42 JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Bird Notes from East Winthrop, Me. 



By A. L. Lane. 



The eastern part of the town of Winthrop, bordering on Lake 

 Cobbosseecontee, has such a variety of conditions, lake, woods, 

 orchards, and meadows, that it presents to a lover of bird life unus- 

 ual oportunities for observation. 



In the late fall the White-bellied Nuthatch was seen very fre- 

 quently on the large, white maples which border our front lawn, 

 until at least mid-winter, but it has not been noticed since. The 

 Hairy Woodpecker was also a winter resident. The Juncos have 

 been abundant and very neighborly. The Chickadees used to come 

 to a shelf on a maple in the dooryard, to get their share of the food 

 placed on it for a pair of red squirrels, which have ])cen fed as half- 

 tamed pets through the winter. 



The T'ox vSparrow {fasseir/la ih'aca), "the Fox-colored Sparrow," 

 as Prof. Hamlin gave it in his list of the birds of Kennebec County, 

 w-as one of the earlier birds to l^e noted. A single pair were first 

 seen near the maple in the side yard, busily scratching for the 

 crumbs which fell from the squirrel's table. Later a group of five 

 or six came to the same place and gave us excellent opportunities 

 to hear their "beautiful song," which proved them to be among "the 

 most accomplished vocalists of their tribe." That these Sparrows 

 soon disappeared from the neighborhood confirms the statement 

 that they must be considered as migrants through our country. 

 About the same time came the Bluebirds in goodly numbers, and on 

 the first week in April, during a snow storm, in a group under the 

 same tree in the dooryard, fourteen Robins were counted. The 

 sweet, soft, plaintive note of the Bluebird, "the herald of spring," 

 is always welcome as marking the transition period from winter to 

 spring. 



Blackbirds of several varieties have been very abundant and 

 jubilant in song in this locality, until now they seem to be breaking 

 from groups into pairs, preparatory to home-making. A large ap- 

 ple tree with branches as full of Blackbirds as they will be later of 



