The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-14
A BIRD BULLETIN.


desire and Invested of accumulation of
rubbish The brown coat OF winter is worn
thin and shabby before the violence Of ma
lures industry. and patches OF green splen-
dor are brought TO view. She frees the
sweeping wind and mercilessly whisks
things about, turning inside out and airing
every vestige of earth's damp garments.
Weeks pass before they begin 10 dry and
Apollo must needs build his fire closer and
warmer before the halls of nature are hab-
liable. The windows Of the sky are swept
clearly open and radiantIy blue till the eyes
shrink beneath their brilliancy. When her
ardent labor is completed the earth is newly
haggard. Trees have rocked upon their
foundations and given up their dead
boughs many clinging vine has dropped
before her fierce f0ray and It's fond fingers
unfasrened from the bark of the tree
Leaves which have jealousy chung 10 the
stem all through the winter now yield and
drop at last. Those which have long fallen
now travel from field TO field cross the
creek. come out Of the ravines and flee up
the road as if pursued as in truth they
are She has even tried to turn man out OF
doors, and only bolts and bars formed from
her own stolen strength have resisted and
kept her at bay.
All natures enthusiastic toll seems but
preparatory TO moving day with the birds.
With the Impotence of perennial youth,
some of them cannot await the thorough
drying and cleansing of their summer pal
aces and move i'm while the floors are dan
gerously damp, the walls are gray with
moisture and everything is topsy-turvy.
In the middle OF February comes the head
long robin. who but heralds the approach
ing numbers of feathered emigrants His
rudy breast shines warmly amid the bare
bouShs-he comes early enough to look for
lOrn and lonely among the skirmishing
leaves and writhing branches He is, too,
often early enough to print his bold auto
graph upon the snow under the cedars
But he bravely bears the inconvenience
of the first settler rather than be hur-
ried or crowded in so important matter
as choosing summer home. His paler
vested mate may be a month later, when
they have much news to relate to each
other
The new arrivals find always a goodly
company before them-the faithful winter
residents, who have been hustled out Of
their warm corners in the hurry burly of
preparation for guests-Kentucky cardinals
Carolina wrens, song sparrows, field SPAR
rows. bluebirds chickadees. towhees, gold
fnches, brown creepers, nuthatches, downy
woodpeckers, meadow larks, yellow ham,
mers and bluejays-all these have lent rare
music to the frosty air. Poor Bob White,
however, has shut his long bill tightly upon
his melodious call. and has been the silent
hero of a thousand battles. Perhaps these
home keepers have had careful eye to
some choice spot which they mean to pre-
empt with view to summer joys of eggs
and BARNS They all breathe new songs
and bestir themselves to vie with the music
| of the latest corners, whose gay notes
doubtless thrill with stored song of un-
| wonted adventure in other lands of sun
| shine.
Pressing upon precipitate robins heels
| Will come the croaking blackbirds and the
| wheeling cowbirds. The red-headed wood
| pecker will again be seen in his accustomed
haunts, prying among dead trees With a
thoughtful eye to future stronghold with
| in. Some frosty morning in March the wee
bell Of the chipping sparrow will ring out
| with renewed charm His small person is
| perched demurely within the gloom of the
| cedar, where he means to have a nest anon,
| and his white-ribboned cap is freshly al
! Turing. Then from some wayside fence will
soar a modest bit of song, suggesting the
song sparrow's lay but unequal in volume OF
clearness. shy little song bird with brown
| stripes will drop into the stubble with a
| fiirt of white tail-feathers, and the vesper
sparrow has registered for the summer
| In early March will the dusky Phoebe's
high voice insistently summon his mate
Phoebe, Phoeber' and together they will
explore the dark recesses of barns and
| bridges. discussing the merits OF various
| building sites. Another. rarer morning in
| March, from the topmost twig of a slim
! tree at the edge of the plowed field the
brown thrush will boldly announce his re-
! turn. If you hear his song you will know
all the secrets of spring. A day or two
| later it is, when pussy willows creep out
! upon the stem, that those whom fortune
/ favors may catch a glimpse of the shy her
| NIT thrush. Pausing here, silent presence
| CARRIED in rich cinnamon brown; perhaps
| next day to be ringing his mellow clarion
through the wilds of the Adrondacks. Ii
| is not unlikely. while you following his
shy retreat through the swamp, that piping
| whispers of music will tease the ear until
wearied eyes at last, search out the tiny
| green bodies of several go1den-crowned
| kinglets prying into all the treasures of
| the treetOps
| With Aprils coming. guests, constant and
transient. will crowd upon each other till
| the enthusiast feels overwhelmed with
"tother dear charmers. Soon the iuncoes
will pack their gray vests and white skirts
| for their northern trip, and the tree spar
| rows will HE away with their green and
| gray plumage to charm other eyes. One
| morning, when just awake. the apple tree
by your window will be filled with a brisk
| bit of song-"Sweet, sweeter sweet" ring
of summer sunlight the tiny, big-eye6
summer yellowbrd skips confidently
| through the branches. He has come t.
stay. and to stay in town. The morning
| after, tiny featthered acrobat in mixed
| blue-gray. white and black. will seem tC
| fall headlong through the pink peach bios
SONS. 1t is the blue-gray gnat catcher
| His white-bordered tail, blue, hoverins
| wings and peculiar mewing tones will be o
lasting charm. In April comes the catbird
| and I'm such numbers that you find hin
| prOvokingly I'm the way when trying to ge
! acquainted with less familiar visitors. Blu
his slim outlines are more graceful thar
those of any rarer guest, and when. a
| shutdown. he sings muSingly in cOncealmen
above your hammock you forgive him hi
| obtrusiveness during the day. In April tn,
| red-winged starting flutes his Okla lee.
and brings his striped mate to build
cradle in the PUSHES.
The next conner is an artist: TO his son;
you will listen with bated breath. IL i
| Bachmans sparrow. What matters il tina
he is so plain and slim, with so unshape
ly a head-with wondrous serene voice III
sings for hours like some mountain brook
in fresh clear tones which hold one en-