Bird lore - Project Puffin

368 Bird - Lore
a good lesson for some of us in industry in
caring for our homes. My son thought to
assist them in their arduous work by
gathering sawdust to line their nest. They
seemed to appreciate his help, but spent
some time in tossing part of it out, as he
gave them more than they needed in their
business. We watched them with much
interest, fearing they would be frightened
away, but they kept on diligently until
satisfied that their selection was a good
one and their quarters clean, then settled
down to housekeeping. They relieved
each other faithfully during the sitting
operation. In a few weeks the young
made their appearance. Then came the
process of feeding, which impressed me
very much, as I thought pigeons were
the only birds that fed their young by
regurgitation.
—
I had hoped to see how many were
hatched, but they flew away before I
realized they were ready for flight. It is
interesting to know that these birds will
build so near a human habitation. Now
their home looks quite desolate and
deserted, and makes one feel very lonely,
remembering this is the fate of all things in
life.
The parent birds came about the first
of April, and the last one of the young
took its flight on the eighth of June. We
are hoping they were so well pleased and
comfortably housed that they may return
next year. In another tree nearby, some
Bluebirds tried to take possession of a
box, but the House Sparrows drove them
away. Maybe they will be more successful
another year.
Takoma Park, Md.
Virginia S. Williams,
The Prairie Horned Lark in Summer
In Bird-Lore for July and August,
Mrs. Arthur F. Gardner, of Troy, N. Y.
writes very entertainingly of a visit from
the Horned Larks, and asks someone who
knows of them in their summer home to
write about them.
Here on the plains of eastern Nebraska
we have the Prairie Horned Lark, which
is a little smaller and paler than the
,
Horned Lark, but easily recognized as of
that species by the erectile feathers on
each side of the head.
I have never found a nest, and have
seen the birds always along the highway,
where they pick up the grain spilled from
the farmers' wagons. They are very
friendly, often running along ahead of the
horse for some distance, or making little
flying trips very low, and dropping again
to feed.
As this road is now a part of the great
Lincoln Highway, I seldom see my Larks
any more.—E. Louise Mace, Columbus,
Neb.
—
Evening Grosbeaks and a Wood
Duck in Maine
The Evening Grosbeaks stayed in
Bangor nearly all last winter. About the
middle of January they were first seen in
Hampden, by a friend of mine. March 17,
I saw one, for the first time in my life.
April I , I saw a large flock, of over a hun-
dred. They stayed in Hampden till
April 26; but I have not seen them since.
April 30, I saw a beautiful male Wood
Duck, swimming in the water of the
Souadavabscook Stream, only a few feet
from me. This was only a mile from my
home, on the main road. We live five
miles below Bangor, on the Penobscot
River, and Hampden is a summer resort
of the city, with electric cars and hundreds
of autos. Norman Lewis, Hampden,
Maine.
Evening Grosbeaks and Others at a
Michigan Feeding-Station
Early in December, 1915, within 25
feet of our dining-room window, I put up
two feeding-booths and, attached to the
window-sill, a feeding-tray. These I kept
supplied with sunflower seeds; in addi-
tion I put up three small wire baskets
and kept them filled with suet. At first
I could attract nothing but House Spar-
rows, with now and then a Chickadee. I
purchased a little .22 shotgun and got after
the Sparrows, during December killing