The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-07
BIRDS In TOWN.


In conjunction with the dearth of well
come encouragement melted by towns
people to our song-birds, it is surprising to
note what a variety of feathered-folk may
be observed in the trees shading our lawns
and streets Neither the feather monstrosi-
ties which greet their sharp little eyes upon
the heads of passing women; the fatal aim
of the small boy with the stone concealed
in his hand; the careless slaughterings in
dulged in by the grown-up boy (who must
be provided with something to shoot att,
nor even the offensive manners of the Eng
lish sparrow, whose pugilistic tendencies
indicate rightful inheritance of conquest
none of these discouraging circumstances
seems to have quite Obiterated from about
our doorsteps all trace of those birds who
contribute to our comfort and delight our
sense of the beautiful. But we would like
to see them replace their enemy, the too
numerous British bully, whose possessions
bid fair to outherod England's own. A
quite casual observation records the fol-
lowing birds in town:
Robins are there, of course, many of them
rearing their scraggy youngsters close to
the black breathings of manufacturing fur
naces. Catbirds in plenty--almost one fam
lily to every bit of sheltering shrubbery.
And if we may trust our ears, summer yell
lowbirds form golden links in a honeyed
chain of Sweet! sweet! sweet! sweeter
SWEET threading the foliage above our
shady walks. At least one grief-stricken
pewee builds her lichened saucer near to
changing of the locomotive bells and near
by, too, each year do some sparrows and a
pair of Maryland yellow-throats make their
nests close to earth. Chipping sparrows
mess of family cares. Baltimore orioles
high, almost level with
church steeples, while their less
aspiring cousins, the orchard
orioles, rear their broods beneath some
lower limb. GodincheS loiter lovingly
about our suntiowers, and humming birds
probe the sweetness of our roses. Chlckadee
and his lady are daily visitors, and occa-
sionally their cousin, the Whistling TIT
mouse. Warbling vireos too numerous to
reckon spend the entire sumner in our midst,
although swinging their bowers as near the
sky as is possible. A yellow-billed cuckoo's
lady plaits her twig-shelf in neighboring
tree and makes countless journeys into our
trees TO feast upon fine large caterpillars,
left undisturbed for her especial delectation.
This summer a pair of quakerish cedar
birds. or waxwings, brought their young
family of three into the trees and fed them
industriously, and a pair of cardinals told
that they, too, had hidden grapevine
basket in the shrubbery across the way
no one knew where. AT least two families
of red-headed woodpeckers have applied for
citizenship ard a third, with its descend
ants have for twenty-five years harbored
their young in hole high in a Methodist
church spire-perhaps in the hope that
their crack-voiced babes might In time ac-
quire musical talent unheard of in the red
head family. Downy woodpecker, too
often squeals shrilly and suddenly from
the electric wires overhead, as If he had
Just received a shock and at once trans
mitted it to the ears of the listener. The
Carolina wren is with us always: His mer-
~ challenge so permeates the air that We
cannot say whether it be one wren or a
dozen wrens. Intersecting fences are UNI
dreamed of in his philosophy. and from
any ana everywhere he halls one as ped
dler of high spirits loudly Wanting his
wares. The bluejay's shrill cry is no UNI
r ob thing bfe our With dS her ana eysI
children, has been known to stray
into the enemy's own camp Pur-
pie martins and swifts faithfully
patrol the evening skies with tireless
wings The scattered visits of the purple
grackle or blackbird become in autumn
flying battalions that drill overhead continu-
ously with hoarse complaining cries. An
occasional Screech-owl approaches our pre-
cincts and nightly boots his derisive views
of life into our ears. kingletS, both gold
en-crowned and ruby-crowned. visit us in
large numbers and for many days, both
spring and fall. The pretty brown creeper
is now and then seen. pursuing his sinuous
silent course. zigzag fashion, about one
tree trunk and then another, and the yell
ioW-belled SapSucker military cap jerks
vigorously to and fro as he taps loudly upon
the bark of our apple trees.
Besides these more or less common visit
ors are others. some of whom have at least
registered with US, some who have more
than spent the day in town--redstarts,
red-eyed vireos, white-eyed vireos, yellow
throated vireos. Wilson's warbler, myrtle
warblers. blue-gray gnatcatchers, Juncoes.
white-thrcated sparrows, FOX sparrows. in
digoes. towhees, brown thrushes, wood
thrushes. Swainson'S thruSheS, meadow
larkS and the hated cowbirdS. Even the
bluebird if he has not been seen, has sent
his note llr>~-- 80 ~
ELIZABETH NUNEMACHER.
New Albany. Ind.