Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-10-29
BIRDS NESTS.
Birds as They are Seen in Their Homes on
the Tree Tons

be tall oak. 1t is large and comfort
able, though not very beautiful, home,
and it needs to be roomy, for three babies
have to stay at home till they are well
feathered out and can fly.
One of the most interesting studies |
ever made was of king bird family of
three little ones and their parents, two or
three years ago; and last summer, when |
happened to be staying near raspberry
hedge, family just like the one | had
grown so fond of, three youngsters and
two grown-ups, came every day TO get the
berries.
A very noticeable thing about these lit
tie people is their fondness for each other;
they can't bear to be separated. Even
after they have been ii week or two out of
their nest, if they lose sight of each other
in the excitement of flying around, no
sooner do they settle down than they De-
gin to call, and each one flies or hops
nearer and nearer the other, till soon the
three sit on the same ewig, as near to-
gether as they can crowd 1t is lovely
sight. If the middle one gets too much
squeezed, he has cool way of stepping
upon the back of his brother or sister, and
getting down on the outside; and no one
seems to mind being made step of.
One of the prettiest nests on the tree is
made by the wood pewee, a small
melancholy-looking fellow, who sits hours
at time on fence or twig, calling ''pe-
o-wee" in a mournful tone. Not that he
is In the least unhappy; it is simply his
| way of expressing himself. While he sits
there, looking as if he were mourning the
loss of all his friends, he is really watch
ing sharply for something to eat. Every
few minutes he flies out short distance
and returns, and that is when he catches
fly or some insect. "Pe-o-wee" is not
all he can say: he has very sweet song
| quite different, though so low that it is
not often heard.
The home of the baby pewee is grace
full affair, shaped more like saucer than
a cup. and so shallow that when the bird
is sitting enc can see almost ther whole
body above the edge. 1t is covered out
| side with bits of hchen, and looks from
| below like a knot or some eXcrescence On
the horizontal crotch of the dead limb
where it is usually placed. The young
pewee is pretty, fluffy, little fellow, and
| the wonder is that he does not get shaken
out of his fiat nest. Perhaps the diff
| Guilty of staying in is the reason that he is
so soon about the trees with his par,
ents.
The best-made nest l know belongs to
the tree builders, the American eoldfnch.
1t is just opposite in shape to the wood
pewees, being a deep cut fastened in an
upright crotch, and is neatly woven OF
fine material with a soft thick bed Of
thistledown for the youngsters to lie on.
The birds themselves are so winning In
manner, and their songs and calls are so
| sweet, that | don't see how any one can
have the heart to disturb their nest; but
if the boy who wants it will first watch
the little family take flight. and then get
| leave to cut off the branch with its nest,
| he will have prize.
The least hy-catcher, a plain little brown
bird who sits on a twig by the hour, call
ing "che-bek! che-bek! che bek!' every
time with jerk as though he would snap
his head and tail off, has-or rather his
mate hasa snug little home high up in
some slender tree, Rugged close against
the trunk, and so small that one can
hardly see it from the grould. One of
these birds that | saw last summer did
not in the least care for any looking at her,
even with a staring opera-glass. She
knew very well that no one could touch
her up in her sky .parlor, and | believe
she knew the tree was too small for even
sharp little squirrel to climb. Nothing
more comical than those little dots of hy-
catcher babies when they first leave the
nest was ever seen; and when they are
growing up they are hardly as big as ones
thumb.
An intetestirg bird home on the trees
belongs to the mocking-bird of the south,
whom we see here only in cages, poor
things! The nest itself is not particularly
nice, being about as big as robins,
made Of strings ind many other things,
with a DIT of newspaper if it is to be had,
and resting on foundation of dead twi gs
piled up careiessly together as it seems.
| suppose that the only reason that the
first strong wind does not blow the nest
down is that it is built On large branch
that does not m1ve much.
The greatest interest of the hooking
bird s nest is the little people that live in
it, and the hurry they feel to get out in
the world for themselves-like some little
folks without feathers! Before they can
stand on their shaky bits Of legs they
begin to cry so loudly that everybody can
hear them; and then the IDLE men and
boys of the neighborhood begin to watch.
for every mocking-bird baby is worth a
good price.
Unfortunately for him, the baby mocker
cannot be persuaded to stay IN the nest
till he can fly. The moment he can
scramble out, hs goes up the tree, and
very soon after that he thinks he can fly,
| suppose, for he launches out as though
he would go mile. Alas! he finds his
Topping and struggling to the ground.
Thor, IS hjc hcur of doa6,, ,,aril for
or children pick him up and eat him or
cage him, whichever they choose.
The rose breasted grosbeak, who builds
in trees, though not very high, furnishes
one of the most attractive groups in the
museum in Central Park. What makes
it particularly interesting is the fact that
he has his whole family out on the
branches around him. One who has
never seen nestful of birdlings out for
the first time can learn here what a pretty
sight it is.
The bird is charming singer, but, like
his red cousin, he is rather shy, while the
mother rosebreast seems to be positively
certain that everybody wants to carry off
her babies. | have tried many times to
get good look at them, but she has al
ways been too sharp for me. They are
either the most obedient of birdlings, or
else the mother calmly knocks them off
their perch to get them out OF sight. Sew
eral times when have seen one high up
on tree, and tried TO examine it through
my glass, the mother has appeared with a
sharp ''klink" and flown directly at her
bantling. Whether she actually hit it or
not | cannot say, but the young bird al
ways disappeared with her on the other
side. SO have never felt really acquainted
with the rose-breasted baby.