ji^otesi from iFielb anti ^tutip 



Notes from Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. 



February 17 to May 29, 1916, and from 

 October 22 to May 28, 1917, I had Even- 

 ing Grosbeaks feeding daily at my feed- 

 ing-boxes and window-tray. Last winter 

 was a disappointment — only one visit, 

 February 24, from 3 males and a female. 

 This season (1918) they are back. The first, 

 a male, was in the window-tray when I 

 came down to breakfast October 15. 

 October 19, at same time, a female came 

 in, and the same afternoon there were 8. 

 Now, October 28, there are 19, 11 males 

 and 8 females. They are here, as before, 

 every day from just after daylight until 

 mid-afternoon. 



Last season a male Junco stayed all 

 winter. This spring he mated, and much 

 to my disgust, on July 8 he and his wife 

 proudly brought to my window-tray and 

 exhibited a young Cowbird! 



This is the first year (19 18) that I have 

 kept a supply of sunflower seed out all 

 summer. A flock of Purple Finches came 

 March 23 and were here continually until 

 October 21, when they left for the winter. 

 From June 15 until the end of July many 

 young birds were around. Frequently sev- 

 eral would be in the window-tray at one 

 time, being fed by their parents. June 30 

 I noticed the first second-year male begin- 

 ning to acquire the red plumage, and it was 

 well along in October before all had 

 changed. 



June 12 I saw 3 young Pine Siskins, 

 just out of nest, being fed by the old 

 birds, and by June 17th I had a flock of 

 20 old and young feeding. They stayed 

 until July 15, coming in to feed and wash 

 in the bird-bath daily. 



Many White-throated Sparrows and 

 Song Sparrows visited me. 



From May 9 to May 23 I had a small 

 flock of 5 White-crowned Sparrows. I 

 have never, thus far, been able to find a 

 White-Crown in this vicinity, except right 

 at my own doorstep. For five years I have 



had a small flock, from 4 to 6, for a few 

 days every spring and fall. 



A pair of Wood Pewees were around 

 the house all summer. September 17 I 

 saw the old birds feeding four young well 

 able to fly. They must have immediately 

 left for the South as that was the last I 

 saw of them. 



April 26 T saw 6 Savannah Sparrows in 

 open fields a quarter-mile from the house; 

 by May i there were at least a hundred. 

 They stayed all season and nested. I 

 saw the first young being fed July 10 

 and many young during the next three 

 weeks. August 4 I noticed the first signs 

 that the birds were flocking; August 6 

 they were still in the fields. I then left on a 

 fishing-trip, and on my return, August 18, 

 the fields were empty. Two pair of Hobo- 

 links and two or three pair of Meadowlarks 

 nested in the same fields. 



Dr. Christofferson, my partner on 

 bird tramps, and myself last fall and 

 winter found birds very scarce in this 

 locality. However, over Washington's 

 Birthday, we had one exceptional trip. 

 With two others we went by train about 

 40 miles, then, the doctor and I on skiis, 

 the others on snow-shoes, packing our 

 provisions, blankets, etc., tramped 8 

 miles to a hunting-camp. We had the 

 most perfect weather — no wind, bright 

 sunshine, and, during the day, temperature 

 just about freezing or a little above. There 

 was over 2 feet of snow, but when you 

 woke in the morning you were reminded 

 of a balmy spring day, for the forest 

 around was alive with birds singing and 

 chirping. When we first arrived we dug 

 out the woodpile and exposed quite a 

 little patch of unfrozen ground — this was 

 a Mecca for the birds. We also put out a 

 little food on the cabin step and the birds 

 came down to feed. 



We had Tree Sparrows, Pine Siskins, 

 Chickadees, Redpolls, Golden-crowned 

 Kinglets, Red-breasted Nuthatches, 

 American and White-winged Crossbills, 



(237) 



