Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-05-18
Ih{ 6ree press.
NOTES ON THE FAUNA OF WEIR.
MONTH";.


Ing OF life In spring. Ihis IL characterized
by the return of the birds
When the suow-shect dually departs.
the earth nc appears ceau-washed but still
clad in the s2rc robes of autumn. Instead,
however, Of that dead, dry appearance, which
is marked feature of our late fall, the CUR
facet rocking in perspira,ion; every wood
aud hank is saturated. Tho reign of water
begins and there is a universal bath. Winter
has relaxed his rigid muscles. Tho skies
and waters reflect softer tints, and the brown
colors of the hills and lowlands arc
more intense. The evergreen trees which
in winter were blue from cold, relax and
shine In the spriug sun. The moss-covercd
rocks and lchcn- clad trees become more con-
spicuous by the greater contrast of their
coloring The sense of smell is whetted and
the shimmering fragrant air betrays the
process of evaporation. Clouds of vapor
ascend like incense. Tie landscape is that
of autumn seen through soft, moist atmos-
phere. Nature shines as il vanished with
brush The water suspended in the air
renders it telescope, 80 that distant objects
become visible in detail The poets as early
as Anacrcon noticed aud celebrated this
spring Ginning. Amid these promises of u
new reign, the swarmng of insects, the
coursing Of sap up the trees, while there Is
still feeling of incompleteness, arrive the
birds in full song and turn the vcrnal tide.
They take US by storm, quickenng what
was dead ia the landscape, and rendering the
tt41I wnOIQ
must reckon the flicker among the van Of the
procession,
The Flicker (Coiaptes auratus), Sw.
The flcker's melodous call is thoroughly
April sound He follows closely after the
robins, acting as sort of whipper in and
associates with them again ia the fall. When
the voice OF the flicker is heard in the land
we need no longer question the season. Az
an evidence of his reputation sec now
many names he has acquired. He is called
the yellow shattcd' or golden. winged
wood-peckei" from his Itch pIumagr, the
"nicker," "hittock," ''put," quicker"
"wake-up" and 'yarrup," in allusion to his
vigorous call notes with which he makes the
orchards and woods ring at this season.
1t requires but little imagination to detect
any u tncsc SOuuu-. nc Is Wcil huO WI diSO
as ''yellowhammer," alias thigh hole" al
luding 10 the position OF his nlst, which,
however, is often in reach from the ground,
alias "woodwall' in some parts Of New
Hampshire, and pigeon wood-pecker' is a
common name for him throughout New Eng
land. The ycllowhammer of England which
the Scotch call the "Skite," belongs TO au
entirely different class of BIRDS the bun
nncs. Here certainly is quite an eX-
tensve synonomy, and il is instructive in
showing that while we may have local names
for our plants and animals, it is necessary
that science should have one name which
shall DC universal and iutexiblc
Though oftcncr heard than seen ii is not a
difficult matter 10 catch sight Of the flicker |
as he clides on rapid wing through the orch
ard and wood. A IronZe-cOlorcd bird as he |
appears in flight, considerably larger than |
the robin, with Il white mark On the back
which may serve to identify him should |
there be any doubt en- hearing his
notes.
There Is generally more silence than sound
before this April conner appears. We have,
10 be sure, the mclodous piping OF the robin,
the tinkic Of the song-sparrow and the blue
birds mellow walblc, but his voice is above |
them all, and even rivals in character the |
brazen scream Of the jay. The tlickers come
up from the South in hustle. They seek |
their deserted houses in orchard and wood,
and throwing up the Windows and opening
the loors, take formal possession, peopling
the silent fields and enriChing the air with
their notes. Their voice Is natures alarum
set in the fall to wake her sleeping children
in the spring lie says we cant have this
silence and inactivity st this hour" and as
he flies huIri,dly about, his prolonged
moro,onous notes resound from wood to
wood; peCp rake up, up, up. up, ~, up,
ap,. 9t Up Peep, qu'ch, uteh, ,o'ck, 'otch,
nick wick, rjck, varied by their screaming
calls, hey-oh, keyok, and occasionally you
year the rdt.a-tat, rdt-a-tdt, r--r.r-r-r.r-dt
of one drilling dead tree in the distance.
lie is the house warmer 10 nature, quicken
Ing the slow pulse Of spring, and the
animals are not tardy to answer his revelle.
The squirrel is down from his lodge The
woodchuck comes to the mouth Of his bur-
row, the mlskrat from his cabin, and the
frogs in the distant marsh respond
'tr.r-uHk' to their names.
The courtship of these birds is merry
one, and though there is considerable rivalry,
there seems to be little jealousy. The males
make their amours conspicuous, careering
through the woods and fields, bowling and
spreading their tails, squealing with delight
and rendering the most amusing adulation to
the object of their dt sire.
BY the first of May the practical part OF
housekeeping, to which the former IS only
the prelude, occupies their closest attention.
The woodpeckers care rather than build
their nests, aud their sagaciy in detecting
the decayed wood beneath the sound bark
is Gully equalled in the nLt-wise squirrel. |
recall an ancient maple standing guard beside
a stream and truncated near its middle,
which had cherished in its decayed heart
many generations Of high-holes Such tree
may become the birthplace of long line of
golden-wings until at last the wind lops it
oil or the woodman's axe brings 1t down,
but there are always enough new dwellings,
TO be constructed and these busy carpenters
may be heard humping away with their
hammers from morning until night as they
carve deeper and deeper their gourd-shaped
nests down into the heart of the tree
On the sixth of this month"; while walking
by the beach Of Burlington Bay, my atten-
ton was arrested by seeing the ground be-
meath large poplar strewn with fresh white
clippings of woDd. This means high
holes nest" we said land he has lately
been at work. The bole Of the tree was
nearly two feet through and but slightly
decayed, so We supposed lie was making his
house high up near The top but moi dead
limb CT perioralon in the bark could be
found Finally, after searching several min.
utcs, circular hole was discovered In the
trees trunk about eight feet from the
ground, Of the size OF that made by three
and-a-halt inch auSer, and cut MS cleanly and
neatly For better protection against beating
rains he had wisely placed it Just under one
Of several an.shaped fungi which were at
tachcd to the iiee. This served both as =
porch and screen TO the entrance OF his
dwelling. The hole went straight in for five !
inches, and curving rather abruptly extended
downward fifteen more.
Old half-dead appeirecs are prolific in
flickeis' nests, but they are not over particu-
lar in this respect, atIackip. any dccaycd