THE OSPREY. 



89 



but the shyer and more retiring species are likely to 

 be found in abundance. 



I first became interested in the fall migrants and 

 winter visitants through a flock of crossbills which I 

 noticed drinking at the edge of a small pond sometime 

 late in the fall of 1891. This little bird with its pecu- 

 liar traits and interesting habits made quite an im- 

 pression upon me at the time, and ever after that I 

 have always been on the alert to record its arrival at 

 the times it may be expected here. 



Thus the other fall and winter species came to my 

 notice, and every year I have been rewarded bv find- 

 ing some of them. Unfortunately, my note-book 

 containing these earlier records and observations has 

 been destroyed, so I can only refer to them approxi- 

 mately. 



The winter of 1895-96 and the fall preceding were 

 especially fruitful in their bird-life. Purple finches 

 were first seen August 25, and were unusually abund- 

 ant from this time on through the winter until they 

 departed in the spring. 



The crossbills were more abundant this year than I 

 have ever seen them. It was the 29th of October : as 

 I was passing beneath a fir tree a yellow bird flew 

 out from overhead, uttering the peculiar metallic 

 whistle which immediately assured me that it was a 

 crossbill. There was a flock of some ten or twelve 

 birds, male and female, feeding on the cones of the 

 fir trees. From this date they increased in abund- 

 ance and scarcely a day passed without my seeing 

 them. It was no uncommon sight to see a flock of 

 30 or 40 birds alight at the edge of some small pond 

 to drink. The rich red of the males contrasting with 

 the bright yellow of the females as they would drop 

 from the trees above to the water's edge, and there 

 with their characteristic slow and deliberate manner 

 take their drink and fly back to the trees again, was 

 but one of the many quaint ways which added so 

 much to the fascination of studying them. Their 

 loud metallic whistle, uttered at all times except 

 when busily engaged in feeding, is so pronounced 

 and so full of their wild free spirit that it lends an 

 additional charm to their study. I last saw them 

 on December 15. 



On December 18 I heard a note much like a cross- 

 bills, but on investigation found that it came from a 

 Pine Grossbeak. It was my first experience and I was 

 much pleased at finding one of this species. I kept 

 my eyes open for others and on the jjd of December 

 secured a young male. The birds seemed quite shy 

 and when once started were hard to approach again. 

 A flock of 10 birds staid until March 14. The 

 note of this bird, it seems, might at first be easily 

 mistaken for that of the Evening Grossbeak, although 

 it is not so loud and more musical. 



While out hunting with a companion on January i 

 we came across a party of rabbit hunters. In their 

 game bags they had four badly mutilated Bohemian 

 Waxwings. By inquiring we found where they had 



shot them and succeeded in locating the flock at the 

 edge of a heavy woods. We succeeded in shooting 

 two fine specimens, a male and a female I secured 

 another the next day. On the J4th I saw a solitary 

 individual perched on the top of a high oak tree. 

 Although I did not see them between these two dates 

 (which represent the first and last observations 

 taken) I have no doubt but that they were here con- 

 tinuously and could have been found in some retired 

 spot. 



During Thanksgiving time heavy snows occurred 

 here and every tree and shrub was beautifully en- 

 crusted with a white covering. Bird-life had been 

 unusually scarce on this account. Imagine then my 

 surprise when a large bird fluttered from a bush 

 which was heavily weighed down with snow. This 

 bird proved to be an American Bittern. It flew to 

 an oak some 100 yards away, where it remained as 

 long as I watched. This was on November 28. 



In the spring of 1890 Evening Grossbeaks were \ery 

 common about here and I became fairly well ac- 

 quainted with them ; but their habits were so entirely 

 new to me that I wished to become more familiar 

 with them; so each succeeding year I watched eagerly 

 for them but was not rewarded until this year. The 

 12th of March was unusually fine for this month and 

 as I was hurrying along a strange bell-like whistle 

 caught my ear. It proceeded from a clump of 

 evergreens across a ravine ; I approached carefully 

 and was more than delighted to find my long-looked- 

 for friends, the Evening Grossbeaks. Apparently 

 they were at rest for they were quietly perched on 

 the branches of a fir tree, three or four sitting side 

 by side after the manner of Waxwings. After this 

 they were about continually and I became as accus- 

 tomed to them as to Robins and Blue Jays. I saw 

 them in all phases of their existence. Their favorite 

 food seemed to be the unopened willow buds and 

 later Larch cones and other seeds. Frequently I 

 found them in the ravines picking among the dead 

 leaves much like a Towhee Bunting. When they 

 were thus engaged one or more invariably acted as 

 sentinels ; they seemed, however, very tame and 

 could be approached within fifty feet without difii- 

 culty. They often bathed in a stream at the bottom 

 of a certain ravine and while perched near by in the 

 sun would dry and preen themselves, while I stood 

 watching within a few feet. They staid until late in 

 the spring and their loud, bold whistle now seemed 

 quite musical to me. I had almost hoped they would 

 nest here, but on May 16 I missed them, and as I 

 did not see them the following day I concluded that 

 they were gone. The study of these birds proved 

 e\en more delightful than that of the crossbills 

 though their ways were not so interesting. 



This winter season seemed very favorable for bird 

 study and as I look at mj- 9 specimens of the Evening 

 Grossbeak and my two of the Bohemian Waxwing I 

 feel well satisfied with the result of the season's study. 



