Massachusetts Audubon Society 3 



SOME NEEDHAM BIRDS 



F. L. W. Richardson. Jr., who is an enthusiastic hircl student and bird 

 protectionist, reports the following birds all feeding at his Charles River 

 feeding station, April 1-3. junco, fox sparrow, song sparrow, tree sparrow, 

 downy woodpecker, white-breasted nuthatch, chickadee, red-winged black- 

 bird, bronzed grackle, cowbird. crow, blue jay, pheasant, bluebird, robin. 



BIRD DAY AT SHARON 



The Annual Bird Day at the Moose Hill Bird Sanctuary of the Massa- 

 chusetts Audubon Society has been set this year for Saturday, May 20th. 

 The spring bird migration varies, of course with the character of the season, 

 but it is usually at its height at about this time, when all the warbler hosts 

 mav be expected. In any case, all the local birds will probably have arrived. 

 As at present planned, there will be no formal exercises, but members and 

 friends are invited to come to spend the day and enjoy the birds, wild flowers 

 and woods, which will surely be at their best. It is expected that the Society 

 will be at home at the new Sanctuary Headquarters. This is the white colo- 

 nial cottage which stands near the junction of Upland and Moose Hill Roads, 

 a little distance north of the former headquarters on the Field place. Last 

 year fifty or more species of birds were observed during the day, several of 

 them rare in this part of the State. Visitors coming for the day should bring 

 a basket luncheon. Arrangements will be made to have sandwiches, coffee 

 and ice-cream on sale. Trains for Sharon leave South Station as follows: 

 A. M., 6:25, 7:39, 11:00. P. M., 12:25, 1:35, 2:33, 3:30, 4:28. Return: 

 A. M., 8:00, 8:44, 10:54, 11:51. P. M., 1:21. 2:52, 4:46. 6:14, 7:10, 9:07. 



A BATTLE FOR THE BIRDS 



Mr. Charles J. Anderson, of Springfield, reports a vigorous and success- 

 ful winter's work among the birds. He has made a veritable bird garden 

 of his Springfield estate and has had very many interesting adventures among 

 the birds there. He has modelled a complete bird garden in miniature that 

 can be mounted on cardboard for future reference. Among his bird notes 

 for February and March is the following: "We had seven chickadees and 

 six downy woodpeckers here feeding steadily, one of the downies, a female, 

 spending each night in a Berlepsch house which is in the tree belt. This 

 woodpecker, under observation for five weeks, was on exact time regardless 

 of storm or sunshine. She went in at 4:15 P. M. and came out at 7:10 A. M. 

 One morning, as I watched my clock, she did not show up until 7:15, and 

 I thought she had missed, but on going downstairs found that the clock, 

 which was new, had gained five minutes. She now varies in time, more or 

 less. As I have food cones attached to all houses, this downy would stick 

 her head out and look at the weather, and if was cold and stormy she would 

 just come outside of her home, get some food and go back again for thirty 

 minutes." 



Mr. Anderson had some serious adventures with a shrike which came 

 in bitter cold weather and attacked his chickadees. He and Mrs. Anderson 

 gave battle to the shrike with sticks and later with a gun, but in spite of that 

 the shrike got one of the chickadees. During the battle he was seen to be 

 carrying something which Mr. Anderson thought to be another bird but which 

 turned out to be a fair-sized rat. In spite of the rat catching, Mr. Anderson 

 has a very poor opinion of shrikes. 



