Norwich bulletin., 1911-05-13

for the winter menu of tree-bark, note them selecting a sweet acorn, mounting a leaf covered chestnut, end again weighing once discarded light walnut. The little red-shouldered bug yards are out of the shell now in the two nests in our hemlDcks, and the four parents soar over our place every day. The tiniest chickens in our yards fly from the shadow of the hawks, but no raids are made. because red sQuir- reIs and other rodents arg abundant and always appear in the larder of the large hawks and owls. have not found the long cared and mottled owls breeding in this vicinity. and the near est I have found the sparrew hawk with eggs was in the hollow of road side oak at PCmfret Landing.
 ----------- E, While watching pair of Coopers re- lining an old nest, on the afternoon of the 3eth of April, the female, who was repeated dashes at my toy terrier A freshly killed and half f-eaten rabbit under the hawks nest may account for the attack. Either hawk could lift the dog, I know, for I have seen good sized. skunks and woodchueks in hawks nests, and, as I have reported else where, MT. Wade and I saw an osprey drcp 9 five-pouad piekerel from great height. But that a pair of white headed eagles carried away two sheep in western Massachusetts. as reported d in many daily papers last week h a feat in 1evitation beyond my present belief. A neighbours cat last week brought homa a full grown ferret. My cousin was eyewitness of a fight to the death in the woods between a wea- sel and rat. Our fieidhand while coming to his work at an early hour in hot pursuit of woodchuck. and saw the fat quarry alip through ReynarTs claws into a wall.
 Tho last local company of evening
 grosbeaks was seen here Sunday,
 April 30- The four flocfzs. reported by
 The Bulletin in Huntingdon lane at
 Norwich Town, were probably bunch ing for the long flight to the summer breeding homes in the wiIds of Ore gon and Washington. MT. Upham, au- thor of the newspaper articles enti- tied Birds of East Woodstock. report ed a single male det1cned from the main body, and pair were seen son May Sd in the old haunts. Beyond doubt, The Aux. Bird Life, The Con dor. and other bird journals, will give reports from many localities of this east. with details of the long stay and incidents bearing on the return flight. By comparison of notes. il may be seen why the birds left home why they came so far, why so many favored this section. and whether the
 males had assumed nuptial plumags on the eve of departure. l fancy the line of travel is not wholly at night and could be traced, as we followed our own. division of grosbeaks from Leominster through Lancaster tc l Quinsig, through Southbridge and hood, through Village Corners to the 1 winter home in East Woodstock; via Putnam to Danielson, to the winter quarters at Windham; through Jew ett City and Lisbon to the most south ern stopping place ar Taftvjlle anG Norwich Town.
 wall was my last look at our Wood stock group of the Beyond-the- Rock ies twilight birds. As the morning i sun grew hot, the flock had been com l ing an hour or more earlier to the few favored families or the village flat 1 One morning, after their back-d daol | call and hand-out, on the way to tn. monday siesta, the flock rested a lons half-hour in a swamp maple in full l bloom The birds were not busy witi ! the blossoms and had unconsciousl, l chosen a gorgeous setting for thei l brilliant spring dress. I recall com l panicn picture of a dozen male tana 1 gers, seen on the morning of thei 1 arrival in Lebanon, against a gray background of scrub oaks. In thi! | connection I am not sure that ar 1 has anything on'' nature, when ou 1 red, blue and gold nlacaw. who hal 1 the run of the premises, climbs int 1 the Towering cherry. moclks the cir 1 cling hawks overhead with Pee-ho Pee-ho! and. clucking. says: Gid dap Giddap! as the May winds rock hi snowy cradle. c. l.. R. l