10 THE AUDUBON BU LIA Teige 
An amusing instance of the fearlessness toward man on the part of 
some birds came to the writer’s observation this year. On the morning 
of the 28th of April a flicker was seen to chisel away vigorously at a small, 
three foot high poplar stump. The stump is only about ten feet away 
from the steps to the rear porch of the writer’s home. For the next three 
or four days the bird made the chips fly in a most energetic manner, until 
the cavity in the stump seemed to reach down almost to the level of the 
ground. Later the young could be heard producing their characteristic 
noise like a swarm of bees, particularly when one tapped on the rim at the 
entrance of the cavity. On the 28th of May they left the nest. No time 
lost there! 
Of late years, the writer has repeatedly seen pine siskins in May. This 
year a swarm of about fifteen were seen on the 8th near his home in River 
Forest. This may indicate a nesting place nearer to Chicago than has 
hitherto seemed possible. Thus, Dr. G. M. Sutton, state ornithologist of 
Pennsylvania, has found a large nesting colony in an extensive piece of 
swampy woods in his state, after he had for years discounted such a 
possibility when he saw the siskins there. 
For the first time in twenty years’ residence near Chicago the writer, 
on May 14th, saw a clay-colored sparrow. As this species breeds 
commonly in northern Wisconsin, it should be a more or less regular 
migrant near Chicago. The chances are that it is of more frequent 
occurrence than is believed. It is a small, secretive, inconspicuous bird, 
of much the same size and appearance as the chipping sparrow, but can, 
by the aid of a good glass, be told from the latter species by the triangular 
brown spot on the cheek. It is also decidedly paler than the chipping 
sparrow. Another one was seen by Mr. S. S. Gregory, in his yard in 
Winnetka. This may merely be an unusual occurrence, or it may indicate 
a partial shifting of migration route, as seems to be true of Harris’ 
sparrow. 
On May 18th, the writer saw a mockingbird at Mud Lake, near 
Lyons, where one was seen several times in successive years. I suspect 
that there is a pair resident in this very suitable spot. 
Finally, I would like to jot down a list of birds heard between 6:30 
and 7:30 o’clock on the morning of May 12th (1929), while still in bed. 
I would like to hear from places where a similar or larger list can be 
made. The weather was mild, with a gentle rain falling. Here it is: 
a cock pheasant crowing, flicker, red-headed woodpecker, blue jay, 
bronzed grackle, Baltimore oriole, white-throated sparrow, purple 
martin, brown thrasher, tufted titmouse, house wren, olive-backed 
thrush, and robin. After getting up the goldfinch and chimney swift 
were immediately added. When I am away from home, say in Texas or 
in northern Wisconsin, it is always a source of a little enjoyment to make 
mental note of the bird voices heard early in the morning, before getting 
up, and then jotting them down in the book. One gets some peculiar, 
even startling, combinations, depending on place and time of year. 
~ Sete 
