Nesting habits of D. discolor [Dendroica discolor]
Myiarchus crinitus
1875. Middlesex Co., Mass. [Middlesex County, Massachusetts]
June 7 [June 7, 1875] of these males must have been without
mates and I think this state of affairs
obtains oftener among birds of this species
than any other. Both of my nests were
in rather exceptional situations - in low
scattering barberry bushes away from the
thick clumps, and not one (the nests) 3 ft
above the ground. One of them was so
conspicuously placed that it was
impossible to pass within 30 yds. without
seeing it. Neither of the [female] birds sat as
closely as is their wont and one gave
one much trouble before I could get a
satisfactory glympse of her: she would
dart off the nest before i could get
nearer than 20 ft. to it, and then fly
over 100 yds, into some cedar woods
where I invariably lost her, but finally
at the fourth attempt by carefully creeping
up, I obtained a fair sight at her before
she started off the nest. The [female] of the other
nest started off nearly as shyly but soon
came back and commenced chirping at
me. The nest of this bird cradled between
three or four upright stems of the barberry,
covered as the bush is at this date by its
beautiful pendant blossoms, presents a
most elegant appearance. The [female] sits
very deep, her back being much below
the level of the rim of the nest.
Heard the loud shrill wheep of My. crinitus [Myiarchus crinitus],
but could not get a sight at him. Found a
nest of Sp. pusilla [Spizella pusilla] sunk in the ground under a
ground juniper spray: it contained 4 eggs
for advanced: a nest of Coccyzus erythrop. [Coccyzus erythrophthalmus]