal on 21 May 1983 and almost jumping out of the hole when an adult brought food on 28 May. A second brood may be raised.

Yellow Warbler: Dendroica petechia. Singing males are often noted into June, but no territory was determined or nests found.

Chestnut-sided Warbler: Dendroica pensylvanica. A singing male was found on 7 July 1972.

Pine Warbler: Dendroica pinus. An adult in worn plumage was feeding in a group of pines on 12 July 1995. While this locally uncommon breeding bird regularly sings on territory into July, it is doubtful this bird was nesting in the cemetery.

Black-and-white Warbler: Mniotilta varia. A male sang continuously while feeding on 9 June 1995. Probably an unmated male, its appearance was unexpected.

Ovenbird: Seiurus aurocapillus. Singing males on 8 and 9 June 1983 may only have been late migrants though this species is likely for Lake View.

Common Yellowthroat: Geothlypis trichas. Persistent males or pairs were found in suitable habitat for both first and second nesting attempts, but no nests were located.

*Northern Cardinal: Cardinalis cardinalis. Numerous pairs nest in various plantings throughout the cemetery. A nest with one egg was found in an evergreen shrub on 22 May 1976. A female was incubating on a nest in vines tangled in a shrub on 8 June 1983. A female incubating on a nest in a group of lilacs on 5 August 1995 gave evidence of multiple broods.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak: Pheucticus ludovicianus. It is likely that a pair nests in the cemetery. In July 1983 a female was seen on the fourth, and in a wooded clearing an adult male was present alone on the 24th and with an immature male on the 27th. A male was singing in the same location on 18 June 1995.

Indigo Bunting: Passerina cyanea. One or two pairs seem to nest in tangled growths. In 1983 two males maintained territories in well separated locations at least through 9 July. A female was once seen in each territory, but no nests were found. In 1995 a pair was located on 14 June where the scolding female was carrying nest material on 18 June.

Eastern Towhee: Pipilo erythrophthalmus. A few pairs nest in woodland undergrowth or dense shrubbery though no nests were located. They were more numerous in the 1970's.

*Chipping Sparrow: Spizella passerina. This is a common nesting species in evergreens, especially spruces, throughout the cemetery. Young were hatched by 8 June 1983 with fledglings being fed on 19 June. Noisy young were being fed at a nest at the end of a pine branch about 15 feet high on 9 June 1995. A second brood is raised.

*Song Sparrow: Melospiza melodia. This very common breeding bird first nests low or on the ground before foliage fully appears. Ground nests with eggs were found on 20 and 21 May 1983. One had newly hatched young on 4 June. Later nests are built in the shrubbery. This is the most frequent host of the parasitic Brown-headed Cowbird.

*Red-winged Blackbird: Agelaius phoeniceus. Numerous pairs nested in the cattails on the ponds and scrub or weedy growth around them. In 1983, nests with incubating females were visible on 20 May and young could be seen gaping in one on 28 May. Well grown young were out in the bushes on 26 June. Since the alteration of the ponds, they are less numerous.

*Common Grackle: Quiscalus quiscula. Several pairs nest communally in large pines. In one set of pines in 1983, birds were carrying in new nest material on 15 and 23 April. On 14 May there were hatched young as evidenced by an adult carrying away a fecal sac. On 18 June a fledged bird was begging from an adult.

*Brown-headed Cowbird: Molothrus ater. Numerous birds lay eggs in other birds' nests. In 1983, by late April, less courtship display was seen and the females were probably beginning to locate nests in which to lay. On 17 June and 8 July adult Song Sparrows were seen feeding begging fledgling cowbirds. A Song Sparrow was feeding a fledgling on 26 May 1995. Another pursued a pair of Northern Cardinals and was fed by the female on 9 June 1995. Northern Cardinal is a less common host species.

*Baltimore Oriole: Icterus galbula. Several pairs nest in large trees, mostly near the ponds. One nest located in 1983 was under incubation 28 May, young could be heard when the adults brought food on 11 June and had fledged by 23 June. In 1985 three nests were located close to the ponds, but others farther away were seen in the winter.

*House Finch: Carpodacus mexicanus. Numerous pairs nest in evergreens throughout the cemetery. Though increasing for several years in nearby areas, they were not noted in Lake View until the spring of 1981. In 1983 nesting was finally confirmed. A female, accompanied by a singing male, was gathering nesting material and nest-building high in a spruce tree near the lower pond on 10 April. No further activity was seen at that nest. On 28 June a pair was observed with the female nest-building in a low branch of a pine tree. On 9 July at this location, the male flew to the nest vicinity, calling. The female appeared from the nest site and begged from the male. Both flew off and in about ten minutes the female returned, gradually approached the nest, and quickly disappeared into it.

*American Goldfinch: Carduelis tristis. Several pairs nest in various weedy stands around the cemetery late in the summer. While no nests were located, a still partly downy fledgling was found, by itself, on 7 September 1994.

*House Sparrow: Passer domesticus. An abundant resident, many pairs nest in and around the cemetery and raise two or three broods. On 4 June 1988 a female flushed from a nest on a maintenance building. Near that area on 7 July 1995 two females were gathering strips of peeling birch bark for nest material.

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Changes last made on: Wed Jul 30, 1997