Arizona republican., 1899-02-05
BIRD STUDY EN THE
 SALT RIVER VALLEY

delightful than bird study
 It has occurred to me that this svg ! gestion might prove valuable to some
 Of the many half-sick people here who
 find themselves without ,the usual
 home surroundings and employment sa
 and begrude the proftless honors ct enforced idIeness.
 Perhaps the first birds enc comes to
 know are the tiny doves on the citg streets, Of which there are two varie-
 ties: The Mexican ground dove, a mite, but seven inches long, and the scaled dove, sC-CaIIed because Of the markings Of it's feathers which siplu- late scales.
 Their cousins, the mourning doves, are common everywhere.
 On ali Of the country roads leading out of Phoenix there is ample material for bird study, especially along the canals and by the alfalfa fields Here the meadow larks gather Che may know them by their yellow breasts set off by black crescent. They are as large as robins and sing a bGb5-ing. b1the melody to the sDring-tiTre: Springs here! Springs here! Nes5- ing time not far away
 l The sparrow tribe is well represent t- ed 1n numbers but not in variety. AL together the most common winter species being the white-crowneI spar TOW, Q bird seen little in Minnesota. where the white-tIlroated sparrow is much more common i'll migrai5ns. These are the chief singers in the choral union that is held in the brush and desert borders at all hours Of the day, but it is best appreciated as a wei come home at the days close. CThe day closes for the invalid with the long shadows before sunset.) The purple finch IS fine sing3r,- spaTrow-llke bird with magenta hUes. Che can see here also the chip py, s0ng-5pa Yesper-spaIr0w and junCO. Friends of the brown thrasher Of the east will rejOics to know the b0W-billed thrasher that has a song of distracting variety and sweetness. think that the song is u1Istl ken 5-st now for tha5 cf the nockng bird, b&t q look at the bIrd will determine.
 The bird is of a dark-gIay brown color, not set off in any way. IL has b0W-shaped bill, Gs the name i'm plies, an amber eye and, like the brown thrasher, 9 lovely tail and Un- easy habit.
 We sojorners here have all de- lighted in a blue-bird that Hits over the meadows like a bit of summer sky
 
 sec that t is blue all over and n5t like the eastern blUebird, brown of bre8ss. It is the mountain bluebird driven down by storms and cold but to re- turn there to rest. Tn the same field can probably be seen other bluebrds distinctly different. As they stand, wings folded and faced toward us, they dc not suggest their name, for the breast is a rich cinnamon brown, but ---r, | visible on the wings and tail. This is the western bluebird
 Another creature Of beauty that 1t is pleasant to know by name is the Mexican firecap 1lycatcher It perches habitually On some conspicuous twig or post, it's cap and breast aname with a glowing red. fits into the air. tu n5 | sort of sOmersault and returns to it's perch with it's prey. This fycatcner habit will help to identify the black DeWltt dycatcher, which is white un- Gerneath but breast and whole body otherwise coal black. And there are ether interesting varieties worth studying.
 Of woOdpeckers, the yeIow-beIlied sap-sUcl1er looks familiar, but there are beautiful western species; among them a flicker of fine Diunage. the Mexican or Ted-shafted wOodpecker, ] replacing the yellow of our common flicker with red The Gila wood becker is Q small black and white mot tIeG bird with a spot of scarlet on the forehead
 Have you seen tho road-runner? | This is a bird Of curious strGtting | manner, rather large. long tailed and ! SACrt legged. It is generally s5reaked 1 IT marking and hag a crest. II scuttIcs | over the desert in front Of enc. jerking ! Up It's tail sDasmOdically, or jerks it's . way lover newly ploughed field | Listen to it's imposing name, GeOco- | ceyE CalifoTnianUs!
 ne Tigilant sfrike, or butcher bird, clad in drab set off with black and white, awaits his prey at about every mile on the country roads, as if each had its assigned territory. The spar roW-hawk. beautiful bird and tho of the hawks. is ais0 com mon.
 The dark forms that circle ani float in the sunny sky with such grace that one marvels are buzZards-5wain- sons huzzards. The hawks Iarga and small are plentiful here and owls a. we'll
 This 5s bot suggestive sketch and may help toward the identification of the species here nov, but what tho spring time yet holds for us we can lnly guess. Tho warbler3 and hum nine birds have not yet arrived. nor he orioles ands-Tnany mere The cri- 2ls1 whose last year5 cradles hang rom every cottonwood ars bsaut-1u! -arleties of thetc kind I an tcId
 The outfit for the beginner 5s 9 note Jook in which descriptions and habits / birds seen are to be 5otted down. ind an opera glass for better seeing. This gunless quest has it's Vaccinations