Notes From Field and Study 



459 



left the nest, but the third was killed by 

 being dashed to the ground during a 

 storm. — Edward S. Daniels, St. Louis, 

 Mo. 



A New Use for Bird's Nests 



The other day, while hunting Red- 

 winged Blackbirds' nests along the edge 

 of a pond, I came across a March Wren's 

 globular nest — the first I had ever seen. 

 While congratulating myself upon my 

 discovery, I heard a squeaking within. 

 Knowing that it was too late for young 

 Marsh Wrens, I put mj- finger into the 

 hole in the side and pulled out three baby 

 mice. The mother mouse had evidently 

 found the nest and appropriated it for a 

 nursery. It was easily reached, being not 

 over a foot from the ground. The inside 

 of the nest was lined entirely with red 

 worsted. — Laurence Snyder, Huguenot 

 Park, N. Y. 



Unusual Winter Birds near New 

 London, Connecticut 



About the last of December, 1914, some 

 friends told me of seeing some strange 

 birds at Riverside Park, northeast of New 

 London. From the size, and the noting 

 a large white patch on the wing, I could 

 think of nothing but the Red-headed 

 Woodpecker, though this seemed improba- 

 ble. On January 6, I visited the park, and 

 soon heard the 'tree-toad'-like call of the 

 Redhead, which was answered by another 

 farther away. The first bird I soon saw on 

 a chestnut tree — an immature bird — the 

 other, w^hich later appeared, was a beauty; 

 but although its head was brilliant, there 

 were traces of gray in it. In the park are 

 many very large chestnut trees, all more 

 or less affected by the chestnut blight, 

 and these had many Woodpeckers' holes. 

 Again, on January 8, I saw at the same 

 place one of the birds, and my friends saw 

 them on January 9. 



A physician, driving on his rounds, 

 reported seeing, about December 16, at 

 Bride Creek, in the town of East Lyme, 

 a Great Blue Heron. On January 2, which 

 was snowy and cold, he saw it again, 



standing on one leg with a disconsolate 

 air. 



On January 9, with a determination to 

 see it, if possible, vnth a friend I visited 

 the creek. It was not to be seen from the 

 road, so we stole down along the east side 

 of the creek, through the woods and 

 bushes, and finally out onto the marsh, 

 where, after a while, we spied a large bird 

 crouching down in the grass in an unhe- 

 ronic position. As we came nearer it rose 

 and flew, and, to our joy, it was the 

 Great Blue Heron. Later we saw it again. 

 There was much ice in the creek, but some 

 open water. — Frances Miner Graves, 

 Neir Loudon, Conn. 



Bird Notes from Cape Cod 



During several days of sleet and snow, 

 in the early part of February, 1915,1 de- 

 rived a great deal of pleasure from watch- 

 the birds feeding at the places I had pre- 

 pared for them. I put out crumbs on a 

 feeding-shelf, and also in different places 

 on the ground around my home. I also 

 put out chaff from the barn, and suet on 

 the trees, some with a quarter-.inch mesh 

 wire over it, so it could not be carried off 

 in large pieces by the Jays. I likewise 

 put some on a stick, fastening it securely 

 by winding string around it many times, 

 and then nailing it to a tree. I saw Chicka- 

 dees, Woodpeckers, and Jays eating from 

 the suet, also a few J uncos. Feeding on 

 the ground were a number of Juncos, 

 four Tree Sparrows, and one Song Sparrow. 

 The Tree Sparrows did not come until it 

 was very cold, and the Song Sparrow was 

 the last of all to come. 



I also saw one Goldfinch here on two 

 days, eating from the weed seeds. On the 

 morning of January 31, I was much sur- 

 prised to see a Robin in a tree near the 

 house. They are rarely seen here in winter. 

 I also saw two Purple Finches on two dif- 

 ferent days in January, which is also 

 unusual here; although there was quite a 

 flock of them, at the home of a neighbor of 

 mine, two years ago, at about this same 

 time of year. — Miss Ethel L. Walker, 

 Bournedale, Barnstable Co., Mass, 



