The clarion., 1886-04-21
BIRD MIGRATION.
Winter Quarters Held By BirsIs Travelling
1000 Ni3eS

I winter Quarters Held By BirsIs Travelling
1000 Miles.
While the southern California Winter
Is like the Eastern Spring. the birds fail
70 nest until the real Eastern Spring of
May and June comes around-thouph
certain birds. the identity OF which I
have not been able to ascertain, live in
their nests during the present season.
These nests are models of INGENUITY
and are placed upon the top of the
prickiy pear that is so carefully avoided
by all animals The nests, and | have
found four or FIVE within an area OF
live feet, are bag-shapcd. but built
iengthwise, lying parallel to the ground.
anu having perfect piazza in front of
them, with projecting cover. The
nests are carefully constructed of yari-
Gus vegetable matter aud made perfect
iy water-tight. the interior being lined
with the softest material TO be found.
These nests are undoubtedly built in
May or June. but they are occupied by
some bird as a home and refuge at this
season-a fact that is sustained By
many evidences.
The Southern California winter birds
are particularly welcome to Eastern peo-
pie. as here are innumerahle forms with
which they are familiar in the extreme
North and East. Robins. whose repre-
sentativeS nestled last Summer in the
apple orchards of the East. are now
spending the Winter among the orange
groves of this country; and among the
tamliIar forms are warblers and an in
mite variety of songstcrS. The instinct
that causes these myriads of forms TO
migrate twice year, flying over vast
distances, has created much speculation.
1he robin has been seen within the are
TIC circle in the Summer and during the
Winter as far south as Mexico. and one
of the smallest birds. warbler, takes
a flight every year equaling, perhaps.
5000 miles
What causes bird migration IS some
what difficult to determine. the lack of
food and the approach of cold being the
principal agents. Whatever may be
the direct cause, IT is fact that there is
every Fall general movement of birds
toward the South, and in the Spring
return The majority of birds
make the entire trip from the ex-
treme North to the Gulf States. South
ern California and Mexico Others.
as the crows, etc, remain in the North
during the Winter, while others. again.
as jays, woodpeckers. etc, are partial
migrators.
1t Is somewhat Of puzzle how Young
birds find their way over the country To
the South and back 10 the same door
yard in the Spring; but that they do ii
is well known. Robins build in the |
same tree year after year. returning to |
1t IN the Spring. perhaps after travelling |
1000 miles, within few hours of their |
arrival on the year previous While ii |
Is somewhat speculative how birds find |
their way, ii is evident that they follow |
the great rivers. as the Mississippi. the /
mountain ranges, as the Coast Range |
and the Rocky Mountains, and the coast |
itself Tho birds on the Eastern coast
are often blown out to sea, many reach
ing Berinuda, and on the Pacific coast,
even the most delicate OF all, the hum
ming birds, are found on the Island of
Juan Fernandez, and all the islands of
the California coast are resting places
for birds during their migrations. Some
birds, perhaps the majority. hy ut night.
Astronomers have seen flocks three miles
up in the air. moving onward 50 high
above the earth that its familiar mark
ings We're spread before them like
i
at night they often fall victims 10 var
ious objects. The light-Louses on this
coast, especially those where FOES pre-
vail, could tell a strange story of the
of delicate feathered victims that
dash against the light on misty nights.
In Eastern waters often hundred
birds will be found in the morning at
the foot of the lighthouse, and on A
light near Denmark (IieligolandD. that
stands in the track of one Of the great
European lines Of bird migration. great
heaps of birds are often found by the
keeper in the morning The sustaining
power of birds il well shown in the fact
hat have seen birds of many kinds
alight on the extreme outer keys Of the
Florida reef. They were blown out by
northers. showing that they had flown
across the Gulf of Mexico. At such
times they are very tame, alighting upon
vessels. A friend tells me that be has
often had birds aligbt on his boat when
fishing ten miles off shore. sparrow.
even. alighting on his head.
In Los Angeles. in the Fall. when the
migration has set in, the electric lights
are often fatal 10 the birds, their bodies
being found under the pole in the morn
ing, while in fog myriads have been
seen darting about as if fascinated by
the dazzling light. The headlight of
the locomotive is also fatal to birds, and
the engineers on the Southern Pacific
and other lines frequently find evidences
of contact on the glass. and dead birds
have been found on the engine and
track.
The San Gabriel Valley at present is
shelter to birds that Summer
in Alaska, and even farther north, and
the entire country hereabouts is verit-
able bird sanitarium, for which the ag-
should be truly thankful
San Francisco Call