Notes from Field and Study 



i53 



did not know when this box was deserted by 

 the young, but I knew on July 28 that those 

 in the apple tree box had left. 



On July 30, the male had another fight 

 with one of his own kind, while the female 

 looked on, near the apple tree box, and 

 again drove him away. I never have seen 

 more than one female here. 



I do not know how many young were in 

 each box, as I never disturbed them, and 

 did not see them leave, but I heard at least 

 two voices in each box. 



The year before, the House Wren nested 

 across the street, and used to visit the Blue- 

 bird's house, much to their displeasure. 



After their young were gone, the Wren de- 

 lighted to explore their home. 



Perhaps it is not lawful to think that the 

 Bluebirds felt that they could guard the 

 pole box from tenants, as it was in sight, but 

 were doubtful if they could so care for the 

 elm box, and hence decided to occupy both 

 that and their old home, but that seems the 

 natural conclusion. 



The next spring, both boxes were visited 

 by one pair of Bluebirds, but early in April, 

 a pair of English Sparrows planned to use 

 the elm box, so I closed the door; and the 

 Bluebirds used the apple tree box. — Eliza 

 F. Miller, Bethel, Vt. 



THE SEASON 

 XXXI. February 15 to April 15, 1922 



Boston Region. — Winter conditions per- 

 sisted through February, but on March 6, 

 a beautiful spring-like day, with "brown 

 furrow'd fields reappearing," the Song 

 Sparrows began to sing and the migration 

 was under way. 



During the following ten days the first 

 group of land-birds entered this region, 

 Bronzed Grackles in countless hundreds 

 being especially prominent, Red-winged and 

 Rusty Blackbirds in normal numbers. The 

 Song Sparrow, a migrant which is usually 

 tied for first place with the Bluebird, arrived 

 a week in advance this year and had flooded 

 the countryside before the first Bluebird 

 had appeared, a very rare occurrence. Blue- 

 birds, indeed, are still (April 15) compara- 

 tively uncommon. 



Mr. Floyd's observations, made with Dr. 

 John B. May, from the southern side of 

 Cape Cod in the second week of March, 

 indicate the presence of large numbers of 

 water-birds. He lists over a thousand Scoters 

 (the three species) migrating, Loons and 

 Old Squaws "very abundant," and 100 

 Brant on March 10, 1,000 on March n and 

 12 (the Brant and Scoters at Edgartown, 

 Mass.). 



The migration of land-birds thus far has 

 shown the following variation from the 

 average: Bluebirds, as mentioned above, are 

 not breeding here in full numbers; Cedar 



Waxwings are apparently absent (no Feb- 

 ruary flight was noted); both the Ruby- 

 crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets have 

 been conspicuously well represented, the 

 former in song. The Winter Wren is a bird 

 of decided rarity as a spring migrant in this 

 region. I saw one in Lexington on April 12 

 and Mr. Sam E. Brown reports two which 

 he saw a few days earlier in Hampton Falls, 

 (southern) N. H. The presence of these 

 three birds is noteworthy as indicating an 

 unusual flight of these little birds, for during 

 the great majority of springs not a single 

 Winter Wren will come under notice. 



No such flight of Fox Sparrows as occurred 

 this year has taken place since the remarkable 

 flight in April, 1907. This year, as was the 

 case fifteen years ago, a heavy snowfall came 

 in April and prevented the birds from ad- 

 vancing northward. The Fox Sparrows were 

 singing everywhere and collected in such 

 numbers about our door-yards that they 

 attracted the interest and admiration of 

 many people who never saw, or heard, or 

 heard of, a Fox Sparrow. 



May their interest in birds continue! — 

 Winsor M. Tyler, Lexington, Mass. 



New York Region. — The late winter had 

 been so barren of birds that it left no doubt 

 when, at an early date the first spring move- 

 ment began. At Garden City, L. I., Feb- 



