Cambridge, Mass.
1899.
December
  Dryobates pubescens. - Seen in the garden on the 11th, 14th,
21st, 25th, 27th, & 28th, a single bird on each occasion.
As it always proved to be a [male] when closely examined
I am inclined to think that it was always the same
individual. Last winter we had three different birds here.
The one seen this month did not attack the suet until the 27th.
I found a Downy Woodpecker in the hemlock grove at
Fresh Pond on the 17th.
  Colaptes auratus. - Flickers were noted in the gardens
only thrice this month on the 18th 19th and 30th a single 
bird being seen or heard on each occasion. I met with 
them several times in the region about Fresh Pond &
beyond.
  Anas obscura. - Constantly present by day in Fresh Pond
up to the time its surface was completely closed by ice
(the night of the 28th) air numbers usually exceeding 100
& sometimes reaching 150 to 160. They became tamer or
more daring as the season advanced approaching the
shore to within a few yards and sometimes swimming
quite in and landing on the rocky beach where they would
walk about or stand erect preening their feathers & basking
in the sun until startled by an approach of a carriage,
bicycle or pedestrian when they would fly out & alight
in the middle of the pond. The flock scattered over
nearly the whole pond at times but I saw no birds
in the cove where the fountain discharges the incoming
water although the whole assemblage often drifted
well down into Cambridge Nook. The place often rang with
their quacking when the air was still.
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