42 THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 



Lake Forest 



Whatever may have been the delights, new or old to those who can take 

 more or less frequent tramps afield for the purpose of observing and study- 

 ing birds, for one who is limited to watching them from his window, as 

 they come to a shelf, kept well supplied, the Winter has been a very com- 

 mon-place one. To go back, a humming bird was seen as late as September 

 27th, and on the same date the white-throated sparrows came and stayed 

 through November 4th, unaccompanied, this year, by any of the white- 

 crowned sparrows. An oven-bird was seen on the 30th, while grackles 

 left on October 20th and the robins a week or so later. Since then the 

 white-breasted nuthatches, downy woodpeckers, and juncos (which first 

 came on October 16th) have been the chief feeders at the shelf, with, of 

 course, jays and English sparrows. On November 13th, the pair of 

 Cardinals came and have been regular visitants ever since. I call them 

 "the" pair because, though I have not been able to band them, I assume 

 that they are the same pair that have visited me every Winter ( staying 

 until March). I do not know whether they are a pair that leave the three 

 or four others that live and nest in another part of town or an entirely 

 different pair that visit me alone on a northbound trip. Suffice to say that 

 they are most welcome guests. To look out of one's window and see the 

 red male and a blue jay sitting on dead branches a few feet above white 

 snow is a sight to delight the eye of any one. 



Evening grosbeaks have been seen but twice, and then in small flocks. 

 Heretofore they have been seen probably eight or ten times by this date 

 (January 27th) . It was my misfortune to miss the flock of Bohemian wax- 

 wings which spent several days in the neighborhood. The tufted titmouse, 

 whose tragic story has, I think, been told before, left the neighborhood 

 entirely some time in the early Fall. A hairy woodpecker occasionally 

 comes to me for a meal of suet, and, still less frequently, a brown creeper. 

 The red-breasted nuthatches have not been seen at all, and, curiously, they 

 have visited me only on alternate years. 



On November 19th the friendly chickadee was heard and seen, and for 

 several days after that date. Three or four years ago they were the com- 

 monest of all my friends (a place now taken by the juncos) ; since then 

 there have been practically none of them. Others, too, have noticed this 

 inexplicable chance. After that week in November they were seen and 

 heard no more, until the heavy storm of January 23rd, when first one and 

 then another appeared. These two have been constantly at the shelf since 

 then. 



George E. Roberts, Jr. 



Normal 



The usual birds have been seen in this vicinity this winter. Of the 

 migrants from the north the golden crowned kinglets were numerous during 

 die latter part of November and early December. Juncoes have not been 

 as plentiful as usual this year. A few flocks were seen during December. 

 Brown creepers have been here in larger numbers than we ordinarily see. 

 On the seventh of February three were feeding on an elm tree in the back 

 yard at the same time. A red breasted nuthatch has been feeding upon suet 



