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Bird - Lore 



greater — more than doubled, in fact — had it not been found necessary to vigor- 

 ously discourage the Blue Jays and Bronzed Crackles. The former were so 

 destructive to the eggs and young of other species that there would have been 

 practically no increase, even half-grown young of the Mourning Dove being 

 killed and partly devoured by them and the eggs destroyed in fully ninety per 

 cent of the first nests built; the only remedy being to decrease the Blue Jay 

 population by at least fifteen pairs. The colony of Bronzed Crackles which 

 persisted in nest-building until finally discouraged numbered not less than fifty 

 pairs, the numerous large red cedars and still larger pines, spruces, hemlocks, 

 and larches affording them nesting places which they were extremely loth to 

 abandon. Notwithstanding my constant vigilance, however, at least three 

 pairs of each of these destructive species succeeded in conceahng their nests 

 and hatching their eggs. 



The birds wintering at Larchmound numbered thirty-eight kinds, as 

 follows: 



Those species distinguished by an asterisk were not constantly present 

 but appeared from time to time, quite independent of the character of the 

 weather. All the others were present daily. 



During the winter only two trips were made into the country, so there was 

 little opportunity for ascertaining what additional species passed the colder 

 months in the vicinity of Olney. The following, however, were noted: Killdeer 

 (frequently observed or heard in a meadow just across the road from Larch- 

 mound); Bob-white; Prairie Chicken; Turkey Vulture; Cooper's Hawk 

 Sharp-shinned Hawk; Red- tailed Hawk; Red-shouldered Hawk; Barred Owl 

 Creat Horned Owl; Prairie Horned Lark; Rusty Blackbird; Migrant Shrike 

 Carolina Wren; White-breasted Nuthatch; Red-breasted Nuthatch, and Hermit 



