EASTERN BLUEBIRD 255 



momentum to keep them afloat in the air, and they often sail for a long 

 way, drifting along with open wings. In contrast to the goldfinches 

 and purple finches they fly only a short distance before alighting 

 again. We shall see few more bluebirds before winter comes. This 

 little company is already on its way south, yet they seem in no hurry 

 to leave New England. How leisurely the bluebirds are as they flit 

 about in fall!" 



Only in the northern part of its summer range can the fall migration 

 be satisfactorily traced, but there it is sometimes quite conspicuous. 

 Robie W. Tufts writes to me that bluebirds are uncommon in Nova 

 Scotia, but during October 1937 a flock containing "some hundreds" 

 was observed in Annapolis County. "These were seen at the peak 

 of their abundance for only a short time, but bluebirds were seen more 

 or less constantly for a few days after the main flight had passed. 

 Considering the relative scarcity of these birds in Nova Scotia, the 

 origin of same is a mystery to me." 



In Massachusetts we usually see them passing through in October 

 and November. Out in the open country on clear days with a north- 

 west wind, we often hear their sad farewell notes drifting down around 

 us from all directions; and, looking up into the blue sky, we see large 

 numbers flying over, high in the air, widely scattered or in small de- 

 tached flocks, and all floating along in a generally southward direction; 

 we know that they are leaving us, and we are sorry to see them go. 

 They sometimes turn up in unexpected places; on November 1, 1915, 

 a flock of eight appeared at our shooting club among the sand dunes 

 of Monomoy Island; the next day they were joined by 10 more; these 

 were two clear, warm days, but the following day it blew a gale from 

 the northwest, with heavy clouds and some rain; the bluebirds 

 had departed. 



Edwin A. Mason writes to me from Groton, Mass., that on Novem- 

 ber 3, 1942, at 8:00 a. m., "it was raining, with a fairly strong wind 

 blowing from the NNW. Birds from the tops of tall bare willows 

 caught my ear. There, throughout the tips of the tree's branches, 

 was a flock of bluebirds. They were moving occasionally from twig 

 to twig, constantly talking back and forth. Very soon the major 

 part of the flock took to the air. This made it possible to count them. 

 The surprisingly large number of 28 were winging their way through 

 the rain in a SSW. direction, with the wind quartering them somewhat, 

 but still substantially on their tail. Evidently the flock had paused 

 to rest and despite the rain considered it a good time to continue on 

 its migration. Three birds hesitated to join the flock, one of them 

 starting out after it only to return. These three probably tired birds 

 remained, calling back and forth, as the main body of their erstwhile 

 traveling companions went winging away southward through the dull 



