1902.
June 8
(No 6)
  Early this morning we noticed a pair of Canada Nuthatches
in the pitch pine grove near the house. Abbott Thayer told
us that both he and Gerald had searched in vain for their
nest but a few moments later John Thayer saw one of 
them fly to the stable and alight just below a knot hole
which opened into a space between the outer and inner
boarding. After putting its head into the hole it began
tapping with its bill on the surface of the board immediately
beneath it. When it flew away its mate took its place
and went through precisely the same performance, but
neither bird entered the hole although it was of quite
sufficient size to admit their doing so. We all thought
that they were engaged in bringing pitch to smear the
surface of the board about the hole for they came &
went between the barn & the woods a dozen times or
more while we were watching them but even with the
aid of our glasses on could not see any pitch on
the board although once or twice we thought we
made out small globules of it held in the tips
of their bills. While flitting to & fro about the barn
one (and I thought both) of them would frequently
utter a jarring chattering cry very like the
scold of a House Wren but never prolonged. Abbott
Thayer considers this the song of the male but I am very
sure the female also made it. It is wholly new to me
and Thayer says he has never heard it before this
season.
  Towhees are numerous about Thayer's house.The song
of one that we listened to could have been well rendered
as Thayer suggested by the words "she's right here"
11