^ 1914 J Tyler, Brown Creeper in Massachusetts. 51 



my notes which I wrote largely with the birds before me. I have 

 used quotation marks to indicate direct transcription from these 

 field records. 



The nest tree is a dead black oak, the trunk of which three feet 

 above the ground measures 33 inches in circumference. Little of 

 the bark has fallen except from the upper half of the tree where it is 

 nearly bare. Eight feet from the base, a slab of bark as broad as 

 the span of one's hand stands off from the trunk; it is continuous 

 above with the unseparated bark of the tree; its free lower border 

 is six inches from the trunk; on each side is a bare area. The 

 cavity behind the bark is nearly filled by the nest, — a mass of 

 sticks, bits of bark and dead wood, caterpillar webbing, dry grass, 

 cocoons and the down of cinnamon ferns, — materials all to be 

 found in the immediate neighborhood. The nest measures seven 

 inches in height. Its base, made chiefly of sticks, projects slightly 

 below the flake of bark. The nest is attached to the inner side of 

 the bark and not to the trunk; when the flake is raised, the entire 

 nest swings out with it. The nest is lined with fern down; the 

 hollow is oval with the long axis parallel to the surface of the trunk; 

 it is built up at the two sides, giving a hammock effect. 



"May 17. At the Creeper ground, 7-8 a. m. By standing 

 on a stump, I can look into the nest. It is empty, although practi- 

 cally completed. When the bird comes to the nest, she enters 

 facing the trunk and comes out with her back to it. This is re- 

 peated at the next trip. She gives the long, vibrating, sibilant 

 "Ziiiit" call and the short "ts" almost continually. Today she 

 collects material from near the nest — from within twenty-five 

 yards. She is always in sight except when she is behind a tree or 

 branch. She adds to the nest what appears to be a bit of bark. 

 She is away for two minutes, — the next time for one minute — 

 again for one minute. When ascending a smooth, barkless trunk 

 she spreads her feet far apart (as a squirrel would). She finds 

 nesting material here, — fine filaments which she peels off. She 

 generally alights below the nest and creeps up to it; sometimes she 

 alights above and hitches downward, moving backward and side- 

 ways. She goes now to the ground for dry grass. She hops about 

 for a distance of ten feet, gathering blades eight inches long. She 

 creeps easily over rocks, even over an almost upright face. The 



