Feb 3. 15 mi. W Bastrop, 600 ft., Bastrop Co, Texas tense tschk-day, the latter note prolonged. Other birds noted near, although not constituting a flock, were Carolina Chickadee, Myrtle Warbler, R-c and 91-c kinglets, Field Sparrow. The titmouse worked further N 30 or 40 ft and walked in Berberis momentarily, hopped along the ground between 2 elms along with 2 Field Sparrows, then moved up to low twig with what appeared to be a cocklebur; this the bird began to hammer at. After a session of battering with the bill and looking up after each blow, the bird flew higher in Tree (to 6 ft) where twiggy was more dense. It shifted perch once more, then dropped what may have been the seedcase, now lacking spikes. This bird then hopped higher in elm and began a high pitched, rather weak see tee tee tee rather thin. This it repeated several times with bill opened wide; apparently air was being expelled although without great effort. Answer from SE a matter of 8-10 yds., see Tee of similar quality. After an exchange, the first altered its call to see tee tee eh (rather abruptly ending) After a few seconds, the first moved to tree N and was joined by second. This latter seen bird was somewhat more brownish on the frontlet but other- wise a briden. I was impressed by the black bill and forehead of pressure or contracted to white area away black eye.