Massac h ii s e 1 1 s A it d u b o n Society 7 



is very flexible and when the hirger bird^^ go through, it bends back to let 

 them enter but immediately falls back into place. I was very successful 

 even with the chickadees, until they discovered that if they hopped up on 

 the slips they could easily get out, and so now I am trying to think of an- 

 other way to outwit them. It's an interesting game, your wits against a 

 bird s. Who wouldn't want to play it. 



The location I selected for my trap proved to be a very good one, for 

 I could see it from the kitchsn window unci immediately release any bird 

 that entered. A wild grape vine clambers over the trees above it, and this 

 was generally filled with birds. During the hot spring days the location 

 seemed very much exposed and I thought it best to move the trap. Down 

 back of the elm tree was an elderberry bush with long drooping branches. 

 This was just the place; the wood house also made a deep shadow, so it 

 would only be during the early morning hours that the sun could reach it. 

 It was fortunate that I moved to this location, for the very day the catbirds 

 arrived they went slipping through the low^ shrubs and of course found the 

 trap and entered, and during the summer I banded ten. Although I did not 

 get many chickadees during the summer months I believe that it was not 

 due to the change of location, but rather that they preferred the woodland 

 dainties to any that I could furnish. As I could not see the trap from the 

 window, I had to visit it every little while, although the catbirds generally 

 made their presence known by cries of rage. Very often I would have two 

 catbirds in the trap at once. A couple that I thought must be mates got the 

 habit of repeating together. 



I always keep my trap baited and each night I cover it with burlap on 

 the sides and a heavy board on top. If any bird enters late in the evening 

 there is no danger of its getting exposed to the wind and snow in winter, 

 or the heavy rains in summer. 



Sometimes one has strange visitors. Twice now on uncovering my trap 

 in the morning [ have found a large rat as the inmate. Once while sitting 

 at the window I saw a mouse run in, and had to place a small mouse-trap 

 inside to catch it. 



Here is a good plan to keep one's bands easy of access. Take a box 

 about the size of a two-pound candy box, in this place three smaller boxes 

 on the bottom of which mark in large figures 1, 2, 3, then open seven or 

 eight bands of each size and place them in the boxes marked with their re- 

 spective number. Keep the small pliers, the note-book and pencil here also, 

 and when the birds are caught it takes but a moment to adjust a band of the 

 right size, note the number, time of day, etc., if a calendar and a clock are 

 within easy view it simplifies things still more. Then in the evening, when 

 I have more time, I fill out the record blank and my own permanent record. 

 The first year I did the work I kept a note-book, but found that it took 

 a good deal of time to look over the pages to find a certain repeat or return 

 that I saw searching for. So I decided to use index cards in the following 

 manner: 



48440 

 1921 



Chickadee — April 26, 3: 30 p. m. Bit and struggled. 

 R Dec. 2, 4: 30 p. m. " " 

 The above card is for 1921. If this bird should come back this year, I 

 will make a card out for 1922 and fasten it to the other one with a small 

 clip, and there I have at a glance his life history so far as I know it. 



