Charles Burchfield, Journals, March 9, 1911

This morning as I was lying half awake in bed, a robin somewhere out in the yard began to sing - I listened breath­lessly for several minutes and then I pulled aside the curtain and looked out into the frosty world, but could not see my serenader. I got up and all the time I was dressing I could him singing; I went downstairs and got my breakfast after which I started for the clothes.

As I went out into the fresh morning air, cries and songs of robins arose on every side; occasionally I would pass under one and - how red were their breasts!

As I was going down Sixth Street; I suddenly heard an angry Cht Cht!” I looked up and saw a bright red cardinal, who seemed very excited over something; as I neared the tree, a great dark, mis­shapen object sailed across the street. An owl! a barn owl. but, I thought myself, what was an owl doing out in the daytime? He dropped into a tree on the other side and calmly composed himself. Almost instantly the red-bird with a “Cht! Cht!” followed after him, flapping his wings and jerking his tail angrily. After him came his mate - whom I had not seen - , a dull greyish-brown creature. They both flew around in the tree, making a great fuss but the owl calmly ignored them. I went on thinking, as I went, that I was going to miss something strange in the bird world.

On the way back I again saw the owl in the same place, huddled up against the side of the tree. The red-birds were in a tree some distance beyond, still very much excited.  I dropped the handle of the wagon and started across the street - slowly, so as not to alarm him - until I was almost under him.  His back was turned to-ward me, but suddenly he heard me and, without otherwise changing his position he turned his head around and stared at me. It was a screech-owl and not a barn owl, as I could see from his little ears, altho he didn’t seem brown enough for that. He was a dull grey color with just a little brownish tinged, and he seemed small for an owl. I almost laughed outright, but restrained my mirth, as I wanted to examine him - for he was the first screech-owl I had seen. But he certainly was funny, I thought, The way he stared at me with his round yellow and black eyes, reminded me of a little old man looking over his glasses. And yet there was something charming about the solemn little creature, with his tiny ears and grayish body. I walked around to get a front view of him and his solemn round eyes followed my every movement - I could get over the way he would look at me; suddenly he would turn his head, incline his head a little - the shape of his beak looked as tho he was drawing his mouth down - and fix his expressionless eyes on me; he seemed to me to be trying to stare me out of countenance. Finally I came too near him and the bumps on his side suddenly turned into great spreading wings, and as he flew swiftly and silently to a tree not far off, he looked three times as big as before.

As I went on, I was amazed by the many songs of robins, that filled the air on every side, far and near; a song-sparrow warbled and the sun shone yellow thru the mists. As I was writing Mother called that there were two robins across the street; we all run to where we could see them. There they were on the sidewalk two big red-breasted robins. Their winter trip to the south seemed to have agreed with them for they were fat and sleek. One would run along a little ways and then would stop and stand up erect, puffing out his breast; then the other would do likewise, and this they kept up until they went out of sight up the street.

On the way to school, we saw a robin sitting on an apple tree; suddenly he burst into song. How he must have worshiped the sky and sun to sing such a wonderful song. I believe that the robin has is my favorite spring-bird - true the song of a blue-bird, the call of the cardinal, the cry of a Peter-bird, the warble of a song­-sparrow and hundreds of other birds all make me wild - but still the robin is so bold and aggressive and cheery, and in these March days of cold nights and sunshiny days, when everything is dull and lifeless to hear him singing in the early morning and late evening, banishes every thought of winter. When he brightens up the grey earth with his bright breast, then it is spring - matter how hard it snows.

To-day has been very warm - even the breezes from the south were warm. As night came on, a storm came up, and it has light­ninged and thundered several times. It is pleasing to hear that old thunder rumbling once more.

After school there was a meeting of all the classes in our room to decide about class baseball teams. It was unanimously decided to have them. After the meeting Bill said he had a picture of a colonial girl (I had made of failure of the poster for Elizabeth) and so I went over with him to get it, and told him to come over after supper. Then I went home and done the painting of a new one. After supper Bill came over and I started to draw the girl; but I can’t draw faces, so I got discouraged and almost refused to continue but Frances and Bill urged me on until I had the girl all drawn but her face, which Joe drew for me. Finally, laughing and talking the while, I finished painting the picture

Charles E. Burchfield, Journals, March 9, 1911