12 TH BE A,U DU'B ON 3B UDR 
window he helped by going right after the pests, though he never flew away 
himself. 
In addition to the hardies, we have the Carolina wrens, phoebes, blue- 
birds, flickers and brown creepers all winter. The little brown creeper came 
to the porch rail for peanut butter, which most of the birds like above all 
offerings in the food line. In sheltered places we saw robins, meadowlarks, 
field sparrows, mourning doves, though not all of them on the shelf. The 
field sparrows and robins do come occasionally, but phoebe and flicker seem 
to prefer their insect diet. 
Earlier than IJ remember their returning around Chicago, the birds 
began coming back. I saw a hermit thrush in a woodsy path as early as 
February 15. Bewick’s wren appeared March 29 and they were looking 
over nesting boxes early in April. Speaking of nesting boxes, Dr. Cramp 
built a bluebird house according to approved plans, put a coat of oil stain 
on the outside, hung it on the post of a rustic arbor about five feet from the 
ground, and the next day the bluebirds started building in it. The first 
week in April there were four eggs. Chipping sparrows were back at the 
feeding shelf February 29. They are all-day feeders and so unafraid that 
they hardly look up when we go in and out close enough to touch them. 
Fox sparrows were here only in passing during February. I missed 
their song altogether. White-throated sparrows and juncos were here all 
winter and regular patrons of the shelf. They are both still here. The 
white-throat’s high sweet song wakens me every morning. 
The robins began coming back in large flocks early in February. They 
descended upon our lawn by the dozens, stayed for a day or two, then moved 
on. The first ones that came to stay, the middle of March, were quite dis- 
gruntled over a few very cold days. Mr. Robin went about with feathers 
all fluffed out to twice normal size, his head pulled down into his shoulders, 
the maddest looking bird I ever saw. We had a triangle, with a fight that 
lasted three days. The two males were so exhausted that they could only 
follow each other around, mouths wide open, panting for breath. We hoped 
each night that it was ended, but each morning they started all over again. 
We are not sure the feud has ended. There seems to be an extra male 
around and frequently there is a fight. 
There have been a few birds not common on my list. The pileated 
woodpecker was a surprise the first time I saw him, though I find he is not 
uncommon in the mountains here. I saw him flying and was surprised to 
see a bird as large as a crow showing so much white. When he flattened 
himself against a tree trunk and began a loud flicker-like shouting, I knew 
what he was. Fortunately I had my glasses and got a good look at him. 
I have seen him several times since and frequently hear his loud hammering 
in the woods. 
A mockingbird has come to the bird bath to drink every day all winter. 
The curious thing about it is that we have never seen one up here summers. 
When we drive down the mountain a thousand feet we find plenty of them. 
We are hoping this one finds a mate and stays with us, though he doesn’t 
seem interested in any of the food we put out. 
