The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-04-11
ROBINS AND BLACKBIRDS.
Mesting-Place for Millions. Where All
the Seasons Plans Are Arranged.
In the Spring They Gather There to GoNorth,
and in the Fall 1t Is the Starting-Point
for Their Journeys Southwark.

l0eSe urSU rODlnS IQab herald the coming
of spring are usually somewhat shy and
nave much the air of cautious, scrutinizing
ho%use-hunters who, knowing themselves to
be good tenants. do not allow themselves to
be too easily suited. They look about the
premises. appearing in the early morning,
day after day, and disappear shortly before
nightfall. In truth, the bird is not a robin
at all, but is one of the thrushes, a hand
some. saucy fellow of a decidedly military
appearance, and nearly twice the size of
the European robin. The general color of
his uniform above is olive-gray, the top and
sides of his head are black, the chin and
throat light, almost white, streaked with
black, his breast red, and the underparts
chestnut-brown. though varying somewhat
in plumage. This gay fellow is not
the English bird at all, and the current song
and fable does not belong to the American
flyer; though 1T has been so generon sly ap-
piled to him. He is even more saucy and
self-reliant than the English robbin, quite
as familiar with the human family upon
slight encouragement, and his notes, though
simple, are pleasing, yet not to be compared
to those of other members of the thrush
family, as the hooking bird, brown thrush,
cat bird, etc.
Perhaps the good people of indianapolis
would like TO know where their robins are
now spending their nights; The writer
ion that he saw the Marion county contin-
gent of robins. as well as those of Hendricks.
Hamilton, Putnam, Montgomery, Shelby,
and perhaps a dozen or more other coun-
ties. Tuesday evening and Wednesday
morning before sunrise in Owen county, on
the farm of Calvin Fletcher, a quarter of a
mile from the town of Spencer. On this
farm is q magnificent growth of ever
UTQanQ ThTTfQQu va ~ a n0 ~ .1-1lo-
hundreds of conifers were planted by
Mr.: Fletcher, first to beautify his grounds
and for the more practical purpose of keep
ing the hillside soil from being carried
away by FLASHING rains and also to protect
his fruit trees from the keen westerly and
northwesterly winds. These trees, always
clothed IN their green livery, serve the pur-
pose OF keeping off the chill winds from
birds that spend their winters in the South,
coming North in the early spring. Eight
years ago these birds were noticed about
the place In the spring and in the fall by
hundreds. They have never been disturbed
by stones or guns and the hundreds of that
time have multiplied year after year in
geOmetric proportion.
1t may be that some of the scholars of the
h~igh-schools of the State can tell just how
many robins Mr.. Fletcher is now lodging.
The only aid that can be afforded the arit6-
metician is the information that the eggs
OF the robin are four to six in number and
dame robin matches out from two to three
OAOOoo " LuCS0 uQbpObttu Dlul6u-RIeen
eggs each season. Perhaps some one may
be able to tell how long it will take to fill
Indiana with robins. As the flight of these
birds is rapid, at times quite high,
n0t 1 anf ! aTe th ssFG fhs s S5 w1ng Too st has is
dodgers that travel from $50 to 200 miles q
day on a round-trip ticket. The robin is a
very knowing bird, and it may have the
significance OF a eoincidence-whatever
force this year on Mr.. Fletcher's ground
was on March 4, the day upon which the
first President Indiana ever furnished was
lnaugurated. The robins have continued
to come since that time until they nave
reached their maximum attendance and are
now perhaps within the past four days d.
minishing somewhat in numbers. Not that
the absence of a few thousands from the
million or more can be noticed, but the
fact that the chirp and twitter of the birds
IS beginning to break into song, showing
that the young couples are mating and
ready to set up housekeeping for them
selves, a period especially during the honey
moon When they are all in all to
each other and do not much care
for other society except, perhaps, that the
bride may want to see ma occasionally or
the dear friend and bosom coDidant who
attended Miss Robins boarding-school with
her.
Some of the robins, it may be, are slow in
mating, old bachelors and widows. perhaps.
or. mayhap, grass widows. At any rate,
from first to last they stay at this Spencer
trystlng place more than q month, return
ing again IN September to get ready for
their Southern trip, when they 60 to Flor
ida or whereabouts to spend the winter.
They leave for their Southern ~sojourn in
great haste. as the first snap of genuine
cold weather sends them off, and they fire.
quentiy manage TO get away within two
days, leaving a few lame or belated ones
behind. 1t is said of the robins, the young
fellows, doubtless, that they do not always
behave discreetly intheir Southern resting
place., and reports have come North that
they become sadly intoxicated upon the
: China berry. of which they are very fond.
In the spring the food of these birds
consists OF insects, worms; in summer, of
the smaller fruits, like blackberries, rasp-
Ties. He is a bold robber of the cherry tree,
but no boy, and certainly no man, should
seek to kill the red-breasted rascal, as no
more than pays for all he takes by destroy
ing insects while the fruit is maturing, and
There are many blackbirds at this Owen
county rOOst. A while ago, earlier in the
season, they outnumbered the robins, but
now there are perhaps three robins to one
birds, for the most part, prefer leafess
trees. while the robins prefer the thick
shelter Of the conifers;. Should a lone
blackbird chance to alight in a tree in
OH again without hardly saying good even
ing, and q robin behaves in like manner
wnere the majority Is against him. This
brings about a separation of the two kinds
OF birds, and the occupants of a tree are
either all blackbirds or all robins.
On Tuesday afternoon the writer stood
where he had q good view of about one
eighth of the circle within which the robins
roost- AS they come from all directions to
this common center, he could do no more
than watch this eighth of the circle, and
from that roughly estimate the arrivals
that crossed over the remaining seven
eighths. They began to come in more than
an hour before sunset-6rst by twos and
threes. or half dozens, then twenty or more,
then colonies of a hundred or more, the
delegations increasing in size as nightfau
approached. The first arrivals flew high
and seemed to drop down out of the sky,
flying lower and lower until, as it became
dark, they were very near the ground,
skimming the short grass as they swOoped
In. As the scene grew gray, the f1ocks of
BIRDS, sweeping over a low hill down into
the basin where most of the tall ever
green's grow, suggested q flight of arrows,
their transit was so sudden. Often a large
delegation would be preceded by a single
strong swimmer of the air who seemed to
be directing the way. Some Of the latest
arrivals were weak and sick; now and then
there is q wounded one. pierced, probably,
by a single small shot. 1t is barely able to
make the r~esting-place for the night and in
the morning is found dead upon the ground.
AS the Goldfish. dOgfish and other fishes
pursue the great schools of herring, and
Jackals and coyotes track a wounded ami
NAL. so the robins, especially the weak ones.
have enemies in hawks. owls and other