Cambridge, Mass.
1902
June 14
(No 2)
  Chimney Swifts may be seen flying over the garden
every morning and evening. I thought a few weeks ago
that a pair of Grackles were preparing to nest
in some of our evergreens but they have not been
seen there of late. The rats which infested the
Garden in such numbers in 1900 & 1901 have
wholly disappeared. Gray Squirrels are in their
usual numbers & I saw one or two young
about 2/3 grown to-day.
  Early this afternoon a Yellow-billed Cuckoo, singing
in the Jungle, broke one of the rules respecting its notes
which I had hither to supposed to be without exceptions.
After uttering the usual hard, woodeny, rapidly enunciated
toc-toc-toc-toc-toc it closed with a guttural tau-tau,
tau-tau, tau-tau; in other words these terminal notes,
although perfectly normal in form and tone, were doubled
or given in pairs, something I have never known the
Yellow-bill to do before. This particular bird did it
only once although I heard him sing in the usual
way a dozen times or more.
  It is evident that the birds in our garden are
living in comparative peace and security this year and
that they are meeting with unusual success it hatching
and rearing their young. Indeed I do not know of a
single nest that has been broken up as yet. Cats are
absolutely excluded, there are no longer any cats (I fancy
they despoiled all the nests they could find and reach), English
Sparrows are unusually scarce this season and I do not
think that there are any Crows living in the neighborhood.
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