6 Massachusetts Audubon Society 



Oct. 17. — Many robins, one catbird, one purple finch, one yellow-throat, who 

 has been about for several days. Heard white-throated sparrow's full 

 song (just as I had heard it one July evening from the depths of the 

 Nova Scotia spruces), likewise robins' song (half -rendered), and the 

 muffled (possibly the whisper song) of the song sparrow. 



Oct. 18. — Damp and cool. Three fox sparrows arrived this A. M. Fed all 

 day, and left at five in the afternoon. 



Oct. 20. — Our white-throats left us, but two white-breasted nuthatches ar- 

 rived. Bluebirds still abundant, and air full of their musical calls. 



Oct. 25. — Large flock of myrtle warblers left this afternoon. 



Oct. 30. — Maryland yellow-throat left today. 



Nov. 5. — Male hairy woodpecker in woods back of us. 



Nov. 10. — Four fox sparrows and two song sparrows feeding on weed seeds. 



Nov. 19. — Two ruff"ed grouse feeding on blueberry leaf buds. 



Nov. 20. — Large flock of goldfinches (counted sixty) arrived, and are still 

 with us (Jan. 3rd). Fox sparrows, tree sparrows, juncos and gold- 

 finches all feeding in same clump of birches, and ground is covered with 

 discarded seed-pods. The fox sparrows sang full song in chorus (I had 

 never before heard it in autumn) . Tree sparrows also (I counted forty) 

 sang under cover of shrubbery where they were feeding. 



Nov. 30. — Ground covered with snow (raw and cold). Two white-throats, 

 one adult male and the other young, with faint brezist stripes. 



Dec. 2. — Very cold (10° above early in morning). Two golden-crowned 

 kinglets feeding on Norway pine; also goldfinches, white-throat (adult) 

 at feed-box. One hermit thrush arrived, and must have been lost, as he 

 seemed very restless (the up-and-down motion of tail being constant). 

 He fed sparingly on black hawberries. 



Dec. 3. — Snowed one-half inch during night and warmed up through day. 

 White-throat (adult) in feed-box. I fear something has happened to 

 the young bird. Snow-fleas in abundance on top of light snow. 



Dec. 5. — White-throat left. Two white-breasted nuthatches. Female hairy 

 woodpecker in woods. 



Dec. 7. — Very cold. Sparrowhawk caught junco. Northern shrike on feed- 

 box (not feeding). Downy woodpecker feeding. 



Dec. 14. — Phoebe note of chickadee. Hermit thrust appeared and fed on 

 Sumac berries; apparently resigned to remain through the winter, as 

 there was no repetition of tail movement. Three rufi"ed grouse feeding 

 upon same berry bush, very near the kitchen window. 



Since the above date, we have daily our usual birds, more abundant than 

 ever, with one or more (up to three) grouse almost constantly about, and, 

 most interesting of all, the hermit, who comes with the flock of birds when 

 they feed about 10 A. M., 1 P. M. and 3 to 4 P. M., though, true to his name, 

 he feeds in solitary fashion on the same clump of sumac. He is there as I 

 write. On January 1st the ice-storm covered the food supply, and hermit 

 flew to the doorstep. I uncovered a pile of frozen apples, which I have kept 

 for an emergency food supply (as his cousin, the robin, is fond of them, one 

 coming frequently to an apple tree for that purpose) , and out ran a fat white- 

 footed mouse (surely the Abraham of his family, if size denotes age). We 

 still have a small flock of purple finches, and also our large flock of 

 goldfinches. Harriet U. Goode, Local Secretary. 



