A CATBIRD IN WINTER AT FAYS. 
On a clear, crisp afternoon, about sunset—January 19th, 
1921, while looking at some Juncos and Tree Spairows, 
about the brush on the margin of a small swamp on the edge 
of the Fay Estate, Lynn, I noticed a long tailed dark look¬ 
ing bird, above and back of them, feeding on buck-thorn 
berries. After watching this bird for some minutes, I 
tried to get a nearer view, passing around a bushy point 
and into a path leading under the small tree upon which he 
was feeding. In doing so I startled the bird and he dove 
across the path into the brier tangle beside the swamp. By 
this time I had decided it was a Catbird. 
Next day, about noon, I looked the swamp oyer and found 
the Catbird within a few feet of where he had disappeaied 
the previous afternoon. From this time on I saw the bird 
frequently, sometimes alone and sometimes in company 
with other club members, until February 14th. After this 
date W. E. Bates, who had shared several meetings with 
the Catbird with me, had the good fortune to see the bird 
at various times through March and April. His last record 
was April 6th. Our bird seemed very tame, often allow¬ 
ing approach within a few feet while he rested in the brush 
or fed on buck-thorn berries over our heads. 
The little swamp is an ideal place for a winter bird 
shelter. It rests in a little cup among the hills, and is 
almost completely surrounded by woods. The bushes 
along the shore are overrun by catbrier with many entan¬ 
gled bunches of dead leaves making warm nooks in which 
to pass the night or to hide from danger. Buckthorn, 
Catbrier, Mountain Ash and Bittersweet berries were 
plentiful and near at hand, furnishing a full larder. 
We had hoped to see our bird until migrant Catbirds 
arrived from the south, but no Catbird recoids weie made 
after April 6th until A. C. Morley reported one in Swamp- 
scott on April 24th. 
C. E. Moulton. 
71 
