6 Massachusetts Audubon Society 



ber was not caused so much by death as by migration. Lapland longspurs 

 were reported south to Pennsylvania. All along the Atlantic seaboard winter 

 birds drifted into the sheltered river valleys in late December on toward the 

 coast and then southward. Birds took advantage of shelter everywhere. 

 A screech owl roosted in a hooded chimney top. A red-shouldered hawk 

 and a mockingbird showed sooty underparts, and must have sought some 

 similar roosting place. A blue jay often sat on a warm manure heap, but 

 froze at last. Along the coast from Cape Cod to South Carolina small birds 

 flocked in sheltered localities where they could find food. Many that re- 

 mained in the north found shelter from storms and cold, and protection 

 from hawks and shrikes, in barns, sheds and stacks. English sparrows and 

 starlings apparently suffered most from the attacks of shrikes and sparrow 

 hawks. Ruffed grouse and bob-whites were the prey of cats and foxes. 

 Many people report remains of grouse killed by foxes, and here and there 

 one slain by some hawk or owl. Grouse and pheasants were attacked by 

 ravenous crows, and a few grouse were reported to have been killed by 

 diving into the snow from on wing and striking dense crust. 



As the ice along the coasts began to go out in January, five king eiders 

 were reported from Block Island, R. I., and later one from Nahant, Mass. 

 Still later a male harlequin duck was observed in the harbor of Vineyard 

 Haven, Mass. Although many of the fresh-water wild fowl went far south 

 during the great frost, their northward movement started early. The sea 

 ducks were pushed to sea by the ice again in February and hard pressed 

 for food. Vast flights of scoters skirted the ice on the south of New Eng- 

 land. Bald eagles hung about Newburyport, Mass., and Bar Harbor, Maine. 

 At least one great blue heron has been reported from Cape Cod in every 

 winter month. 



February saw the Canada geese breasting the ice in their northward 

 trend, and on March 5 a flock passed over Nashua, N. H. A few lesser scaup 

 and pintails were reported that month from the Cape Cod district and near 

 Boston. Wilson's snipe, which have wintered near a spring in Lynn, Massa- 

 chusetts, for many years, disappeared in December and did not return until 

 the last week in February. 



There have been few reports on bird life from the northern woods, as 

 much of the time the snow has been too deep and soft for good snowshoeing. 

 Deer are said to have been killed and eaten by dogs, foxes and lynxes. The 

 only report of great numbers of northern winter birds came from Coos 

 County, New Hampshire, in February, where many red crossbills, white- 

 winged crossbills, pine grosbeaks and pine siskins were seen feeding on 

 cone seeds. Three white-winged crossbills were seen near Bennington, Vt., 

 February 17. Reports seem to agree that the snow bunting has been the 

 only small bird from the north that has been generally numerous all winter 



