1903
May 6
(2)
  As I was engaged in planting some shrubs in the
meadow below the orchard this forenoon, I heard one of
the Cooper's Hawks cackling in the woods beyond. Presently
it appeared - the male bird - at a considerable height above
the trees flying in circles with a peculiar loose, butterfly-
like beat of the wings, every now and them swooping
downward thirty or forty feet & pitching sharply upward
again, at each descent uttering its cac-cac-cac-cac-
cac. The whole performance was clearly similar to
that of a Marsh Hawk & indeed I mistook the bird
at first for that species as I did not know that
the Cooper's Hawk indulges in anything of
the kind. No doubt it was a "showing off" flight
peculiar to the mating season.
  The Phoebe is sitting on her eggs under the cans of
the old barn. As I was passing this morning the male came
from the direction of the woods uttering his ure-tic
call. On hearing it the female at once left the nest and
took a long straight flight off through the orchard
passing her mate in her course within a yard or two.
I expected to see him turn & follow her but instead
he went directly to the nest and after poising directly
in front of it for an instant to satisfy himself
that everything was safe he took his station on a
branch of an elm only a few yards away & remained
there alert & still evidently on guard while the
female was absent getting her breakfast. I was unable
to watch him long but I have no doubt that
he kept his vigil until his mate returned. I
wonder if Anderson notes this habit in his numerable
biographies of the Phoebe.