Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-05-18


II you approach.
Go past the nest after the young arc
Matched and what an eager Chattering and
rustllug they set up down IN the heart of the
tree, clamoring inslinctively for food, but |
tap at the door and they detect the unusual
sound and hush Immediately. A dismal
time they must have Of 1t, pent up In their
dark, close cabin, but young highhoes dcvcl. |
OF rapidly and their release soon comes. |
First one more vcnturcsAnc than the rest
chambers up 10 the opening and standing IN
the door, surveys with curious eye for the
first time the wide shining world, but he
cau'l cccupy this lookout long. His comrades
are already in his rear, shouting next
next" and make it so unpleasant for him,
that he has either to Surrender hi' place to
another or launch on, on the untried an.
When Que does finally lead the way. the rest
soop follow In turn until ~ last, WIN NUT
eventually com down or fall short oi hi-
rations.
Nature has furnished this wood-pecker
with tongue unusually long, elastic and
missile. This hr uses somewhat us the Gle
plant his trunk. lie drills the hole with
his bill, but draws out the insect with his
barbcd, viscous tongue. When lie raids
nation Of pismires how the inhabitants flow
into his mouth in stream by this agent 1t
ia bis weapon of offence and defecc. When
tanned, he displays his curiosity and makes
the crucial test of every object with his
tongue, and he rarely misses his mark. lie
darts 1t into the cats eye when she ap-
proaChes too near and thereby wins her re-
spcct. The hens soon learn that he carries
concealed weapons and retire before him a5
he walks about the yard.
The flicker is not held in the highest ts-
TEEN by the farmers because of their partially
to their corn when 1t is in the succulcnt or
"r1asting'' stage, who now sally out gun in
hand, and take vengeance on the maraud-
ers, but they forget that one good turn de-
sciv,s another. AS in the case Of the robins,
during the greater part of their stay with us
they subsist wholly upon insects, destroying
vast quantities of wool-liCe, larvae and ants,
and this service entities them to s,me recog-
ntiol.
other Nest.carvers.
For those who are interested in the more
scientific bearings of the case, we may add
that the woodpecktrs constitute very
which there are eight species in New Eng
land which may all occur in Vermont.
The whole continent of North America fur
nishes about three times this number. These
birds are provided with great strength of bill,
and by the aid of wel.adapted feet and
mucronate tails climb over the perpen-
dcular surfaces of trees with the greatest
facility. All excavale their nests in about
the same manner, 10 the decaytd trunks and
branches of trees, depos'ting their white,
shining immaculate eggs on the fine,
woody cLankings which arc puiposely
left at the bottom of the cavity. These
require much strength and considerable
skill in their construction, being always
ant hy pir hOl / |
enough 10 admit the body of the bird and
symmetrical Within thus securing protec- |
tion for their eggs aud young from their
natural enemies-the jays, hawks, owls and
crows, such as few other birds enjoy In |
drilling their nest the male and female work |
each encouraging the other and |
showing evident signs Of mutual affection
and contentment.
The food of the wOodpecker consists al
most wholly of insects and in every stage Of
their development. The smaller species,
however, like downy, feed principally upon
the small pupy larvae, which lie hid ia the
chinks and crcviccs aud beneath the bark OF
trees, and which we see swarlning forth in
such numbers in spring and carly summer.
A most important service it is they perform
for man, in thus assisting to check the
increase of those vast armies of wood-boriug
aud sap-sucking vormin which infest and
threaten to strapglc our fruit-bcaiing trees
and shrubs. 1t is not likely that the depre-
ia,ion which some species work at certain
seasons is at ali comparable TO the amount
Of good which they confer Mt other
lines.
Dowuy (Picus pubescens. Linn, is per-
laps even better known than the Flicker,
md is with US all winter busily plying his
insect trade. The smallest of them all. he
nevertheless wears the family badge, the red
pompon in his cap, but the fcmale.is with
out this distinction, and is less frequently
seen during the cold season. Passing
through the woods in March, when every
hing is held in the rigid, metallic grasp of
winter, the general silence which pcrvades is
suddenly broken by resonant hammering
m dead limb over your head. This is
Downy sounding his reveille, at which un-
Welcome sound the snug larva may well
ecoil in his cell, for he is knocking at his
loor and the dread summons must he
'beycd.
While saunlering one day along II beach ,
VI Lake Champlain, (for have found the
'ook of nature is not easily read on forced
nay attention was drawn to one of
hesc woodpeckers who was hammerlng the
ray trunk of birch. After watching him
few moments, went to the place deter :
mined to see if all this drumming was really
rom gastronomic motives, and it so to what
xtcnt it was rewarded. Probing with my
,nlfc the black scars and imperfections in the
lark, found the soft, Qblong, reddish bodies
II minute larvae embedded IN great abund-
nee beneath the surface.
There are also the black backed (PicOides
IrcticuS, gray, and the black banded wood
'ecRers (P. hirsutus, Grdy), which may rarely
'ccur in this State. The yellow bcllied wood
ecker (Sphwapicus rarius 3D., has been
inown to breed in Hanover, n. H., and {
he red-headed woodpecker (Melanerpes
Sr.) may occasionally be
Hylot0mus pileatus, Bd.) is our largest
representative of the family, being eighteen
inches in length or twice that of the hairy /
voodpccker and three times as long as
)owny. This large powerful bird is green /
sh black all over with the exception of the ,
carlet crest and white about the breast and t
cad. A large male Of this species was shot
ear Burlington in the fall of 1881.
In addition to the birds mentioned in the ,,
rst instalment Of these notes, the following !
pecies have since been noticed in Bur- :,
ngton; ;;
Bay-winged bunting, April 10. a
Bank-swallow, April Is.
Purple grosbeak (7l, April Is.
"veery," or Wilson's thrush, April "a.
Rusty grackle, April IS.
huDy.crowned kinget, April 20.
YellJw-rumped warbler, April 80 a
House wren, April .. I
Gollen-crowncd thrush or .Ovcn bird" Mays.
Hermit thrush, Mays.
Whlie-,hroated sparrow, Mays. |
King bird, Mays, II
Great-crested hycalcher, Mays.
BaekhToaied E green warbler May
Warbling greenet or vireo, Nav H.
Least nycatcher May 10. U
WhippOorwill, May 10. v
Spotted sand-piper, May II. =
Summer warbler, May 10.
Chestnut-sided warbler, MAY 10.
Cat-bird, May 10. ,
Pm, ,tn No, |