18 Union Bay 



But even though predation is heavy the tule wrens hold their 

 own, and I have seen no diminution during the many years 

 I have been visiting the area. 



Human predators, too, did their share of damage. So harm- 

 ful was their meddling, even though innocent, that I would 

 never look at, or work around, a nest if people were near. 

 Failure to stop my work when a canoe went by once caused 

 the destruction of a nest and its seven young, for the people 

 came back after I left and out of sheer curiosity tore down 

 and opened it to see what had attracted my attention. I can 

 imagine their regret when they found it contained living 

 young birds, but there was nothing that xould be, done. 

 Humpty Dumpty could not be put together again and so the 

 nestlings perished. Our birds in the baylet were more fortu- 

 nate for their nests were not among those which the raiders 

 visited. 



The season advanced. The quieter areas of water began 

 to be filled with vegetation. Baseball and track teams oc- 

 cupied the athletic fields and their spring schedule was well 

 on its way. The coxswains of the University crews rapped on 

 the sides of the shells and called for a faster beat. Picnickers 

 with baskets in their canoes left daily for various parts of the 

 lake. The two families of wrens stuck to their area through- 

 out all the activity. A second brood of young appeared and 

 successfully survived. The young ones flitted in and out of 

 their cattail forest. They picked, they scolded, they tried their 

 wings, and they uttered thin immature cries as they perched 

 and begged for more food from their overworked parents. 

 The older birds became almost silent. Occasionally I heard 

 bits of song but the enthusiasm and full repertoire had van- 

 ished. They did not occupy the cattail tops as in spring. 

 They watched me from the shelter of some tangle. Autumn 

 steadiness and wariness had replaced the carelessness of 

 spring rapture. I missed the enthusiasm and discord which 

 had so thoroughly filled the marsh. 



