M onthly B ulletin 11 



The phoebe, which had its nest under the large barn, seemed to be 

 rather late in breeding. This nest, when I examined it toward evening, 

 contained four eggs and one young bird apparently but a few hours old. 

 (On the 19th there was still but the one egg hatched, and on the 20th I 

 found two young and three eggs in this nest.) 



A pair of barn swallows were nesting in the big barn, and another 

 pair was noted flying in and out of the old barn adjoining the farmhouse. 



Two catbirds' nests were found. One of these, which was in a thick 

 clump of barberry back of the old barn, was a splendidly built nest. I 

 found it started on the 12th, and apparently completed except the lining 

 on the 18th — the day of which we are writing. On the 19th I found it 

 nicely lined with fine rootlets, and on the 20th it contained one egg — an 

 unusually small one. 



Both the flicker and downy woodpecker nests were found in stubs on 

 the hillside below the old barn, near the little stream. 



A rather unusual robin's nest was noted in a cedar tree near the 

 lane, just beyond the windmill. This nest is large and bulky, and ap- 

 pears upon close examination to have been remodelled and used either 

 two or three seasons. I have never observed such an instance as this 

 before. 



Probably the best "find" for the day was the nest of a solitary, or 

 "blue-headed," vireo, on the thickly wooded hill south of the reservoir. 

 This beautiful basket nest, which was first located by Mr. Cheney, was 

 hung in the forked branch of a white oak sapling, about five feet from the 

 ground. After a group of people had studied from a little distance 

 the bird upon her nest, I made a closer investigation, wishing to see how 

 near I could approach without the vireo taking alarm, and also to ascer- 

 tain the contents of the nest. By moving very slowly, I succeeded in 

 putting my hand within a few inches of the bird's head before she flew. 

 A peep into the nest then disclosed her four creamy-white eggs, faintly 

 spotted with brown. On top of these were two cowbird's eggs, about 

 fifty per cent, larger than her own and showing off conspicuously with 

 their thickly-blotched, dark markings against a background of gray. 

 These intruders were removed, as otherwise her own offspring would have 

 had little chance for successful development. Those who had such an un- 

 usual opportunity to study this bird in its solitary home agreed that this 

 experience alone was well worth the effort of the day's outing. 



The fifty or more enthusiasts who visited the sanctuary on this day 

 certainly seemed to enjoy themselves, and all combined in good fellow- 

 ship to make the outing a remarkably successful one. Many of the birds 

 seemed especially accommodating in posing for their admirers or in dem- 

 onstrating their vocal abilities. A ruby-throated hummingbird returned 



