1892
July 5
(No 2)
Concord, Massachusetts.
Mass.
Concord.- evidently begging the female to come and see what
a peculiarly favorable nesting site he found but she meanwhile
was feeding busily in another part of the tree and turned
a deaf ear to his entreaties. Three or four days later, however,
I saw him weaving the first strands in among the twigs.
The nest was not finished until May 30th.
  Several Rose-breasted Grosbeaks were in the cherry tree by
the house this afternoon and one, an old bird, sang
a little in subdued tones. They were eating cherries.
[margin]Grosbeaks
eating cherries[/margin]
  The Flickers in the nest by the landing are fully
feathered and on the point of flying, I should say. I
examined them all carefully this afternoon and
could see little individual difference [delete]in them, certainly not
enough to warrant the separation of the sexes by plumage.
along. In fact they all looked exactly like males for in
all the black mustache was very prominent. They[/delete] even
in respect to the "mustache" which is now about equally
black and conspicuous with them all, although a few days
ago it was comparatively pale & indistinct with two birds
which I took to be females. I should not now
venture to attempt any separation of the sexes in this
brood by their present external characters. Up to within
a few days (it succeeded last on the 3rd) it was easy
enough to start all these young clamoring for food
by rattling or scratching the bark on the outside of
the stump but either they have learned to detect
the imposition or they have become more shy &
silent ( the latter I think is the real explanation)
for both yesterday and to-day I tried in vain to
elicit any sound from them. [delete]Once[/delete] To-day [delete]which[/delete] I
was working on my canoe under the tree [delete]the[/delete] for
[margin]Brood of
young Flickers[/margin]