THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 37 



representation of what ought to have been seen. I have taken 

 several trips since but bird life was not very plentiful. Robins 

 were observed every few days and I frequently saw a Mocking- 

 bird which I think got most of its eats off of persimmons and 

 hack-berries as I saw it eating these on several occasions up to 

 February 17 when it was seen in my garden here in town. I saw 

 it catching some insect life in a bed of onions which I had 

 mulched with straw. Wondering what it was I made a close ex- 

 amination and found by moving the straw there were quite a 

 few grasshoppers about one half inch long. I think the Mocking- 

 bird caught them all for when I removed the straw the last of 

 March I did not see any more hoppers. 



Saw my first Bluebird January 28, also a Marsh Hawk and a 

 Cooper's Hawk. February 2, Killdeer 1 ; March 1, Ducks flying 

 over unidentified. January 19, saw first Meadowlarks, sixteen in 

 all were seen continually the remainder of the winter. March 2, 

 Bronzed Grackles, 8. March 4, Bewicks Wren put in its appear- 

 ance. Usually they may be seen all winter but this was the first 

 one that came my way. March 16, Brown Thrasher 1, Phoebe 

 1, Purple Finch 2, Towhee 2, Turkey Vulture 1. March 24, King- 

 fisher 1, Robin building in plum tree in my back yard. March 25, 

 Mourning Dove 2, Brown Creeper 1, Barred Owl nest, 3 eggs, 

 in post oak snag 36 feet up in about the only piece of timber 

 which contains any such snags in this locality as the hunters 

 have cut nearly all such down with a view of catching raccoons 

 and opossums, and have as a consequence destroyed the breeding 

 places for such mammals and the Owls. I also examined a 

 Screech Owl nest in a shade tree here in town opposite my home. 

 It contained 5 eggs. The opening of the cavity is towards my 

 house and I very often see Mrs. Owl looking out during the day 

 time but every evening just about dusk she will sit and look out 

 for quite a while before leaving. She usually returns very early 

 in the morning while it is yet rather dark. I can slip my hand 

 under her just like a domestic hen. She only blinks her eyes 

 and sits perfectly quiet. Saw several Crow's nests. Did not ex- 

 amine them as they were in trees rather hard to climb. Saw a 

 flock of Red-winged Blackbirds probably sixty in all. April 1, 

 Robin nest completed and contains one egg. Saw one Red-breast- 

 ed Sapsucker this morning. 



C. B. Vandercook. 



Port Bryon 



Following is my report of the winter birds and the spring 

 migration up to April 2. Birds seen and heard during Decem- 

 ber 1922, January and February 1923, which were not perma- 

 nent residents or regular winter visitants were as follows : 



On December 25, while observing the birds on the Mississippi 

 River with a telescope, I saw a Gull which was entirely black, 

 except the underparts, which were partly white, and which I 



