246 BIRDS OF FIELD, FOREST AND PARK 



^^hard-a-lee^^ of the Red-wing. Following up 

 these sounds I traced them to a nesting colony 

 of Rusty Blackbirds, a species whose northward 

 passage I had noted in late April. 



The nests of twigs and coarse grass, rather 

 poorly constructed, were placed in fir and cedar 

 trees along the banks of the stream, some near 

 the ground, others twenty feet or more above it. 

 The fledglings were nearly grown, and rarely 

 have I experienced a more strenuous or per- 

 sistent attack of parent bird whose domestic 

 affairs I have looked into. A few days later when 

 the young were making their first attempts at 

 flying I came upon them again on the up-river 

 trail, and so violent was the attack of the old 

 birds that for a time I thought I should have 

 to seek some weapon of defence. Right at my 

 face they darted, uttering very harsh and disa- 

 greeable sounds. Following me for a long dis- 

 tance, they finally settled in the treetops where 

 they could still watch my movements. 



Afterward whenever I set out in that direc- 

 tion, almost before leaving the clearing, the 

 alarm notes of these black disturbers of the 

 peace were heard, and soon a small band came 

 and followed me for a quarter of a mile along the 

 trail, uttering such a jargon as to completely 

 drown all other bird notes. Then, perched on the 

 dead trees, for half an hour they kept up their 

 excited chatter. 



One day, quite out of patience with their 

 noisy demonstrations, I sat down and deliber- 

 ately waited to see what they would do about it. 

 On near-by stubs, all the while displaying their 



