Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-03-18
Bird study in Winter.
II Is the Best Time for Novices 10 be"
gin---Reasons why which You May
Never Have Thought Of

II Is the Best Time for Novtces 10 Be"
gin---Reasons why which You May
Never Have Thought Of
Winter is the best season Of the year to
begin the study Of ORTHODOXY, for the
great secret in this as in all nature study
is to learn to use ones eyes and one S ears
If You know one bird we'll can describe his
markings have learned his habits and his
manners and his note, for birds talk IN
winter if they do not sing, you have taken
a long step toward becoming an accurate
ami enthusiastic bird student. Only those
who have waited till spring is well advanced
to begin this study can appreciate the be
wilderment and disbursement one feels
when the trees are full OF birds and thu
air full of voices. Now the trees are leaf
less, "bare ruined choirs, where late the
sweet birds sang, but all the better Tor
our purpose. The nests we searched Tor
in vain last summer are in plain sight now,
each with its small white cOverlet OF snow.
To be sure, "there are no birds in last
years nests" but there are few birds in
the trees and these easy to find.
Open your window on a winter morning
and look and listen. The trained ear is
almost sure to catch some bird note it may
be only the distant cawing of crow or the
harsh cry of blue jay, but it is quite like
ly to be a nearer sound and to come from
the tree next you. A soft "quonk quonk'
may attract your attention, and you see
after careful search that it proceeds from
a quaint little bird who is coming down
branch OF the tree head foremost, talking
softly TO himself as he comes. and careful
~ examining every creyice OF the bark as
he searches for his breakfast Iou will
note his pretty b.ueg gray coat, his black
cap and white shirt front, his long bill
short tail and the color of his feet, and
you will look him up IN your bird book, and
find that he is the whitc-breasted nuthalch.
Then after seeing him many times, you
may put down facts about him In your note
book that are not in your bird book, for the
great charm OF such investigation Is that
every one Is a discoyerer, and you are as
likely as another to learn something uu-
known 20 the world OF science
a rheerer voice and presence is that of
the brisk little chickadee. As he come,
busting up io the tree the Inexperienced
student may eNc.aim. How ike the nut
hatch Blu. a careful. observer knows that
two birds could hardly be- more unlike, and
tha' aimos, the only point of resemblance
is that they both wear black caps Emer-
son has mmortaHze5 the chckadee iu his
poem on the jtmuu,e. but one does NOT
need t0 seek him iu the deep woods as did
Emerson. lie comes 10 our windows with
his message OF courage cheerfulne,s and
goodwill to men. He is a frank and open
hearted as the uuthatch is reserved and
thoughtful. Their voices express the dit-
ference IN their compartments. The chick
adec's is a hOdrse CHEEKY call. and the nut
hatch talks In a soft. dreamy shlOu, "a II
continuing with himself Nail piece OF
suet 10 the nearest Tree. and these and 9th
er visitors will come where you can study
them at your leisure Among these the
downy wood pecker. with his handsome
| black and white livery and gorgeous red
cap, and the demure little brown creeper,
a unlike the wood pecker as the wood
pecker is unlike the uuthatch and the
chlckadee ! have had all four Of these
birds OF my tree az once, while ! sat safely
housed and studied them from my window.
But those who have no tree near the
house. how can they study birds In win
ter God pity them for tree, winter or
summer. is a whole world OF delight and
| beauty. But those who have no trees live
| in the city and in the city are the English
| sparrows. For once make this much
/ desplsel bird useful from an Ornithoiog lcAl
standpoint. 1t you can give an accurate
description OF an English sparrow, if you
! can learn his note SO that you vii. always
recognize 1t, and his manner and bearing
/ So that you will know him wherever you
| may meet him, and can add to this some
observation in your notebook about him
that no one else has ever made, you may
call yourself an ornithologst; the beautiful
| bird world is open to you Nou will have
/ learned your winter lesson, and will 90 out
tor your frs, bird walk in the spring with
| the trained eye, the trained ear and the
/ sympathetic heart.