Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-11-19
CHARMING BIRDS.
Habits and Nests OF the Maryland Yellow
Throat and the Chickadee.

Habits and Nests OF the Maryland Yellow
Throat and the Chickadee.
After all, it is the ground birds that
puzzle the human oologist. Crossing a
brook, l saw what l regarded as almost
infallible signs that pair of Maryland
yellow-throats had begun to build beside
it. Unless was entirely at fault, the
nest must be within a certain two or
three square yards, and l devoted half
nm hour, more or less, to ransacking the
grass and bushes, till ! thought every
inch of the ground had been gone over;
but all to no purpose. Continuing my
walk, | noticed after awhile that the
male warbler was accompanying me up
the hillside, apparently determined to
see me safely out of the way. Coming
to the same brook again the next morn
ing, halted for another search; and 10!
all in a moment my eye fell upon the
coveted nest, not on the ground, but
perhaps eight inches from it, in little
clump of young golden-rods, which
would soon overgrOw it completely.
The female proprietor was present, and
manifested so much concern that |
would not tarry, but made rather as if
/ had seen nothing, and passed on. 1t
was some time before | observed that
she was keeping along beside me, pre-
cisely as her mate had done the day be-
fore. The innocent creatures, sorely
pestered as they were, could hardly be
blamed for such prccaut; ons; yet it is
not pleasant to be ''shadowed" as n sus-
picious character, even by Maryland
yellow-throats.
This was my first nest of a very COM
mon warbler, and / felt particularly
solicitous for its safety; but alas! no
sooner was the first egg laid than some
thing or somebody carried it of, and the
afflicted couple deserted the house on
which they had expended SO much labor
and anxiety.
Not far beyond the yellow -throats'
brook, and almost directly under one OF
the pewees' oaks, was nest which pre-
ty certainly belonged TO par of che.
winks, but which was already forsaken
when found it, though had then no
inklng of the fact. 1t contained four
eggs, and every hing was in perfect Or
der. The mother had gone away, and
never come back; having fallen vic
tim, probably to some collector, human
or inhuman. The tragedy was pecu-
liar; and the tragical effect of It was
heightened as day after day, for nearly
a fortnight at least q can not say for
how much longer), the beautiful eggs
J lay there entirely uncovered, and yet no
skunk, squirrel or other devourer OF
such dainties happened to spy them.
1t seemed doubly sad that so many
, precious nests should be robbed, while
this set of worthless eggs was left to
J spoil.
| have already mentioned the house
keeping of couple of chickadees in 9
, low birch stump. Theirs was one oi
; three titmOuse nests just then claiming
my attention. Visited it frequently
, from the time when the pair were hard
: at work making the cavity up to thu
| time when the brood were nearly ready
r to shift for themselves Both birds tool
/, their share of the digging, and on sew
Z eraI occasions l saw one feeding tn
I other. After the eggs were deposited
the mother (or the sitter) displayed ad
! mirable courage, refusing again an,
, again 10 quit her post when peered il
: upon her, and even when with my can
r Trapped smartly upon the stump. If
put my fingers into the hole, however
Q she followed them out in hot haste
Even when most seriously disturbed b,
l my attentions the pair made use of nj
other notes than the common chichGdee
| dee, but these they sometimes delivered
in an unnaturally sharp, fault-findinI
tone.
: NY two other titmouse nests wer
: both in apple-trees, and one of then
was in my own door-yard, though be
yond convenient reach without the hel
s of ladder. The owners of this las
n were interesting for very decide
: change in their behavior after the youn
were matched, and especially as the tim
for the little ones exodus drew neal
At first, Notwithstanding their doc
opened right upon the street, as it were
within rod or two of passing horse
+ cars, the father and mother went in an
utwthout the least apparent concern a
d to who might be watching them; bu
= when they came to be feeding their hun
o CRY offspring, it was almost laughable
y witness the little craftiness to whicl
they reserted. They would perch on ON
of the outer branches, call ch ctadee, de-
y fly little near, then likely enough g
n further off, till finally, after a variety q
% such 'false motions" into the hole the
10 would duck, as if nobody for the worl
U must be allowed to know where the
> hal gone. 1t was really wonderful ho'
expert they grew at entering quickly.
" pondered a good deahover their col
|, tinual calling on such occasions.
1t seemed foolish and inconsistent; ha
d the time l should have failed to motto
- their approach, had they only kept still
Toward the end, however. when Il
u chicks inside the trunk could be hear
y artculat'ng chickdGee, dee, with perfe
- distinctness, it occurred to me that po
81 81 sibly all this persistent REPETITION of Il
u phrase by tho old birds had been on
10 or mainly in the way of tuition. At a
y events, the Youngsters had this part
- the chickadcse vocabulary right at the
" Tongues end, as we say, before maxim
~ their debuL i'm the great world. Bra