iS6 



Bird - Lore 



Nuthatches, two to four Downy Wood- 

 peckers, occasionally a Crow and Pine 

 Siskins, and one unwelcomed Sharp- 

 shinned Hawk. February 27 brought the 

 first Robin, which was again seen on the 

 28th, but a cold spell after that probably 

 caused him to seek warmer quarters. This 

 is the earliest date, for the Robin. March 

 18, Purple Grackles fed in the yard, and a 

 flock of them has since nested in a small 

 cemetery about two blocks away. A day 

 later, Juncos and Bluebirds put in their 

 appearance. 



April brought us a visit from a single 

 Meadowlark, a number of Brown Creepers 

 and Chipping Sparrows, a pair of which 

 have nested in our pear tree. Flickers 

 occasionally find their way here, and a pair 

 of them have a nest in a stump in the 

 cemetery with the Grackles. Early one 

 morning we saw two Hermit Thrushes. 

 White-throated sparrows were quite 

 numerous during migration, and both 

 Kinglets were seen. 



The May visitors were much more 

 numerous about the middle of the month. 

 One rainy morning, a flock of four Purple 

 Finches created havoc by picking off many 

 blossoms, particularly from the plum trees. 

 Their work seemed to be in direct con- 

 trast to that of the Orioles which were 

 among the blossoms at the same time. The 

 next morning was fair, and the Finches 

 were still around, not in the fruit trees, 

 however, but eating the seeds of the elm. 

 The change in the weather had caused 

 them to change their diet, but why I do 

 not know. Barn and Tree Swallows were 

 seen flying overhead, as were also numerous 

 Hawks. House Wrens are nesting with us, 

 and Swifts can be seen at any time. 

 Hummingbirds are occasionally seen, and 

 we welcomed visits from the Oven-bird, 

 Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Scarlet Tanager, 

 Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Hairy Wood- 

 pecker. A Least Flycatcher, Warbling 

 Vireo, and Yellow-throated Vireo sing in 

 the trees continually, and, we presume 

 they are nesting in the vicinity. 



The Warbler migration, May 17 to 

 June I, brought a number of interesting 

 visitors in the order named: Black and 



White, Yellow, Redstart (numerous). 

 Black-throated Green, Black-throated 

 Blue, Magnolia, Wilson's, Canada, Ten- 

 nessee, Bay-breasted, Blackburnian, 

 Nashville, and BlackpoU. 



Other visitors have been a Red-breasted 

 Nuthatch, which took a few meals from our 

 suet, Song Sparrows and Catbirds, a 

 Black-billed Cuckoo, an Olive-backed 

 Thrush, and numerous Goldfinches, of 

 which we had the pleasure of seeing eight 

 male birds at one time, in an elm. 



This concludes the May migration seen 

 in our yard. So far in June the Night- 

 hawk is the only new arrival. 



It is quite surprising when looking over 

 the notes to find that so many birds have 

 visited us this year. With the exception of 

 the Meadowlark, which was seen in the 

 lot back of our yard, all of the birds 

 mentioned have been seen in the yard or 

 flying overhead. 



Probably many others of our city folks 

 who think they cannot study the birds 

 will see just as many, or perhaps more, if 

 they keep their eyes open and give a few 

 spare moments to the things that are going 

 on in birdland in their own yards. — Mr. 

 and Mrs. William S. Wood, Kingston, 

 N. Y. 



Robins Repeatedly Using the Same Nest 



In the summer of 1916, at Jefferson 

 Highland, N. H., a Robin, for her second 

 nesting, built in the woodbine climbing on 

 the front of our cottage, which faces 

 northeast, placing her nest upon a sub- 

 stantial crossing of stout stems of the vine 

 close to the shingles and under a project- 

 ing cornice about 12 feet from the ground. 

 Its position secured to the occupant com- 

 plete protection from falling rain and all 

 drip from the roof. So well placed was the 

 nest that a casual observer would have 

 said of the location, "How discreetly 

 chosen!" The Robins proceeded very 

 quietly and confidently all through the 

 nesting period, scarcely sounding any 

 shrill cries of alarm over our movements 

 day by day, and they brought up their 

 brood successfully. This was a July nest- 



