36 THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 



any time flying in all directions. February 21 I saw seven Kill- 

 deers and several flocks of Ducks. More were observed on the 

 water but were not identified. I also heard a Grass Frog. 



At 5:20 p. m. February 22 I saw a flock of several thousand 

 Blackbirds flying northeast. They were over a quarter of a mile 

 away, but as five of the Bronze species came back in a few min- 

 utes from the same direction the large flock took I believe they 

 were Bronzes. 



March 3 several flocks of Ducks were seen, also one Bewick 

 Wren, the first one seen or heard since December 5. Usually 

 they may be seen on any mild day during the winter, but they 

 were entirely missing this winter. I have not seen any Mourn- 

 ing Doves, Red-tailed Hawks, or Marsh Hawks at all this winter. 

 Juncos and Tree Sparrows were not nearly so plentiful as usual. 



July 13, 1913, J. G. McKee, a farmer living five miles north 

 of Odin, told me some boys were destroying Blackbird nests 

 around a neighbor's orchard in the spring, and they came across 

 one which contained four light blue eggs. I made inquiries, but 

 could learn nothing more. Plain blue Grackle eggs are things 

 I have never heard of. I was of the opinion that it might have 

 been a stray Starling. I have not heard of any other occurrence, 

 and do not wish to record this as a fact. 



Rock Island 



Miss Genevieve Zimmer tells of some pleasant walks around 

 Rock Island. 



Riverside Park and Cemetery in Moline, Illinois, is a ver- 

 itable bird haven. For ten years I've climbed its hills, roamd 

 its woods, sauntered along its creek, but never have I seen a 

 lovelier sight than on February twenty-second of this year, a 

 warm day with a moist wind blowing. Beyond the entrance 

 gate is a stretch of wide meadow, where Meadowlarks usually 

 congregate. I had passed it by and gone up the hill, with the 

 full expectation of hearing my brave little Song Sparrow — al- 

 ready two weeks behind time — when to my ear came the lilt of 

 spring's first Bluebird. A pair of them dropped down into the 

 bushes in front of me, the beginning of a stream of them. 



I thought I was "seein' things," but finally an immense 

 flock flew over to that wide meadow, where they looked like 

 a field of bluebells. I counted hundreds of them, as they flew up 

 and then fluttered back again. The grass had recently been 

 burned off, so no doubt they found plenty of insects that had 

 awakened under the warm smile of the sun. 



In all my journeys up there I had never seen so many and 

 at such an early date. Usually a few pairs appear at a time, 

 betwen the dates February 18-25, and then later small flocks. 

 So perhaps this will be Bluebird year. A few days afterwards 



