Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-03-16
BACKYARD NEIGHBORs,
Bird Study in Summer and Winter.

|
1t seems that in the last few years, sucl
writers as John Burroughs, Bradford Tory
Olive Thorne Miller, Florence MIRIAM anc
a host of lesser lights have opened befor,
many of us a new world in the way of birc
study and charming world it is with it,
tiny inhabitants, all fuss and feathers
We wonder if many others have not had
an experience similar TO our own and gone
on with eyes shut and ears closed to the
host of merry neighbors that frequent our
| quiet yards until some magic touch has
brought us the clearer vision. Surely,
many Of us can testify that our long dreary
winters have lost half their terrors since
we put out the sign, Board and lodging
apply here, and met with such prompt
| response.
Though for several years we had. with
growing interest, studied our summer birds.
we had hardly thought of the possibility of
winter neighbors until through the exam
| pie of friend we concluded we would try
to call the birds around our window, but
with small hope of success, as we had rarely
| observed so much AS a chickadee about
our grounds We have sheltered side
piazza with bittersweet vines growing in
the hushy fashion birds love, and here we
set our table-hemp seed and other bird
seed in little boxes, with suet tied up for a
sandwich, and after rather impatient wait
ing for several days someone's bright eyes
discovered the feast, whether Tommie Nut
hatch, Dick Chickadee or Harry Wood
pecker, we do not know, but of a sudden.
our quiet piazza seemed alive with wings,
iluttering, chattering, fairly laughing at
the well-filled dishes After that, all
through the winter they would come, from
early till late, and indeed one night our
little downy woodpecker came and settled
himself on the suet and after eating his fill
seemed to be established for the night:
whether he was medtating upon his choice
of wife for the coming season or was
asleep, we could't tell but there he stayed
until after lamplight We soon learned that
hemp and sunflower seeds were preferred
hut that squash aud pumpkin seeds cracke
crumbs aud the New England combination
of doughnuts and cheese were not dis
dained.
No drama can exceed in interest and
amusement this that is ever going on before
our windows. Here comes chickadee
darting up TO the boxes, seizlng a seed, fly
ing away with it up into the tall trees in
the yard, or perhaps clear across the street
and it is laughable sight to look up into
e
of these tiny creatures perched here and
there on twigs, each with seed between
his toes and pounding away for dear life,
heads bobbing up and down like trip ham
mers. One can but wonder that thew
never miss the seed and break a toe. The
nuthatches cannot crack their seed in the
same way but have to find some convenient
Granny in the side of tree TO hold the
seed. They then proceed, with head al
ways down, TO crack it. One of our little
red-breasted nuthatches has one place in
the bittersweet vine that he uses 70 crack
seeds in, and returns to it again and again
with the utmost precision of movement,
and the worn and ragged bark testifes to
the frequency of his visits
One notices in watching the feathered
creatures that they have certain codes of
etiquet that are faithfully practiced. aud
that we larger and wiser beings might do
well to consider In direct contrast
to the rude pushing, crowdIng and
faulthnding we notice in many public
places like lunch-rooms, ticket-oflices, etc,
are the habits of the birds. They have no
crowding, no quarreling, and do not mon
opolize the best places while others wait,
but their rule seems to be: zone at a
time, and be quick about it, Another
lesson we might learn from these little citi-
Gems is from their remarks on the weather
There is never any complaining of heat OF
cold, OF drouth or dampness, but without
shelter, food uncertain, life struggle, let
n blow high or blow low, their good cheer
never ceases, and the worse the day the
louder they sing.
AS the days began TO grow warmer with
hint of spring in them, the birds would
Al.
soon Mr.. Woodpecker brought his wife,
who was minus the scarlet cap that made
him look SO smart, and together they shar-
ed the suet and hunted grubs up and down
our tree trunks. When spring fairly came,
our little winter neighbors gradually desert
ed US, as they sought more quiet places TO
set up housekeeping in, and rear their
young. Though we missed them we were
not long alone, for our little summer board
ers began to come, a few at a time With
what triumph we announce the arrival of
the first bluebird aud robin; what thrill
OF Joy we feel as we hear the Tilt of the
song sparrow, and how we crane our necks
to see that atom of winged music, the
warbling vIreo, as he perches in the tops
OF the still naked naples. Each day we
notice some new arrival phbes-vireos, orr
oles, bobolinks, bush sparrows, the swooping
night hawk and scores of others, but we
feel the climax is reached when, in some
calm twilight, we hear the divine music of
the thrush.
We soon noticed that empty tenements
were in demand and soon the bush, as we
called it, of woOdbine, that the winter
birds had filled so long, was undergoing a
critical survey by pair of social sparrows.
No newly married Mr.. and Mrs Smith
were ever more critical or hard to suit.
They flew in and out observing the view,
the possible advantages of the situation be-
ing cat-proof, and after a grave discussion
seemed to conclude the rooms would answer
and at once began To move in, but unlike
the house of the robin that built in the elm
above them, their home was slowly aud
witt exquisite taste prepared, ard many a
day passed by before the proud little
mother was searching high and low for
food for her scrawny babies. On a sway
ing branch of the old elm some orioles, a
more snowy pair in orange and black were
weaving their wonderful nest, so delicately
hung that every breeze would sway it, but
withal so strong that all the storms of win
ter failed to harm it. Here from morning
till night The full rich tones of the father
bird fill the air, till over and over in our
heads rings his refrain, whatever you do
better be quick, with crescendo movement
on the last words. We watch with much
interest this charming pair until in such
short time they too are gone, and we sell
dom hear the father birds note my ORR
ole, my glance of summer fire, ;" Lowell has
we'll named them.
Besides the tree tenants named a pair of
nuthatches built in hollow tree beside our