1893
June 17
(No 3)
Say brook Ferry, Conn.

Yellow winged Sparrows were exceedingly numerous in [?]                                     
field. The simple song and sputtering outcry of the the marsh wren
heard incessantly in every direction. Near where in lay down a
pair with worms in thin bills began chirping anxiously and
were soon joined by others the whole six being at one
time strong along on the top rail of a fence. The chirp of this
Sparrow bears a curiously close resemblance to that of a cricket.
It is double, that is composed of two notes run together of "slurred".
near where we saw the six birds on the fence Faxon found a
nest with five eggs incubated a days ago only. It was so deeply
sunk that the rim was flush with the surface of the ground
which was here broken or lumpy [?]with an exceedingly sparse growth
of short, fine grass which grew in tufts with [?] spaces between.
The nest was in one of the tufts & all the grass blades which were
of last years growth & dry & bleached, had been woven together by
the bird into a little canopy or bower which completely overreached
& concealed the eggs [?] on one side where there was an entrance
hole. Faxon's eye caught this dark spot or hole from a distance
of several yards. he called me up & we both stood fifteen or 
twenty feet away for several minutes & looked at the sitting
bird  through our glasses. She sat with her bill pointing out
towards the entrance of her bower. The median cross strip
was very conspicuous . She winked her eyes frequently but
[?] no other movement. When we approached she ran out
directly under foot and after running a few yards flew.
The male had been singing about 50 yds.  away.
Faxon afterwards found another nest, empty & evidently broken
up by crows. It was built at the roots of  partrly under,
a tuft of beach grass. I took the nest [with]? eggs.
Faxon also found a grass Finches nest with 4 fresh eggs. It            
was under a little by berry bush on the  with side in a
hollow stretched in the ground & lined with a thin mat of dry grass.


[margin]Yellow wing Sparrows nests[/margin]
[margin]Nest of Grass Finch[/margin]