25

1916

13. Red-bellied Nuthatch. Only one record - that of a bird heard in
white pine woods near Pulpit Rock on June 29 [June 29, 1916].

14. Brown Creeper. A male singing near Pulpit Rock on April 20 [April 20, 1916].
In the same neighborhood another bird noted on the 29th [April 29, 1916] & again on
the 30th [April 30, 1916]. These were presumably north-bound migrants but a Creeper
heard (screep-ing) at Holden's Hill on May 29 [May 29, 1916] was almost certainly
breeding there doubtless on one or another of the countless dead oaks
(killed by Gypsy Caterpillars) which now compose the greater part of
these once flourishing & attractive woods. I searched in vain for the 
nest, however, under the big scales of loose bark clinging to almost
every tree along the southern slopes of the hill.

15.� House Wren. This year, as last, we were favored by the presence � 
of three male House Wrens and by their incessant gushing music.
The first appeared on May 7 [May 7, 1916] in front of the old farm house & was
then joined on the 10th [May 10, 1916] by its mate. The pair nested in the same
pole box by the lilacs that they occupied last year and were
seen feeding young in it from June 17 [June 17, 1916] to 27 [June 27, 1916]. On the 28th [June 28, 1916] the
young had left it and were scattered about in neighboring thickets.
Their mother, unlike the [female] of last year, had no song notes. She
& her mate foraged fearlessly for spiders throughout every accessible
nook & crannie of our house & especially behind its front base boards
Another [male] sang on or about the barn & sheds at the Bungalow
from June 4 [June 4, 1916] to 13 [June 13, 1916], after which he disappeared, probably because
unable to secure a mate. The third male was always to be heard
from June 6 [June 6, 1916] to the close of that month, whenever I visited
the Ritchie place where he presumably had a mate & nest
although I did not actually note either. On June 6 [June 6, 1916] I found a 
Chippy's nest in a cedar in our lane, with a single egg pierced by a
small hole, yet unsucked. This looked like a Wren's work but