The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1894-03-31
TRUST NOT ROBIN OR BLUE
BIRD
As Harbingers of spring. but Pin Your
Faith 10 the Wise Hawks and Owls.


s'Most folks think that when robins and
blnebirds and otherearly birds begin to come
back to us from their winter homes in the
South it is prima iacie evidence that the back
bone of winter is broken and that spring is
here to stay said Westchester county OBJ
server, ''but they are apt TO be very much
mistaken when they depend on that for a
sign The instinct of these birds is anything
but infallible in that respect. A few days of
mild, sunshiny weather in our latitude, even
ms early as February, are almost certain to
fetch the bluebirds and robins to us, and they
may be just as certain to suffer for it. | never
pay any attention to them as prophets. The
hawks and owls are the birds | keep my eye
on.
1.-The hawks and owls know when We are
going to have an early spring, and they will
let you know it, too, if you notice them at
their nesting. If they get to work at it along
in March, no matter if the weather is howl
ing cold and snow deep on the ground, You
may safely go on and make your arrange
ments for getting in your garden crops early
in the season. The sun may be shining and
warm breezes blowing in March, and the
robins and bluebirds piping and chirping
cheerily, but if the hawks and owls are not at
their nesting yet, pity the robins and blue
birds. They will have hard lines before
ETHEREAL mildness is with us for good. | have
known the barred owl 10 nest rs early as the
22d of February, with snow a foot deep on
the ground. thought sure the wise bird was
away off in its reckoning that time and was
making fool of itself. But it wasn't. We
had the earliest and evenest spring that year
had ever known.
'In the memorable blizzard March of 1888
noticed another conclusive demonstration
of the correctness of the owl siudgment when
/ "a i 4
early part of that March was very much the
/ sort of weather we have been enjoying thus
far during the present month. Not only
robins and blnebirds, hut other song birds
had appeared, and were exceedingly joyous.
| The barred owl is denizen of the deep
woods, and is the chap with the blood -curd-
ling night whoop voice. In the woods near
my place pair of these birds had for many
years had their nest in hollow tree, and
they had been my weather prophets q very
long time. During these warm March days
of 1888 | found that these owls were not
moved to begin nesting, and | couldn't help
wishing that was able to give the song birds
| a tip, so that they could hurry South again
and escape the trouble that knew must be
impending. But they had faith in the sun.
shine, and when the sudden blizzard came
bowling and whooping along | guess there
wasn't many of them left to wonder what had
struck them. During those two days of ter
rife weather my two wise old owls lay low in
their hollow tree. The first day after the
blizzard, when snow was piled almost noun
tain high around them and there seemed no
prospect of there ever being any spring again,
they went to work getting their nest ready for
the seasons Matching. Although the weather
turned off warm after the blizzard and spring
came on in earnest, not robin or bluebird
appeared again before April. The owls knew
their business; the song .hirds-didn't.
"Have the hawks and owls begun their
nesting yet this spring? No, they haven't.
am sorry to say it. Robins and blgebrds
may fit and twitter, and folks may talk about
what an early spring we are going TO have,
but warn them. Speaking from the evidence
OF that pair of owls in my woods, whose nest
is as yet bare of eggs, | warn folks that they
haven't got old Boreas on the run yet, not by
a good deal. He is bound to be cracking his
cheeks again in perhaps more than one howl
ing blast before the crocus peeps from its bed
or the punetual arbutus sweetens the damp
hillside with its breath. Mark my words.
Don't put away the snow shovel yet. And
keep the coal bin full. The backbone of win
ter may be shattered little, but it will stiffen
up good and strong and give spring lively
tussle before she succeeds in tumbling the old
! fellow out of her lap. Don't forget it,