18 . 
"back saw it v/as a blue jay. When 1 got to town 
I heard, an owl singing to himself down there 
in long trembling Hoo-oo-oo-oos. 
October 29, 1899 - Sunday . 
Went down to t;.e ditch this morning. Saw 
some goldfinches calling to each other with 
plaintive dears-dearie-wheet-wheet . They had 
on their winter suits. Heard the prairie 
horned lark giving his creaking song of kip-kip 
kip kip-le-kip-le kip-le kip . Heard a junco 
give a note like the kissing note of the 
thrasher. V/erxt up in Hick's grove. Saw a large 
flock of redwings flying over. 1 always see 
them going southeast every morning and never see 
them go back. I saw a white breasted nuthatch 
on a tree. The upperparts were bluish gray 
below whitishj crown and nape black, cheeks 
white. It has notes like hinka, quaimk and air . 
All are nasal, the last markedly. 
This afternoon 1 was sitting by a window 
reading. I heard a soft seeta seeta and looking 
out saw a chickadee hunting on a rose bush. 
It would look all around and then suddenly fly 
up and get some insect. If it w r as large it 
would hold it under its foot and pound it. The 
sparrows when they go to roost have a grand 
fight and pow-wow for places. Sometimes when 
one tree gets too crowded a large flock will 
fly high in the air and then split up, each 
division going to a different roosting place. I 
wonder where they all come from. Detachments 
keep coming in all the evening till dark. When 
morning comes they have another free for all 
fight and then separate; each flock going to 
some feeding place, generally in turn. 
