JOURNAL OP MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



27 



One was reported from Woodfords Nov. 

 29, as perching in an apple tree during 

 the snow storm of that date, where it 

 was killed. 



Loggerhead Shrike — One identified at 

 Westbrook Nov. 17, much later than 

 ever observed here before. 



Duck Hawk at Westbrook — One of 

 these Hawks was observed, perched in 

 a willow by the bank of the Presump- 

 scot River, March 14, 1901. After be- 

 ing observed at 1.05 A. M. it remained 

 for five minutes before flying. It was 

 undoubtedly a migrant. 



A. H. N. 



A MORNING WITH THE WOOD- 

 PECKERS. 



Read before the Summer Meeting at E. 

 Parsonsfield, July 5, 1900. 



During the Spring months, when the 

 birds were coming back to spend the 

 Summer with us or to pass to the 

 northward, while a long sickness pre- 

 vented me from performing the duties 

 that were mine, my Dr. ordered me off 

 to the country to regain my health and 

 to rest up for the coming summer's 

 work. Thus I had the opportunity 

 forced upon me to observe and record 

 the birds as they arrived at Farming- 

 ton, and I spent much of my time out 

 of doors with the birds on my old 

 "stamping grounds." Early on the 

 morn of May 23d I went to a large 

 patch of woods, mostly poplars, with 

 here and there a hemlock or spruce 

 clump, and some fii'-balsams and ma- 

 ples, laying along the banks of the 

 Willson Stream. The warblers were 

 there ahead of me and were busily 

 feeding among the trees. Cape Mays, 

 Bay-breasted and many other species 

 were unusually common. While watch- 

 ing these and listening to the happy 

 chorus of voices, among them could be 

 heard the Rose-breasted Grosbeak, 



Winter Wren and Solitary Vireo. The 

 Pine Siskins were very plenty about 

 the hemlocks and spruces — evidently 

 they will nest in that vicinity. A pair 

 of Yellow-bellied Woodpeckers attract- 

 ed my attention by chasing each other 

 from tree to tree, uttering their harsh, 

 rasping notes. Seated on a stump I 

 watched them until the female flew to 

 a live poplar which was decayed in- 

 side, and after "hitching" up and down 

 to several holes excavated in years 

 past, she entered a fresh excavation and 

 soon emerged to the entrance of the 

 hole, and sitting with head outside, 

 watched me as intently as I did her, 

 as though I was an object of great in- 

 terest. The male flitted from tree to 

 tree, occasionally flying to the nest 

 and talking a lot of soft, silly love- 

 talk to Mrs. W. On climbing to the 

 nest, she left reluctantly. I inserted a 

 small pocket mirror and saw the re- 

 flection of five pearly white eggs on the 

 chips at the bottom of the excavation. 

 The nest was about 30 feet ux) the 

 trunk. 



What a lot of work it had been to 

 chisel through the live outside for 

 about three inches into the softer in- 

 side, widening out at the bottom to a 

 good sized pocket for the nest. On 

 alighting on the ground a Hairy Wood- 

 pecker attracted my attention as he sat 

 on a small birch stub. He gathei'od 

 some worms or insects and flew up to 

 a dead poplar about sixty feet up and 

 entered an excavation. Soon I heard 

 the noisy young devouring the food he 

 had carried to them. I watched both 

 birds alternately carry food to the 

 young. While thus occupied I heard a 

 pair of Downy Woodpeckers talking 

 silly and rather saucy to each other 

 and saw them fluttering from tree to 

 stub and playing hide and seek about 

 the tree trunks. Watching them 

 closely, I soon learned that they were 

 excavating a nest in a stub or dead 



