Monthly Bulletin 7 



— I should say one-third as many as in former years. We have seen no 

 purple martins this year, nor have we heard of any being seen. 



Apparently there are more robins than even in former years; the 

 usual number of orioles and of song sparrows and chipping sparrows. 

 Partridge woodpeckers appear to be nesting in the Berlepsch box on the 

 tree in the meadow east of our house, where they have been nesting for 

 several years. I have heard that there are rose-breasted grosbeaks about 

 Concord and we think we have heard some but have seen none about our 

 place. I have noticed a few warblers. 



I have seen fewer meadowlarks than usual; have not seen or heard 

 any quail or ruffed grouse. This morning, I think I saw, in the meadow, 

 at a considerable distance, one or two bobolinks, the first ones of this 

 season. 



We have been hearing, as in the past two or three years, the boom 

 of the bittern in the meadow east of our house and have frequently seen 

 one — in fact, it is getting to be quite an object of interest to people. I 

 have seen automobiles stop so that the occupants could view the bittern, 

 which appears to be getting quite used to seeing people, as he, or she, 

 comes, at times, quite close to the Causeway. One afternoon, I saw what 

 I supposed were two of these birds, except that one, who stood up erect, 

 appeared to have a black or dark back, with white bands across his 

 shoulders. Yesterday afternoon, I saw what I presume was the same 

 bird, standing in the meadow, only that his general color seemed to be 

 brown instead of black. He had the white bands across his shoulders. 

 He appeared to be booming. The wind was blowing away from me so 

 I could not say positively that I heard the sound, although I thought I 

 did and he was going through the usual contortions that bittern go through 

 when booming. When I first saw this bird, there was another bird near 

 him which I am confident was a bittern; it was brown, the usual color. 

 I was puzzled by the appearance of the one that looked black and had the 

 white bands. Could it have been a bittern? 



Yours very truly, Edward L. Parker. 



The bird showing black and white was undoubtedly a bittern. The 

 bittern has "a glossy black streak on each side of the upper neck," and 

 during courtship it has the habit of displaying white nuptial plumes which 

 are attached near the shoulders and which, though ordinarily concealed, 

 can be spread out in the form of a conspicuous ruff. See the paper on 

 the subject by Mr. William Brewster, in the Club, for January, 1911. 



— F. H. A. 



