Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-09-15

sporting in the rays of a vertical SIM
are clad in gay and brilliant hues
Those Of our birds that have bright
colors display them, as a rule. on only
restricted part of the plumage. as
the red spot on the wing of the marsh
blackbird. the red crest of the various
woodpeckers, the orange throat of the
Blackburns warbler, and the purnle
iridescence on the wings of the wild
duck.
The exceptions to this rule. though
few are quite remarkable. Brown and
black with a little yellow or red. are
the prevailing Colors, yellow being
more plentiful than red. True green
leaf green. is never found though clear
olive. with decided green reflections.
and metallic greenish Iuster on black
plumage are common enough We
have but three bluebirds and not one
strictly all blue. The common blue
bird, with the sky on his back and
the earth on his breast" as Burroughs
has said, is an example of the bright
est and purest blue in our birds. But
only the upper parts, the head. the
back, the wings and the tail, are blue:
the breast is russell red and the under
parts white or whitish
The all-blue birds, so called are the
indigo bird and his larger counterpart.
the blue grosbeak. Many an old woods
man who has followed the trail and
the echo Of the ruthless axe all his life
has never noticed the little indigo bird
50 common everywhere throughout the
Atlantic States. He is well named for
his color is pure indigo above and be
meath, with no white marks anywhere
The blue deepens to blackish or dusky
on the wings and the tail. while on the
head and shoulders are seen some
greenish reflections. This bird has a
brown little mate. for she is Of the
sparrow family. She builds her nest
on a sapliug in the edge Of the wood.
or in a secluded thcket. and the nest
is bulky, yet cosy in structure.
The male is a pretty singer. with
canary-likc notes that are heard from
May to July. and even to August His
usual position when singing is the
top of high tree. He frequents gem
orally the deeper and more hidden foil
ages. and thus in spite Of his cOnspicu-
Gus color. only the close observer sees
and knows the bird.
The blue grosbeak is much larger.
but in color ana markings it is about
copy Of the indigo bird. Its home is
in the southern states and the lower
Mississippi valley.
While yellow is a common enough
color on parts Of the plumage Of birds
one entirely Of that color il rare in the
United States The goldfinch. often
called the thistle bird. has pure SUI
phur yellow for its prevailing color,
while the top Of the head the wings
and the tail are black The nearest
approach 10 all yellow is the little yell
low warbler which has some olive
shadings and small rufous markings.
The meadow lark has bright sulphur
yellow on throat ana breast; the chat
the Kentucky warbler, and the Mary
land yellowthroat. All have fair share
Of yellow on their plumage.
The true red birds are few in mum
Der. The redWing blackbrd. the wood
pecker, the redstart. the CheWink, and
the orchard oriole an have spots and
patches IF red. but their prevailing COL
ors are Of palmer description. The
brilliant golden robin or Baltimore ori-
oIe. has quite as much black as orange.
The purple finch ana tha crossbills.
sparr0W-like birds that visit US only
in winter. have much Of this brilliant
hue; but the richest red is to be found
on the cardinal grosbeak. the summer
rcdbird ana the scarlet tanager.
The first Of these three is entirely
red except his face-a patch Of black
about the bill. The second is also red
all over. though his wings shade to
brownish red.
The third-the scarlet tanager or
blood robin. has deep black wings and
tail while the rest Of his pumage is
Of the most brilliant scarlet. q hue that
few tropical birds can match. Keeping
among the deeper green foliage. he
shines like a coal Of fire when the suns
rays strike him. Not long ago | saw
one Of these birds come down from
his tree-tops to take a bath in a creek.
50 dazzling was his color in patch VI
sunlight that | half expected the wa
ter to "sizz" when he dipped into it.