BIRDS OF PEASE MARSH 



where about, on the porch, on the window 

 ledges, on the shutters, on the vines over the 

 windows, their white beaks showing very 

 white indeed against their taupe-grey, satiny 

 feathers. They were returning, with their 

 families, from their nesting places in the moun- 

 tains or the spruce woods. The Juncos and the 

 Snow Buntings visit the weed patches that rise 

 above the snow of early winter. They come 

 again in the spring and search out what they 

 have missed in the autumn. True to their 

 name the Snow Buntings nest within the 

 Arctic circle, the land of snow and ice. 



REDPOLLS AND LONGSPURS 



One cold, bright day about the end of Febru- 

 ary sweet musical twittering brought us to the 

 window, and there among the trees was a large 

 flock of Redpolls, the first we had seen that 

 winter, which had been uncommonly cold. 

 They seemed quite tame, evidently having been 

 attracted by the birch and cedar trees among 

 which they were dining, the seeds in the cat- 

 kins of the birch being a favorite food. Creep- 

 ing quite close we examined the flock carefully 

 through an opera glass. Some had very crim- 

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