68 



IOWA ORNITHOLOGIST. 



other nests of this species, but all 

 with the same result. 



Crossing Pea's Branch which 

 is still frozen over in places, we 

 go in a southerly direction and 

 soon came to the DesMoines 

 river — here the ice has all dis- 

 appeared. Large flocks of crows, 

 several chickadees and downies 

 were observed, finding no hawk's 

 nest here we retraced our steps 

 until we came to a fork of Pea's 

 Branch. Seeing a large, bulky 

 nest in the very top of a forest 

 monarch, we decide to follow the 

 fork. This fork of Pea's Branch 

 passes through a wilder and more 

 romantic part than Pea's Branch 

 proper. Rocks of all descriptions 

 and sizes are scattered along its 

 banks in wild confusion. The 

 heavy timber on either side — the 

 steep ravines — the sparkling 

 springs flowing over solid rock, 

 all add to the scene of beauty. 

 Nests there were in plenty, but 

 we had evidently come ahead 

 of time, as none contained eggs. 

 We decided to return the latter 

 part of the month. After shoot- 

 ing two fox squirrels, we wended 

 our way homeward. 



The first of April I am again at 

 the home of the Red-tail Buzzard. 

 But what a change has taken 

 place during this short time ! 

 O nly four days ago a second win- 



ter seemed to have comt-. to stay. 

 Snowing all afternoon, the next 

 morning it had turned into a reg- 

 ular blizzard, snowing all day. 

 Ducks and geese returned south; 

 black-birds continued moving 

 south for several days. Swans 

 become bewildered and many 

 were shot. Ponds and lakes 

 were again frozen over. A hunt- 

 ing party that had gone to Clear 

 Lake the first of the week, re- 

 turned with over a hundred 

 ducks: teal, shovellers, butter- 

 ball, red-heads, mallards, pin- 

 tail and scaup ducks. 



To-day it is clear and warm — 

 an ideal day of returning spring. 



The sand-hill crane is circling 

 'round and 'round^ — going higher 

 each time — their bluish-gray bod- 

 ies and wings glistening in the 

 sunshine at each turn. Soon the 

 leader decides on the direction 

 and starts northward, the others 

 following in wedge shape. Linger- 

 ing snow drifts along the sides of 

 the ravines give back the uncloud- 

 rays of the morning sun. The 

 chicadees are noisy, lively and 

 busy — gleaning their food — what 

 pretty little black-capped beau- 

 ties they are ! In the brush, 

 many fox sparrows are flitting 

 from branch to branch. A song 

 sparrow startled at our approach 

 glides swiftly through the brush 



