$usty 
B^^birds 
Crows 
Marsh Hawks 
As we were skirting the flooded thickets on the 
Bedford shore of the meadow, a Rusty Blackbird started from 
the hushes and alighted in a maple. The next instant a 
perfect cloud of these birds followed and crowded the 
branches of the tree as with black fruit. As nearly as we 
could count, there were about sixty , all Rusties. The wind 
was blowing directly on the shore and the waves dashing in 
among the bushes. We saw single Rusties in several other 
places. 
Crows aopear to be quite as numerous here as usual, 
despite the hard winter and the reports of serious mortality 
among the hordes which winter in the Middle States. I have 
seen no migrants passing North these past three daysTj 
We saw two fine white male Marsh Hawks and one female 
coursing about the fields and meadows. At about sunset as 
one of the males was passing Ball's Hill well over towards 
the Bedford shore, I began squeaking. The bird turned 
instantly and with the usual long, steady wing beats, came 
directly towrards me. I could see him only dimly through the 
bushes until he came to the line of alders in front of the 
cabin where he rose above them and,discovering me,sheered 
upwards and then turned back, twisting and doubling like a 
Snipe as he darted off in evident great alarm. He was within 
20 yards of me when he made the turn and I distinctly saw 
his eyes and facial disc. I observed toSday that this specie 
while scaling holds the wings at an upward angle like the 
Turkey Buzzard. W - 
