20 THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 



Notes from Bird Haven, Olney, Illinois 



Permission has been secured to reproduce a portion of a private letter 

 from Mr. Robert Ridgway at Olney to a friend in Chicago. Here are given 

 glimpses of infelicities and, indeed, harrowing tragedies among the feath- 

 ered beings that have taken up their abode at Bird Haven in response to the 

 generous and catholic invitation of its owners. Careful observations such 

 as are herewith recorded are of special interest to those trying to maintain 

 bird refuges. Mr. Ridgway writes : 



"Through her (Mrs. Ridgway) efforts our place is a veritable paradise 

 for birds. When we first came there were only Crow Blackbirds (a large 

 colony), Bluejays, and House Sparrows on the place. This summer we have 

 counted 37 species (not including any of those just mentioned) that are 

 breeding on our eight acres, and the number of individuals is so great that 

 anything like an even approximately correct census would be impossible. 

 There is much sadness however connected with our feathered friends, for 

 we frequently miss one that we have learned to differentiate from its com- 

 panions by some peculiarity of voice or plumage. This year the Cardinals 

 have suffered most, for the 25 to 30 that we fed all through the winter are 

 now reduced to a single male. Bird enemies are legion, the worst here 

 being hawks and snakes, next to these being cats, Bluejays and Graekles, 

 gray squirrels and flying squirrels. The Bluejays, despite the fact that 

 I shoot every one I can, destroy at least 75% of the eggs and many young, 

 while the Grackle is a veritable scourge in its destruction of young birds. 

 The flying squirrels" have occupied most of the nesting boxes not already 

 taken by wasps and bumble bees, and the squirrels (gray and fox) ap- 

 propriate the larger boxes put up for Flickers The white footed mouse is 

 another pest. A short time ago I found a nest of this creature that was 

 thickly lined with the feathers of a male Cardinal. The House- Wren, too, 

 we have a "grudge" against, for while a lively, sociable little fellow, 

 with a jolly though not very musical song, he is very fussy and quarrel- 

 some, and there are so many of them ( there are not less than a dozen pairs 

 nesting on the premises) that no Chickadee or Tufted Titmouse has the 

 slightest show. Most of all, Bewick's Wren, in every way a more lovable 

 bird, every whit as tame, a charming songster, and absolutely tolerant of 

 other birds, must go when T. aedon arrives. Bewick's spends the whole 

 year with us and nests early. Every spring a pair build their nest in a 

 box on our kitchen porch and incubation is in progress when the House Wren 

 arrives. The very first thing the House Wren does after coming is to enter 

 the box, impale the eggs, one at a time, on his bill and drop them to the 

 floor porch. Then he proceeds to drive the rightful owners off the premises. 

 The Chickadee (P. carolinensis) also an early breeder, is served in the same 

 manner. I came near forgetting the Red-headed Woodpecker, also a tyrant, 

 not permitting another woodpecker of any sort at the feeding places. He 

 persecutes the young Flickers shamefully." 





