1902.
March 23
(No 2)
each occasion the female remained in the nest for two
or three minutes. I am very sure that the two birds were
not the same as the localities were half-a-mile apart.
All the female Bluebirds that I saw seemed to be looking
for nesting places. The males were warbling through the
earlier forenoon but with the greatest spirit and
frequency from 8 to 9 a.m.
  After I went to bed last night I heard the Woodcock
jumping and singing until I fell asleep or from about 10 to
10.30 p.m. He rose and sang every two or three minutes.
It was bright moonlight at the time. I do not
remember ever hearing one sing in the middle of the 
night before.
  He was peeping this evening when I got to the
pasture at 6.15 although the Song Sparrows were still
singing. He made his first ascent at 6.25. I had
him continuously within the field of my glass through
this and four succeeding song flights. He invariably
rose and flew for 100 yards or more (rising at a
very slight angle) directly against the wind which
was north and rather strong at the time. Then
he would turn and begin mounting on a steep, spiral
incline. Once he turned to the left, four times to the
right. He regularly rose to a height of fully 300 ft
before beginning to descend. During the entire ascent
his wings vibrated incessantly & his whistling was
continuous. When it became broken I saw with
absolute distinctness that during each pause or
interval his wings ceased beating for an instant.
I do not think they were moved at all from the
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