Lake Umbagog, Maine
Pine Point
1895
Sept.20
(no 2)
  At about eight o'clock this morning I was standing on
the hemlock knoll watching some small birds when I heard
directly overhead a sound as of a gust of wind blowing through
pine woods. As there was no wind at the time I concluded
that an Eagle or Blue Heron had swooped down through the
trees. But an hour later the mystery was explained when
happening to see a dozen Blue Jays rise above the trees I
watched them closely. Closing in together like so many Blackbirds
they ascended in a compact flock by a spiral course to
a height of several hundred feet and then half closing their
wings dashed down a steep incline like so many swooping
Falcons at the same time making the loud rushing sound
which I had heard earlier in the morning. I think that
on both occasions they were intending to start on migration but
made "false starts", changing their minds for some reason or other.
[margin]Peculiar
behavior of
Cyanocitta
cristata[/margin]
  Our cook's little daughter came to camp this morning bringing about
a quart of hazel nuts. Charlie (the cook) threw some of these to
a Chipmunk which has been in the habit of visiting the camp
nearly every day. The little fellow showed such extreme eagerness
in pouncing upon these nuts (which do not grow in this immediate
locality) that Charlie had no difficulty in approaching him
within a foot or two and in less than five minutes the
Squirrel would allow him to stroke his back or even to pick
him up providing the tempting bait was supplied at the same
time. Indeed it was not long before he would take the nuts
from the fingers of any of our party. When we covered a
pile of them with our hands he could root & push with
all his strength to remove the obstruction. Sometimes he sniffled
our fingers but never with real ill humor. He took
the nuts away in his cheek pouches, six to eight each trip, & carried
[margin]We tame a
Chipmunk[/margin]