Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1893-09-23
A VIRGINIA BIRD STORY.
A GAY LITTLE MocKING BIRD
UP IN a TREE.
ne Was Suspected of whistling Ta-ra-ra
Boom-de-ay-He Out-Did All the other
songsters at Their own Specialties and
Was Happier Than a King.

bo1Lh- dc-EdSt sure boss; leaS ~
soun's like it ter me
This surprising announcement was
made one day by hand on
she Virginia farm OF a relative Of
mine to whom | was paying a visit
| had just left the breakfast table,
and, OF course, went out at once to
verify the report, quite confident il
was true, because nothing seemed
beyond the vocal reach OF the bird
referred to and he certainly heard
''Boom-de-ayn whistled often enough
to have added it to his repertory if
he liked it.
But the bird did not sing that air
while | was listener He sat on
the topmost sprig OF an uutrimmed
Usage orange hedge, where | could
see him plainly, and was outdoing
all the other songsters of the neigh
borhOod in their own spectalties Of
music His voice was at its best.
and his happiness was shown not
only By song but BY frequent leaps
into the air, followed By wild gyra.
lions on the wing. Even when on
his perch he spread his long black
and white tail and his wings went
through series OF excited capers.
He initiated about all the small
birds have ever heard singing in
Virginia, which is a paradise for
those enjoying such music. and often
he improved on the originals Even
the scream Of the nawk was not
beyond his lung power. and the
tiniest twitterer was not too humble
TO tempt his Gathering throat The
bluebird's liquid notes were improved
By certain abolition Of power and
disttnctness, and the killdeer,s
rather strident midajr cry was toned
down to real melody Robins. blue
Jays, goldfishes tlickers. woodoecz-
ers, martins, bob-o-links ana many
other birds We're within hearing M
the time, and ] could not detect ang
difference between the genuine ana
the imitation notes
Several feld-larks were also
whistling near by. but not once did
the mockiug bird repeat their 10.
cuiiar noise. | am told that he never
initiates the lark. and | am. there
fore, forced to believe that the lark
Is a poor songster, for this hooking
birds taste i undoubtedly that Of a
master musician The robins ait.
he-year-round notes he delights in:
but the robin has a love song that Is
treated with scoru. It'll Is ambitious.
Icrky and incomplete
The particular hooking bird / am
referring to has little history. He
and his mate came to the farm three
springs ago, and after careful scru-
tiny Of all the vacant ccdars, honey
suckle arbors and other secure and (
coy flats they went to house-kcep-
ing in wild vine that had grown l
into mound-shapcd mass over bit f
OF abandoned rail fence.
a worse selection could not have I
been made. Cats and dogs could I
reach the top Of the vine almost as .
readily as bird. and one day black /
and tan terrier pup found his way to .
the nest and seized one Of the young.
sters. Immediately there was q
and the mother bird came
as fast as wings could carry her and
flew tiercely and unhesitatingly into I
the puppy's face. She compelled
him to drop the young bird, but II
was dead, and put him to flight
The commotion brought an old set
ter dog to the spot, and the mGcking-
bird turned upon him, making such
an ado about his eyes and ears that
he decided to retire. OF course one
snap Of his jaws would have ended
the annoyance, but he was too well
bred and too well trained to bite any
living creature with wings In hunt
ing he would never harm even a
wounded partridge, though he had
caught it after an eager pursuit.
And where was the male mocking-
bird, the proud songster. while his
was being slaino He was
there, but all he did was to huttcr
from branch to branch, scream
Ing and scolding in babel
Of bird languages. The mother
bird did all the fighting, and
It did not end with that one occasion.
Tor until the end of that season the
setter dog never ventured near the
nest without being vigorously at
lacked.
The two birds have come back TO
the place each spring since then and
the male has sung from the same
oerches, but no one has been able to
ind their nest Evidently expert
ence has taught them to be very sly.
That they have had nests. however;
and have succeeded in bringing up at
east two broods, seems to be proved
BY the presence Of not less than
,hree. and perhaps as many as five.
pairs on the farm this year. The old
birds monopolize the grounds near
,he house, but the others have found
ust as good homes iE the two or.
lizards and the woods. During a
stroll Of few hours listened to the
Efforts OF three songsters, but they
iad all much to learn as compared
With the wonderful old fellow who
vas accused Of singing "Boom-de-ay. "