Tib© Cfensting® 
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m11o| K3£S?H [51 
tion, the entire company moving on in search of new feeding 
grounds when one supply is exhausted. We have made this ob¬ 
servation by coming upon a large band of tree sparrows at the edge 
of a field where a few weed tops project above the snow level, and 
the same is true of a small company of goldfinches that has assem¬ 
bled in the upper branches of a sweet 
gum to extricate a breakfast from the 
pendent seed balls of this tree. 
Birds that remain over winter find 
their range cut down very materially, 
due to a restriction of food supply 
and shelter and, by possessing a 
knowledge of conditions, we may 
often know exactly where to seek 
this or that bird; our search also 
being frequently governed by the hour 
of the day. If we were to travel a 
half-mile cross-country to a certain 
field and southern exposure we should 
come upon a small band of meadow¬ 
larks feeding where a high wind had 
cleared a strip of ground; but in the 
late afternoon these same birds would 
be seen flying to the salt meadows, 
where they roost for the night. In 
yonder thicket two song sparrows are 
spending the winter and if there comes 
a warm day toward the end of Jan¬ 
uary the male of the pair will raise 
a feeble song, as if to encourage the 
sun. We stop short at sight of a 
bird of medium size that has alighted 
with astonishing abruptness on the 
uppermost spike of a dead chestnut. 
His tail is raised with a jerk and 
lowered less quickly into a natural 
position, this motion being repeated at intervals while the bird 
turns his head this way and that in a watchful manner. Now 
he leaves the tree, sails to a distance and, arresting his flight al¬ 
together, hovers so exactly in one spot that when he is aligned 
with a distant object he is seen not to vary so much as an inch, 
up or down, or to right or left. This is the sparrow hawk, and 
while he suspends himself thus he scans the snow for mice that 
may be indiscreet enough to show themselves; or on occasion he 
will catch a small bird and carry it to a fence post, where it is 
speedily eaten. There are two or three large relatives of this 
smahest of our hawks that may be present also—the red¬ 
shouldered and the red-tailed hawk, rarely the voracious gos¬ 
hawk from the north, and occasionally the east-flying marsh har¬ 
rier. The red-shoulder is seldom 
found away from the wooded regions, 
while the red-tail and goshawk may be 
seen perching in solitary trees, es¬ 
pecially at the border of a swamp or 
marsh. The meadows are the home 
of the marsh hawk, and we see him 
beating up and down over them, div¬ 
ing quickly on sighting his prey, but 
often missing and now and again 
alighting on a hummock and always 
facing up wind. 
We come now to a lane bordered on 
either side by red cedars and we 
must examine these trees with great 
care, for an Acadian or saw-whet owl 
seeks their shelter during the day, 
but will not fly at our approach and 
is exceedingly difficult to detect. Tree 
after tree is searched from every 
angle with no avail, but here is a 
large, thick-foliaged one ahead that 
promises well — for on scrutinizing the 
surface of the snow two or three 
rejects or pellets are found. We 
now circle about the tree, peering up 
through the thick branches, but can 
see nothing and are about to push on 
when up goes a shout from one of the 
party. lie has located the tiny owl. 
So still had the bird remained and so 
well had he selected his roosting place that we had passed the 
little rascal several times; but there he sits, close to the main 
trunk, squinting down at us through half-closed lids. If we 
wished, we could catch him by chasing him into the open and 
closing in on all sides, for the owl would be dazed by the strong 
light and confused by his several assailants. 
It is now past noon and after a brief stop for the purpose of 
consuming the lunches that we have brought in our pockets, we 
A rabbit's trail leads across the swamp, sometimes emerging from 
the brush to where the dead level of snow tells of the ice beneath 
It takes a keen eye to detect the tiny saw-whet owl, perched 
absolutely motionless in the densest cover 
The great black-backed gull is one of the winter 
visitors to our ocean beaches 
Among the dwellers about the salt marshes in winter is the 
short-eared owl. Toward dusk he is often seen on the wing 
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