56
Concord, Mass.
1913.
Aug. 26
to
Nov. 13

11. Parus atricapillus. - In rather less than normal numbers,  occurring
oftenest in couples or singly although flocks of from six to eight
birds each were occasionally met with. The phoebe call, given
strongly & repeated many times, now heard often in September
usually not long after sunrise of a clear, calm morning.
In October I heard it only twice - on the 7th [October 7, 1913] & 9th [October 9, 1913]. 

12. Parus hudsonicus. - During the forenoon of October 27 [October 27, 1913] - a clear, almost
windless and delightfully warm day - I heard at rather frequent intervals, near our
farmhouse, the characteristic call of a Hudsonian Chickadee but it was not until
almost noon that I succeeded in tracing it to the bird - or rather birds,
for there proved to be three of them together on the eastern slope just below the
old Barrett barn. Here they were flitting about among clusters of sprouts of one
or two seasons growth where gray birches, poplars & oaks were cut away to free
the scattered young hickories from all danger of being too much crowded.
Keeping for the most part only a yard or two above the ground & sometimes
descending to it they fed busily and as a rule silently during the next ten or fifteen
minutes while I stood watching them scarce more than a rod away. Not once
did they show any indication to join several Black cap Chickadees [Black-capped Chickadee] calling
incessantly in the large oaks near the barn. On the following day (28th [October 28, 1913]) I
heard them repeatedly in the apple trees behind the house and finally saw
them fly thence, one after another, to the top of the huge elm that stands
by the roadside just below the house. I saw them in it again about 2 P.M.
on the 29th [October 29, 1913] and also heard them calling about the place both before &
after this hour. The familiar & unmistakeable [unmistakable] call was again heard,
very near at hand, in the apple trees behind the house on November 4 [November 4, 1913]
and somewhat faintly, yet distinctly, in Birch Field on the 6th [November 6, 1913]
It is my strong impression that all three birds remained together in
the immediate neighborhood of the house up to at least the 4 [November 4, 1913] and
after that wandered more or less far away from it. As far as I was able
to observe they invariably kept together & quite apart from all birds of other kinds.
I heard them utter only the usual emphatic chick, chee-dee, dee, notes.

November 25 [November 25, 1913]. While cutting pines this morning I heard a Hudsonian Tit call once, very near me, in the
belt of maples, birches etc. that extends along the eastern base of Pine Hill next the river
near the spot where they seemed to come.