10 



THE OOLOQI8T 



However, after these elevating warb- 

 ler environment they revert back to 

 the well-known parasitic habits of all 

 Cowbirds Nearby, while endeavoring 

 to locate a nest of the Yellow-throated 

 Vlreo I heard in a distant part of the 

 woods a Wood Pewee making a great 

 fuss, snapping her bill which sounded 

 like a toy pistol. I soon found the 

 Pewee chasing a red squirrel away 

 from her nest. The attack was so 

 vigorous that the red squirrel did not 

 get the three fresh eggs, but I know 

 who did. I remember the incident 

 well even if it was 19 years ago. 



A little later while satmtering 

 through an oak woods listening for 

 Hummers, I was suddenly confronted 

 by one who buzzed into a tangle of 

 spider webs near the ground after 

 which she darted straight to the nest 

 a hundred feet away. I was about to 

 follow when the male Ruby-throat 

 went through the same procedure as 

 the female. The tiny nest was not so 

 easily found owing to the protective 

 coloration beside the female suddenly 

 took a notion to preen herself while 

 perched on a delicate dead branch. 

 The nest was about thirty feet up in 

 the bend over top of a small oak situ- 

 ated on a long slender branch. I could 

 just reach the nest by standing in the 

 top of a stubby pine. There being but 

 one egg I left it. The female resumed 

 the nest as soon as I descended. I 

 must have mussed her nest of down 

 and lichens for she kept turning 

 around and around poking the rim out 

 here and tucking it in where she 

 imagined it was not just so. 



The following October 13th the 

 thickets bordering the cat-tail swamp 

 was full of all kinds of Sparrows and 

 in the edge of the cat-tails a strange 

 Sparrow came out in a very mouse- 

 like fashion. Here is an instance 

 where I felt justified in obtaining the 



bird for it was new to me. It proved 

 to be Lincoln's Sparrow and in fine 

 feather. Rusty Black Birds were 

 abundant and they congregated to 

 roost with the thousands of Red-wings, 

 Cowbirds and Grackles. The*l3abble 

 of Blackbirds' voices is something 

 wonderful to hear in the early morn- 

 ing or at evening. As a result of this 

 immense blackbird roost the cat-tails 

 are a broken down and tangled mass. 



November 6th. The great army of 

 Blackbirds left here sometime in the 

 night of November 4th. I did not see 

 them go but on the morning of the 5th 

 all was quiet down in the cat-tails and 

 none gathered here at night. It was 

 easy to know when the night had ar- 

 rived for their departure for there is 

 an unusual hubbub, and many sky- 

 larking fliglits by first one portion and 

 then the other in the gathering dark- 

 ness. 



March 9th. Although it was a cold, 

 foggy day I made my annual hike af- 

 ter a set of Great Horned Owl. I found 

 her nesting in a swampy wilderness, 

 the nest being an old one of the Red- 

 tailed Hawk's and about 65 feet up 

 and eight feet out on a limb of a large 

 elm. The two were nearly fresh. As 

 the moss covered bark was soaked 

 with rain and fog it was a cold and 

 slipping climb, something like climb- 

 ing an icicle. On my way home- 

 ward I spied a Northern Shrike but 

 he spied me too, so he just silently 

 fluttered away and was lost to view 

 and to science. 



April 21. For the past week about 

 100 animated Old Squaws have been 

 in lake close to town and their inces- 

 sant gossip can plainly be heard. I 

 don't understand what they can be 

 gabbing so noisily about, however, I 

 have decided to agree with them. Dur- 

 ing the past two or three nights I have 

 been hearing Mourning Doves and 



