Concord, Mass.
1914.
March 17
to
May 31
(No 20)

(Robin) At the Farm a Robin began building, early in May, on a
wooden shelf under the eaves of the old barn. For upwards of two
weeks she worked industriously, and through some days almost ceaselessly,
without making the least permanent headway for literally all the
material she brought was blown off the smooth shelf by the wind,
often as fast as she left it there. It consisted chiefly of dry
grass and weed stalks with now and then green blades or fronds
of grass, weeds (including dandelions & tansy) and ferns.
All these littered the ground under the eaves profusely and
were sometimes retrieved from it by the bird almost immediately
after they had fallen there although she usually went further
afield, for fresh material. When, at length, we decided to
interfere in her behalf the shelf remained almost perfectly bare.
But within an hour after we had nailed a piece of scantling
2 " [inches] wide to its outer edge the bird began to make some
progress & by the end of the next two days her nest was