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Vol. VI, 



ALBION, N. Y., JULY, 1889. 



No. 7 



Notes From Michigan. 



I ppeut more time iu th« tiekl duiiug 

 18fS8, tlmu iu uuy other seasou aud thiukiug 

 that a few notes will be interesting to other 

 collectors I tiike the following extracts from 

 my note book: 



Feb. 3, Siiw my first shore lark. I have 

 found fnlly fledged yonng of this species as 

 early as April 15, but never took any eggs, 

 although my brother fcund two sets of fresh 

 eggs iu June. 



Feb. 11, Snow one foot on the level, but 

 drii'ted iu some places along the fence aud 

 ditches to the depth of foar feet. iShot four 

 shore larks and wounded auother. This 

 flock with the exceptiou of a uut hatch aud 

 a Great northern shrike caught iu the act of 

 impaling an English sparrow on a thorn and 

 were the only birds seen. 



Feb. 12. Noticed three Blue birds. This 

 is very early for I never saw one here before 

 earlier than the 25th. 



Feb. 18. Shot and wing-tipped a Blue 

 Jiiy aud by using her as a decoy secured au- 

 other, also Hushed a Meadow Lark. 



Mar. 1. Some of the hawks are taking 

 advantage of the extraordinary mildness of 

 this season to build their nests. I found a 

 'Red Shouldered Hawk's nest, to-day, nearly 

 complete, will expect a set of eggs in about 

 three weeks. Shot a male Sj^arrow Hawk, a 

 bird never very common here. 



Mar. 10. Took a trip to Windsor. The 

 Avarm weather has broken up the ice and it 

 comes tioating down the river in large cakes. 

 The woods are full of Blue Jays and the 

 pretty little Bluebird cau be seen flitting 

 from post to post iu search of iueects, which 

 I am afraid he finds rather scarce. Song 

 Sparrows are also quite plentiful. 



Ma. 12. Gt. Horned Owl. Set of two 

 e;.gs incub. far advanced. Nest in an old 

 Hawk's nest, in a grove near the city. Not 

 near so (iommou as it was a few years back. 



Mar. 24. Twoinciib. eggs of Red should- 

 rndllawk. Nest iu in a clump of trees, 



the lowest limb in the group being 30ft. 

 from the ground. I leave the eggs for 

 young, hojje at the same time to secure the 

 jjarent birds. 



April 8. Took two Red-shouldered 

 Hawk's eggs from a nest in the forks of a 

 short scrub oak iu low, damp woods. Tne 

 birds were very much distressed and ho\er- 

 iug over-head gave vent to (heir feelings by 

 many cries. The locality generally chosen 

 by this bird for a nest is the main fork of a 

 tree in deep woods. A piece of ground cov- 

 ered by beech and surrounded by timber of 

 a swampy nature is favorite site. They con- 

 struct a large, bulky nest, though compara- 

 tively shallow . It is composed of sticks aud 

 twigs carelessly placed together aud lim d 

 with corn-husks, leaves, feathers, etc. As 

 soon as incubation begins the loose, downy 

 feathers of the breast come out and may 

 be seen chngiug all over the nest aud to the 

 surrounding limbs. At this period the te- 

 male has a curious habit of ornamenting the 

 nest with green leaves. The male takes his 

 turn in incubating the eggs which usually 

 does not commence until the second is de- 

 posited. The eggs are two to live and some 

 times six in number, but the majority of 

 sets however consist of Ihiee. Each set is 

 singularly variable iu regard to markings 

 the first being much more highly colored 

 than the last. The giound color being a 

 dirty white with a bluish tingue, spotted 

 and blotched Mith brown aud amber ( f 

 different shades, size about 2.25 by 1.75. A 

 handsome specimen in my cabinet is light 

 buff, blotched with very dark brown, gather- 

 ed in a broad ring around the larger end. 

 When I find a nest and know the set is not 

 complete I remove them and substitute hens 

 eggs. The Hawk cannot distinguish the dif- 

 ference aud sits on them as faithfully as on 

 her own. I found fastened among the 

 sticks of a nest of this species a Wood- 

 mouse's nest containing young. 



April 10. American Crow, set of six fresh 

 egg--. Nest composed of sticks and twigs, 



