more or less in evidence and the ever cautious crow visits the pastui'es and corn 

 fields. 



The evening grosbeak, pine grosbeak. Bohemian waxwing, redpoll, white- 

 winged and red crossbills are at this season of the year wintering about the 

 Great Lakes region, feeding in coniferous trees or on orchard buds, and often 

 searching for wild berries and unpicked fruit. A few of our hardy goldfinches 

 may be in the vicinity, and slate-colored juncos in company with three sparrows 

 are feeding on seeds in the weedy patches. In the open areas the Lapland and 

 Smith's longspurs are busily feeding and calling to each other in their mellow 

 notes. Horned larks, shore larks and snowflakes are to be seen on the prairies 

 or often about the barnyards when snow is deep. 



Old hollow trees afford ample protection for the screech, barred and horned 

 owls. Occasionally a stray snowy owl from the far north is encountered. The 

 hardy raven often reaches a latitude as far south as Illinois and Indiana, and 

 at this time of the year, is apt to be feeding along the shores of the Lake looking 

 for aquatic and land animals. 



The northern shrike haunts the hedges and parks occupied by our quarrel- 

 some English sparrow or busy tree sparrow. Bands of Canada geese are living 

 on the open water. They collect there during the daytime and just before sunset 

 we see or hear them moving in regular V-shaped flocks to the fields where they 

 feed by night. 



The grouse are very companionable at this season of the year, the prairie 

 chickens and bob-whites congregate in immense flocks. The little bob-whites seek 

 shelter along the rail fences or about the underbrush, while the prairie chickens 

 frequent the fields. The ruffed grouse spends the day feeding on the ground, 

 roosting by night in the trees w^here no prowling animal may disturb. 



Herring and ring-billed gulls hover over the rivers and along the shores of 

 the lake looking for fish or decayed animal matter. 



February brings no particular change except that other winter visitors may 

 have arrived or some friends departed. Our true winter ducks are fishing on 

 the open water. They are the old squaw, golden-eye, white-winged scoter, Ameri- 

 can and red-breasted mergansers. 



During the last ten days of February the great horned ow4 may be observed 

 sitting upon her two white eggs deposited in an old hawk's nest, or in a hollow 

 tree. A few short-eared owls may be seen flying over the frozen marsh in search 

 of rodents. 



With our first week of March, several summer residents arrive and during 

 the month we may expect to see the song sparrow, bluebird, meadowlark, robin, 

 red-tailed hawk, mallard, woodcock, flicker, red-winged and rusty blackbird, fox 

 sparrow, bronzed grackle, phoebe and others. The prairie horned lark is incubat- 

 ing her first setting of eggs. 



April brings the purple martin, mourning dove, red-headed w^oodpecker, 

 brown thrasher, Wilson's snipe, blue-winged teal, vesper, field, grasshopper, 



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