Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1886-10-13
BIRD'S-NESTING

srHA~.% 0-AN ~ .sEG@azYaE5
After all, it is the ground birds that
puzzle the human oologist. Crossing q
brook, I saw what I regarded as almoes1
infallible signs that a pair of Marylanda
yellow-throats had begun to build besids l
it. Unless I was entirely at fault, the
nest must be within a certain two OF
three square yards, and l devoted halt
all hour, more or less. to ~ransacking tLsll
grass and bushes. till l thought every
inch of the ground had been gone over
but all to no purpose. Continuing mya
walk, l noticed after a while that the
male warbler was accompanying me urs
the hillside, apparently determined to
see me safely out Of the way. CominGs
to the same brook again the next morn
ING, I halted for another search; and loAN
all in q moment my eye fell upon 9
coveted nest, not on the ground, =
perhaps eight inches from it, in q llttles
clump of young golden-rods, which wouldt
soon overgroW it completely. The lei
male proprietor was present, and manl1
| tested so much concern that l would n0a
tarry, but made rather as if I had seen
nothing, and passed on. It was sonfa
time before l observed that she wal
keeping along beside me, precisely %
her male had done the day before. The
innocent creatures, sorely pestered asa
they were, could hardly be blamed fol
such precautions; yet it is not pleasant
to be "shadowed" as a suspicious char
acter, evcn by Maryland yellow-throats
This was my first nest of a very com
mon warbler, and I felt particularly
solicitous for its safety; but alasi NJ
sooner was the first egg laid than somea
thing or somebody carried it of, and thes
afflicted couple deserted the house OF
which they had expended so much 10 !
Dor and anxiety. ]
Not far beyond the yellow-throats7
brook, and almost directly under one q
the pewees' oaks, was nest which prot
ty certainly had belonged to a paird
chewinks, but which was already for
saken when I found it, though I hata
then no inkling of the fact. 1t con
tanned four eggs, and everything was IL
perfect order: The mother had gong
away, and had never come back; havl
ing fallen q victim, probably, to SOM
collector, human OF inhuman. Th9
tragedy was peculiar; and the tragics1
effect Of it was heightened as day ate
day, for nearly 4 fortnight at least q
cannot say for how much longer), tn
beautiful eggs lay there entirely uni
covered, and yet no skunk. squirrel, loj
other deyourer of such dainties happe1I
cd to spy them. 1t seemed doubly SO
that so many precious nests should b
robbed, while this set of worthless egg
was left to spoil.
have already mentioned the house
keeping of q couple of chickadees In
low birch stump. Theirs was one 4
three titmouse nests just then claimin
my attention. l visited it frequently
from the time when the pair were har
at work making the cavity up to til
time when the brood was nearly read
to Shift for themselves. Both birds too
their share of the digging, and on &C.
eral occasions l saw one feeding I'd
other. After the eggs were deposited
the mother Cor the sittei) displayed I'd
mirab|c courage, refusing again AMI
again to quit her post when l peered i
upon her, and even when with my car
l raped smartly upon the stump. Is
put my fingers into the hole, however,
She followed them out in hot hastd
Even when most seriously disturbed |
my attentions the pair made use Of y
other notes than the common chickade|
dee, but these they sometimes delivere
in an un~naturally sharp, fault-findinI
tone.
My two other titmouse nests wei
both IN appIc-trees, and n of tho
WAS in my own door-yard, though III
yond convenient reach without the bel
of Il ladder. The owners of this Id
were interesting for Il very decide
change in their behavior after the your
: were hatchcd, and especially as the tin
for the little ones exodus drew nea|
AT first, Notwithstanding their dol
opened right upon the street. as it wen
within y rod or two of passing horsa44
cars, the father and mother went in all
ont without the least apparent conced
as to who might be watching them; bH
when they came to be feeding their hui
cry offspring, it was almost laughaba
to witness the little craftiness to whi}
they rcsortcd. They would perch OH 0
dec, fly 4 little nearer, then likel
enough 60 further of. till finally. aft,
q variety of such "false motions" ins
the hole they would duck, as if nobof
for the world must be allowed to knos
where they had gone. 1t was real
wonderful how expert they grew at G.
tering quickly. / pondered n good de-
over their continual calling on such q
casions. 1t seemed foolish and incoI
s~istcnt; half the time | should have ia
cd to notice their approach, had the
only kept still. Toward the end, hoy
ever, when tho chicks inside the truI
could be heard articulating chickadeS
dec, with perfect distinctness, it occ,S
red to me that possibly all this persi3
! cnt repetition Of the phrase by the q
birds had been only or mainly in {
way of tuition. At all events, the younz
stcrs had this part of the chickade
vocabulary right at their tongues en-
as VIC say, before making their debut
the great world.--Bradtora 2orrey,
September AtlunLic.