1909 
March 19 
Ng^jps of 
Chickadees 
Song of 
Re d-wing 
Blackbird 
Red-shouldered 
A pair of Chickadees at Ball’s Hill were looking for 
a nesting site, apparently, and examining all sorts of 
crevicesjinost of which were so obviously unsuited to their 
purpose that I wondered why they should waste time inspecting 
them. One bird, the male no doubt, whistled the phoebe 
note and also called twer-de- dg at frequent intervals. This 
call is very unlike the chick- a- dee-dee . 
There were four Red-wings in full song in the 
button bushes opposite Ball’s Hill. They sang by turns, 
never interrupting one another. Each bird used always the 
same notes. One bird said something like oh- erk- er- 1ee , one 
oak- e r-lee and two simply quer-lee (distinctly only two 
syllables). 
The Red-shouldered Hawks are back in their old 
Hawks 
back 
at 
Holden 
Hill 
haunts at Holden’s Hill. As I approached the nest in the 
tall chestnut, in which they reared a brood of young last 
year and one in 1907, the male flew from a branch within 
a few yards of the nest. He was joined by the female, 
who came from the trees beyond, when botbjbirds soared about 
over the woods, keeping at a distance but screaming almost 
incessantly. I know of no wilder sound than that of their 
loud, ringing voices. There were no chalkings or pellets 
under the nest. It locked rather more trim and shapely 
titan when I left here last autumn but I am not sure that it 
has been really changed in this way. 
