Onteora Notes 85 
quickly again, but not so readily does he 
bring down his mountain thoughts with him. 
Moosewood and mountain maple, true 
northern plants, thrive near the summit, and 
in a clump there appeared lately a family of 
rose-breasted grosbeaks just out of the nest. 
These young birds resembled their mother, 
vaguely suggesting a nutmeg, in dress, but 
their call note showed the rich and beautiful 
quality of the voice of themale. Tosomeone 
who remarked that there were not many 
birds in Onteora, I said, ‘‘Then you have not 
birds in your eye.’’ A good observer could 
name about sixty summer residents among 
the birds here on the mountain and in the 
fields and swamps and pastures between here 
and Tannersville, and by including a few 
from the top of High Peak and Hunter 
Mountain, which do not nest at lower eleva- 
tions, and the kingfisher from the Eastkill, 
could perhaps make the number seventy 
species, to say nothing of the many spring 
migrants and a few winter visitors. Of ferns, 
there are within reach, either around the 
mountain or in the swamps and meadows 
below, some twenty or more species, while 
several other spleenworts are to be found in 
the Kaaterskill Clove. 
