24 THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 
1935 Nature Diary 
By Dr. T. E. MUSSELMAN 
January, 1935 
1. Titmice are singing “Peto” as they fly from tree to tree. 
2. Male Chickadees are singing “Pewee” while the Tits sing 
“Peter, peter, peter.” 
4. Several great flocks of doves are wintering about the feeding 
troughs of stock raisers. 
5. A flock of twenty-five wintering Meadowlarks was seen east 
of town. 
6. The temperature is up to 60°. Saw several Bluebirds. Saw 
a spider. Even the air has a springy odor except where the Her- 
ring Gulls are feeding on dead fish on banks and bars. A concen- 
tration of a thousand gulls is causing comment at the dam at 
Hamilton, Illinois. 
9. A man brought in the head and tarsi of a mature Whistling 
Swan killed recently at Lima Lake. Two were killed on December 
30. This is the first dead record in ten years. Why will vandals 
destroy such beauty? 
12. Cardinals are singing. 
21-25. Zero spell. Quail survived very well. 
26. Mergansers and Golden-Eyes are swimming in the current 
while three Bald Eagles (an immature and two mature) watch 
their play from the roots of an upturned tree on the dyke. Pil- 
eated Woodpeckers are calling from the lowland woods. 
27. Heard the “Barn door” call of the Blue Jays. 
February 
3. Put up fifty-four new Bluebird boxes. Big wave of Horned 
Larks came in. Downies are drumming. 
5. Saw my first Robin, others reported. 
18. Horned Lark males are performing their nuptial flight. 
19. Numerous flocks of Starlings have appeared. 
20. Large flight of Bluebirds. 
21. Honeybees out feeding on sap. Red-wing Blackbirds and 
Killdeers just arrived. Many Robins here, all are complaining. 
23. First Fox Sparrows. Great flocks of Mallards and Pintails 
here. Erected twenty-four more Bluebird boxes. 
28. Migrant Shrikes and Doves arrive. Meadowlarks singing. 
March 
1. Lesser Scaup Ducks reported. A few maples are in bloom. 
2. Cowbirds arrived today. 
3. Thunder and lightning. . Kingfishers here. 
10. Great Blue Herons arrive. Flickers dancing and singing. 
12. Red-headed Woodpeckers back and sallying out for insects. 
Cricket frogs chirping. 
14. Crocus in bloom. All birds singing. Elm trees in bloom. 
Many doves arrive. 
15. A flock day—great hordes of Red-wings and Cowbirds. 
