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Bird - Lore 



ing Doves cooing; frogs {Acris gryllus?) 

 piping in evening; Japanese witch hazel in 

 bloom (the first flower of the season) and 

 leaves appearing on Clematis paniculata 

 and common elder. Put up fourteen 

 nesting-boxes. 



March 15. Temperature at 6 a.m., 

 42)4°; at 10 P.M., 57°; maximum, 67°. 

 Prairie Chickens "booming," Mourning 

 Doves cooing, Song Sparrow, Robins, 

 Purple Finches, Meadowlarks, Juncos, 

 Tufted Titmice, Carolina Chickadees, and 

 Bluebirds singing, and Killdeers clam- 

 orous. The spotted ground frog (Rana 

 areolata) first head croaking. Caught a 

 snake {Ophibolus calligastcr) and saw 

 another (unidentified). 



March 16. Temperature at 6.15 a.m., 

 48°, sky overcast; maximum, 52°. One 

 poor, solitary, wild goose flew over; he 

 seemed bewildered, and perhaps was 

 separated from companions — possibly the 

 sole survivor of a flock. (The only one 

 seen during the season!) 



March 17. Temperature at 6 a.m., 40°; 

 maximum (at noon), 47°. First thunder 

 heard. 



March iS. Temperature at 6 a.m., 

 25°; maximum (at 4.15 p.m.), 36^^°; over- 

 cast in evening, portending snow. 



March 19. Temperature at 6.30 a.m., 

 28°, sky overcast, a fine, light snow, from 

 E., commencing to fall about 7 a.m., the 

 ground white by 9 a.m., the snowfall 

 increasing toward evening, but sky clear 

 at 9 P.M., when temperature 25°. 



March 20. Temperature at 6.15 a.m., 

 17°, clear and calm; maximum (at 2 p.m.), 



32>^°- 



March 23. Temperature at 6.30 a.m., 

 31°; at 9.30 P.M., 41°; maximum (at 4 p.m.), 

 47°. Frogs {Acris gryllus?) again piping 

 in evening. 



March 24. Temperature at 6.30 a.m., 

 40>^°, maximum (at 2 p.m.), 5g}4°. 

 Rana areolata again croaking. Euphorbia 

 chamcecyparis sprouting. 



March 25. Temperature at 6 a.m., 

 5o>^°, overcast, with strong south wind; 

 at II P.M., 56°; maximum (at 4 p.m.), 

 00°. Brown Thrasher arrived. 



March 26. Temperature at 6 a.m., 



S(>H°} sky overcast; at 10 p.m., 62°; maxi- 

 mum (at 3 p.m.), 67°. Spring beauty in 

 bloom. Put up twenty-nine nesting-boxes 

 at Bird Haven. 



March 27. Temperature at 6.30 a.m., 

 59°; at II P.M., 52°, cloudy and foggy; rain 

 most of preceding night and until about 

 10.30 A.M. Forsythia suspensa commenc- 

 ing to bloom, many shrubs with foliage 

 started, and grass very green. 



March 28. Temperature at 6 a.m., 49°, 

 with dense fog; at 10 p.m., 60°; maximum 

 (4 p.m.), 64°. Robins, Bluebirds, Blue 

 Jays, and Mourning Doves nest-building; 

 in evening the croaking of hundreds of 

 Rana areolata producing a continuous roar. 



March 29. At 7.30 a.m., 60°; at 10 

 P.M., 62°; maximum (at noon), 65°; in 

 evening a hard, steady rain. Field Spar- 

 row singing. 



March 30. Temperature at 6 a.m., 

 57°, overcast and foggy; at 9 p.m., 50°; 

 maximum (6 to 8 a.m.), 57°. Many trees 

 and shrubs with leaves started; red and 

 silver maples past full bloom; elm {Ulmus 

 americana) in full bloom; hyacinths in 

 bloom. A Field Plover passed over (going 

 northward). 



April I. At 6 A.M., 59°, overcast (a 

 thunder storm about 2 a.m.); at 7 a.m., 

 52>2°, still overcast. A Robin sang and a 

 Mourning Dove cooed shortly before 5 

 A.M. Hepatica in bloom; forsythias in 

 fullest bloom. 



April 2. At 6 A.M., 49°, calm, overcast, 

 but clouds somewhat broken; at 4 p.m., 

 59°, clear. First toad (killed by lawn- 

 mower). 



April 3. At 6 A.M., 43°, fair; at 12 p.m., 

 47>^°; maximum (at noon), 49°. Two 

 ducks {Fuligula affinis?) on nearby pond. 

 Chipping Sparrow arrived. 



April 5. Temperature at 6.30 a.m., 

 37°, clear; at 9.30 p.m., 45°; maximum 

 (5 p.m.), 50°. Two Mourning Doves seen 

 on their nests in red cedar trees; a Black- 

 crowned Night Heron perched on red 

 maple tree overhanging sidewalk and re- 

 mained while several persons passed under- 

 neath. Apricot commencing to bloom. 



April 6. At 6 a.m., 45°, cloudy, threat- 

 ening rain; at 10 p.m., 5o>^°, with rain 



