The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-04-15
KANSAS BIRDS or EARLY
SPRING.
prof ID. E. Lantz in Manhattan IN
dustrialist)

| (Prof. ID. E. Lantz in Manhattan In
dustrialiSt.)
The observer of nature looks for the
first signs of spring in the arrival OF
the birds.
In New England and the Middle
states the blue bird and the robin are
generally regarded as heralds offspring
In Kansas the two species are so com
monty present throughout the whole
winter that their presence in February
or early March is no sign that any per
manent breaking up of cold weather is
near at hand. Their louder and more
constant singing at that time is only
an indication of the near approach of
the breeding season, which seems with
most of our hardy species to be entire
ly Independent of the weather or OF
the general advancement Of the sea-
son.
For instance, our owls may be relied
upon to lay their eggs about a certain
date. 1t may be cold or warm, may
rain or snow but that does not seem TO
affect the birds habits The great horn
ed owl will lay before Feb %, and the
barred owl before March II, no matter
if the worst BLIZZARD of the season may
be raging when the bird begins to lay
The screech owl the short cared owl,
and the long cared owl will all have laid
their full sets of eggs by April 5th. OF
our familiar summer birds, L would Sc
lect to replace the blue bird and robin
of the east as the true harbingers OF
spring the purple martin and the crow
blackbird.
The first arrival Of these does not nee
essarily mean that there will not be any
more cold weather that season. Tne
first arrival of blue bird or robin IN
Massachusetts does not mean that. 1t
is looked upon as a promise merely, an
Indication that spring is coming. 80
here the coming of the martin may be
but temporary. I have known one to
arrive on a warm March morning and
to disappear before noon. Not another
individual was seen for a week or ten
days.
Snow and cold weather prevailed in
the interval. But when the martin and
grackle Cblack bird) assemble in NUM-
bers, it may be assumed that the cold
wea Their is practically over for that
season.
The arrival of the bulk of these spe-
cieS will occur within few days Ine
time of this spring opening IS VarIa Die
as to date. 1t may occur at any time
from early March to the middle of
April The average date will be about
March 25. This year the first purple
martin was seen March Il, the first
crow black bird on March 13. Neither
was seen in numbers before March 20
the bulk arrived March p to 30 In the
interval between March II and March
25. a snow storm occurred, but the cold
was not severe enough to drive away
the first Corners of these birds, which
were seen almost daily.
These birds are, of course, not our
earliest arrivals from the south. The
wild ducks always come during the last
week in February or the first week in
March.
The canvas back is the earliest of
these, but they are not seen every sea-
son. The pintail, mallard and widgeOn
are usually here in numbers by March
s, but the date is dependent upon the
weather. especially upon its conditions
as to moisture.
Brewers black bird and the red wing
are usually here by March 1. The for
mer is the first blackbird to arrive,f We
NAV except the rusty black bird, which
I have noted only in moist, fOggy wealth
er in midWinter.
The killdeer may usually be heard as
early as March l; this season the first
record is March Z. Bewick's wren was
first seen March 10, which is fully two
weeks earlier than usual