Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1896-04-02
SPRING In The WOODS.
fEAIHtRED CREATURES OF IEr.
IORE>TS.
What oniet Afternoon In Thitket De
velops oi bird iife g. Redheadcd
Woodpeekcr at Wcrk-shrike on
Ixhibition sparrows


The woods with an their various shades
OF green furnish a perpetual panorama tor
i' is in warm spring days ;5.si; On fhe hank
OF creek. under some enci-n; oak. all
covered with moss and scarf,a by ths ~
Ycat.d attacks of the alem.rts ana to
watch ihe swallows Wheeling high in The
bright sunshine No pleasure is greater
tree, with the drowsy niurruUr.uc oi the
creek 10 lun one INTO reyer.es
straying along the banks of a little brook
when ! came 10 thIckat Of hazel lu-h.s
dgoayet lo- wing near the sdE. Of the
stream ] watched pair q water spiders
-hlrpne about an it- m1l1y surface. 7ui.
over The pstbies iu its channel ! soon
found myself thinking very tGsily of noth-
\ WOO jpe kor dropped on the dead trunk
81 q guar.ei tree and began 20 hammer
for s-hbs, making the woods ros1uui with
his Rap rap. rap" ana aWakeuinc me
hol.la~ with hin. aithouch. from his sandy
have supposed him 20 Dc dressed FOR some
state occasion. Perhaps there were a nest
hii their gaping mouths. A. amy rate. he
pat no attention TO- me possibly c7ns,i-
away al the soft wool, end soon an opsh,
icngug he extracted The worm. anu Win
whistle of his Winrs. was OFT
q, frag Sv.at ~ t7 ,t,N N i.r tbug' B,
ms ba7 Isarai l1f5 tbT v,st.r tia sa3r -
appa,r.i 'a-'l bsr,n tc niaya his NAV I'M
siream win haih cySs yyaf"bing for SOM,
his vay - A gfrn1e.,. 7sttr~.vt .arfrpt EIf,
as no. entered tE.7 Irr-sr az ~. siraaf,
and with "A last 5iseatisfsd proan h. shut
his eyes. an3, by a long. powerful stroke,
10 mark Iis r,fb ~. al l5e' afr.9rsl
prourI "a bfrd ars / eouobt sor s1ua-
thing else to eurHag irv attention
SO great time efapSrs between natures
refformansgs ana aftsr naVinr been su.
iertained "hetWrrn fha acts" hy tho me-
Ioathus song of "a warbler hidden I'M the
leaves. shrike coudescenled TO make mo
"A visit. He alightci on a dead thorn tree
ON tha OPPOSITE bank apparsntiy on tho
lookout fof his prey. III was "a 'heautifuI
specimen OF this interesting bird. His
back was of an ash color the wings and
tail were black marked with white. and
with q black stripe through the eve Oc-
caslonally he would give utteraucc TO
harsh note, somewhat resembling the
crcakinE OF a rusty gate. At l,ugth. with
SHARP "Qua-a-a.' he naw through the
trees ana ont of sight The white patches
on his wings were very conspicuous as he
flew lie seemed to desire to De original
IN all his actions on leaving his perch |
he sunk nearly to tho earth. describing a |
curve as he descended then rising ana |
sinking ana llslug tin ne disapprarei over /
the trcctops. The shriks rs credited with I
being no mean mimic. ana is said to en- |
tlco small birds within his reach hy rec |
pcatiug their notes. lie is very FOND of |
mice ana has acquired curious habit Of !
impdling bis victims on thorns, from which /
agton h, has gained the nam" OF butcher |
blri. lie otilurs has many mice thus |
hung around near his nest The cause |
or this action has aroused many spe.ula- |
lions. hut lhc correct solution of the prob |
VERY INDUSTRIOUS ana Cohsllcfat" ~ Is
q