31
Concord, Mass.
Spring and early summer.
1913.

71. King bird.  Arrived May 3 [May 3, 1913]. Breeding later in normal numbers.
One pair at Ball's Hill, another at farm. Found no nests.

72. Crested Flycatcher.  Arrived May 8 [May 8, 1913] at the farm where, as usual, a [pair]
haunted the apple orchard and nearby woods especially those about 
Pulpit Rock. They were often seen near the apple trees to which is
hung a hollow stub in which they have nested for several years past
and which, no doubt, was occupied by them this season although
I have no definite evidence that such has been the case. On May 29 [May 29, 1913]
I heard a bird calling at Ball's Hill and on June 14 [June 14, 1913] I saw one
in Bensen's car yard. It may or may not have come from our farm.

Young fed on Dragonflies.
Act of copulation.

73. Phoebee [Phoebe].  Arrived March 20 [March 20, 1913]. During the breeding season every regular
nesting station in or near our farm was occupied. Thus there was a
pair in the cow shed at Ball's Hill, another in the wood shed at
Pine Park, a third at Benson's, a fourth in the shed cellar at the 
Ritchie place, a fifth in the barn cellar and a sixth in the wood shed
at the farm. So far as I know all these birds bred their first
broods without mishap. They were incubating their second clutches in
most of the nests when I left on July 2 [July 2, 1913]. During April they sang
comparatively little and while building - about the middle of the
month - were silent everywhere for days in succession but after 
the females had laid and begun to sit the males poured out
their delightful songs quite regularly in the early morning and more
or less fairly at all hours of the day, continuing to do so through
May and June. All day long on June 1 [June 1, 1913] the pair in our wood shed
at the farm were catching big dragon flies in the door yard and
taking them to their young which were still in the nest. At 1 P.M. I
saw the pair copulating. Sexual union seemed to begin in the air
& was consummated on the ground. It was prolonged for at least
ten minutes & the action was so violent that I thought at first that
the birds were fighting for the male pulled the head of the female viciously. The young
did not leave the nest until the 8th [June 8, 1913] & last of the old birds did not reoccupy it until
early in July when Gilbert found eggs in and under it, evidently deserted.