Page:Bird-lore Vol 04.djvu/152

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For Young Observers 151

pines. \Ve saw a little bird about the size of a Chickadee hanging on the under side of a limb. It was a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Afterward we saw two in the orchard so close that we saw the red on their heads.

The same day I saw a male Redstart in the plum trees, and a Summer Yellowvbird and a VVarbler that was new to me. It had a chestnut cap and yellow under its tail, which it tilted all the time. Iaiterward saw it feeding on the ground with Chipping Sparrows. It was a Palm Warbler.

On the 20th we saw a flock of Purple Finches. We very much e.\- cited over them, as they were scarce to see.

On the 22d I saw a Catbird near its old nestingrplace, and on the 24th saw it carrying straw to build another nest.

The Baltimore Oriole was in our orchard on the 22d.

On the 23d I saw about ten or twelve Indigoebirds.

April 26th I saw a large bird at our pond. I think it was an American Bittern. It would turn its head sideways and walk slowly out on the limb, putting one foot over the other. '

On the 27th I heard a Chat singing, and I would mock it and it would stretch its neck and said " Whoo!”

0n the 30th of April I saw the Cape NIay Warbler in the peach tree by our dining-room window. The male and female were both there, and we think they are the tamest Warblers we ever saw. They sit still longer than the other Warblers, and don‘t seem to care a hit it you look at them.

On the 2d of NIayI saw a Baltimore Oriole carrying strings to build its nest. It is interesting to watch it tie them to the limb to hang their nests by.

They built a nest in the same tree last year, and took the strings from the old nest to make their new one. I put out some strings on the fence, but they did not take them, as they did last year, but on the 4th a Red- start and a Summer Yellow~hird came and got them.

The other birds I saw in April and May that do not stay all the year were: Hummingbirds, Hooded Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Parula Warbler, Scarlet Tanager, Purple Martins, Solitary Sandpiper, Kingfisher, Rough-winged Swallows, Orchard Oriole, Whip-poor»will, Chimney- swift, Bullbats, Cuckoo, Cedar Birds, and a great many Warblers that I didn't know. Iwould like very much to tell about the nests I've found this spring, but it would make my paper too long, so I will give a list of them: Catbird's nest with five eggs: Field Sparrow's nest, on the ground, with three eggs; Chickadee's nest, in a fence-post, in a hole :00 deep to see eggs; Carolina Wren's nest, on front porch, in a cigar»box, five eggs; Bewick Wren's nest, in a hole in a chimney: four Chipping Sparrows‘ nests, two Blue-birds' nests, three Baltimore Orioles' nests, Blueegray Gnatcatchers’ nest, Chebec's nest, two Flickers' nests, and, the most interesting of all, an Oven-bird's nest.