Field Notes from the Past #16

Being a continuation of field-journal entries from the springs of 1962 and 1963 when I was a budding ornithologist of just 15 or 16 growing up in the rural village of Galien in Berrien County, Michigan.

April 25 [1962], Wednesday

This morning I started taking detailed observations on the [Eastern] Bluebirds nesting in house #2. I hope to make a report on the nesting of this pair.

I saw my first Orange-croned Warbler this morning, bringing my life list total to 75 [species].

About 5:00 [o'clock] in the afternoon a grassfire started on the northern side of the [New York Central] railroad tracks just east of here. Before the fire was extinguished it had burned an area about 1/2 mile long. In most places only the grass was burned, ut in one instance a small cattail marsh was completely destroyed and a telephone pole was burned half-way thru at the base. The poles on which [bluebird] houses #4 and #5 are on had been completely surrounded by fire, but no damage was done to the houses.