| Evening Grosbeaks Tina nor Cherree were not at all | | | | Rarely do these hawks nest in the vicinity of the |
| satisfied with the nesting material first given them. | | | | aviary, but it was now evident that a pair had located |
| Twigs of various kinds were picked up and discarded; | | | | within hunting distance, as Josie the mother bluebird, |
| none seemed to suit. It was then suggested by Mrs. | | | | and Cher, the old rose-breasted grosbeak, were taken. |
| Speirs that I try supplying them with the same kinds of | | | | Continued liberty for the grosbeaks was now out of |
| material they use in their far northern home. I collected | | | | the question, at least for the season. Tina's gate was |
| brittle pine twigs, and ripening shepherd's purse, from | | | | closed. A little later 'Tana and Cherree returned to their |
| which I stripped the seed heads. These, cut into | | | | nest, and their gate, too, was closed. Our experiments |
| six-inch lengths, were scattered on the ground with the | | | | would, for this year, have to be carried on under the |
| pine twigs. Then building really began. Cherree had | | | | old and hitherto unsuccessful conditions. Three more |
| been with me many years, yet she had not forgotten | | | | eggs were laid in each nest. Of course we hoped that |
| the essentials of nest building. Later I supplied the pair | | | | Tina's would hatch even though the last three were |
| with many fine, thread-like rootlets of shrubs, and these | | | | laid after Vesper had disappeared. But Patsy, the |
| they used for lining. The nests of both pairs were | | | | female cowbird, was determined to give Tina another |
| finished. In each the first egg was laid. | | | | egg to take care of. All the cowbird's spare time-she |
| The small gates were opened, and soon all four birds | | | | had plenty-was spent trying to find an opening in the |
| found their way out. Excitement was rife; incessant | | | | mesh large enough to squeeze through. |
| calls to one another were heard as they explored | | | | Her persistence was rewarded, for at last she found a |
| many trees and the wooded ravine. For an hour or so | | | | broken wire-it took us hours to find it, later. We found |
| the new freedom was enjoyed, then Tina returned to | | | | one of Tina's broken eggs on the ground, and Patsy |
| her nest, while her mate, Vesper, and Tana with | | | | inside, no, not the egg-the compartment. Anxious days |
| Cherree explored farther afield. Then disaster! Vesper | | | | followed on account of the sharpshinned hawks; the |
| failed to return. Did a sharp-shinned hawk, suddenly, like | | | | fear of prowling cats. Yet, with all the anxiety and the |
| a bolt from the blue, streak with terrific speed from the | | | | seemingly never-ending care of this busiest season of |
| woods? We do not know; but Tina had a mate no | | | | the year, we had beauty at its best; beauty of both |
| more. | | | | sight and sound. |
