Woodburn, Oregon Pudding River, October 13, 1940 9:15 to 11 a.m. 29 Lovely weather; clear and warm, and sunny. Very quiet. no breeze When I first got out there things were very quiet, and so I sneaked up to the ledge overlooking that section of the river, to see if I might be able to get a good look at the Anthony's Green Heron which I had scared up twice previously, but it wasn't there after all ! I walked well over 300 yards before I saw so much as a single bird. Birds seen were: Blackbird Stellar Jay Varied Thrush* Kingfisher Killdeer Flicker Ruby-crown Kinglet Seattle Wren**** Meadowlark Song Sparrow Crow** Stellar (call)***** Towhee Winter Wren X bird *** Cooper Hawk Goldeg Crown Kinglet Junco Chickadee Mallard****** * I was walking around the bend in the trail when the Varied Thrush jumped onto a stump about 8 feet in front of me. It gave its call and then started to just stand there and eye me. It had lots of orange on its breast. As I remember it the wings seemed to be flecked or barred with white spots. The bird was beautiful as it stood there on the stump, framed in dew-drenched ferns. ** I was sitting on a log watching two Nuthatches go up and down the trunk of a tree when I heard a Crow call a long way to the north. About two minutes later the call became more than one and much louder and closer. Presently, winging in high, from the north was a flock of crows. As they were flying in V shape with 3 to 5 in a formation I decided to count all that I could see. Some I know that I didn't see because they were below the horizon of the tree tops at the west end of the pasture that I was in. At any rate I actually counted 63 of them going south at a good rate of speed. *** As I got to the end of the particular trail which I was following, I stopped to look around and see if there was another trail leading back the way I came, but there was not, so I was to take the same trail back. While I was looking around I heard the call of the Red-breasted Nuthatch from the trees to the west of me. Then ! What did strike my ears but that wild, thrilling call of the (what I shall call until I find out for sure) "X Bird" At first it was rather weak, but soon seemed to become louder and closer. I strained my eyes in hopes that I might see this bird that has had me puzzled all this year. Soon it quit making its call § and I turned back on the trail. This same call, I have heard in the valleys near the summit of the Cascade range when Ivan and I were on our Skyline trip, and then again I heard it last September 22, when Virgil Lamb and I were on a Bird Study trip to Jack's Bridge on the Marquam-Silverton highway. Evidently it must come down into the valley for the winter. **** When I got nearly back to the car I saw a Seattle Wren sitting on the trunk of a fallen Western Red Cedar tree. I stopped to watch. Almost as soon as I became motionless it began to sing, and if I ever hope to hear a more musical and beautiful song, I certainly don't know where it might be. The Seattle Wren's song is one that every one should have on opportunity to hear at some time. ***** This particular Stellar Jay that I mention had entirely different gutteral sounds which were much lower in tône than any that I have ever heard before. From the distance at which I observed the bird, it seemed to have the same appearance as the regular Stellar Jay. ****** The last birds that I saw before I got in the car and came home were four mallard ducks that I scared up off the river, about 300 feet below the bridge. There were three Hens and one Drake. They took off, circled the place and then started following the river downstream for some distance. They flew within 100 feet of the Cooper Hawk that I had seen about two minutes before this. I was alone on this trip.