VERMONT BIRD CLUB 35 



application. English sparrows were so persistently 

 "shooed" away that their attendance was limited to the 

 hours when the chamber was empty. One January morn- 

 ing I opened the window to refill the bird's table and, with 

 pieces of suet in my hand, reached inside for a hammer with 

 with which to nail them down. This was done to evade 

 the sparrows who carried the suet away to devour at their 

 leisure in the hedge beyond my jurisdiction. As I turned 

 for the hammer a chickadee came rushing down, alighting in 

 my hand and eating the suet. After this informal intro- 

 duction, so mutually agreeable, whenever the chickadees 

 were about I had but to open my window and they ate 

 from my hand with winning confidence. Then walnuts 

 were placed upon the sill inside which were at once appro- 

 priated, the birds coming fearlessly into my room, hopping 

 about me as I sat by the window, coming to my desk, to 

 picture frames, chairs, and table. The birds were photo- 

 graphed in the room, but the pictures were poor owing to 

 the imperfect light. This chickadee friendship remained 

 close and constant until well into March when a change 

 was apparent. They came less frequently, and with an 

 indifferent, I-never-knew-you air that was most humiliat- 

 ing. Nuthatches stayed on, coming inside at all hours, 

 and eating the bits of walnuts that the wind had blown 

 from the window sill to the floor, before exploring the 

 room and trying on its various perching places. Later on 

 bluebirds and juncos came to my table, making in all 

 seven species of birds that were my guests during the win- 

 ter. 



