The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-04-08
BoBoLINKs IN FLOYD COUNTY.

B0B0LINKS IN FLOYD COUNTY.
On May p the first line of my nature cal
endar was this: 81 hear the note of bob
olink concealed in the top of an apple tree
and the meadow is all despatched with
melody" 1t was from Thoreau's Sum-
mer" The statement caused me thrill
OF jealousy. Why should some people
know the bobolink, and not others? To me
it seemed matter for resentment that the
bobolink should breed in northern Indiana.
yet utterly ignore Floyd county en- route.
Many spring morning had We "birders"
gone out to see the bobolink and returned
with defeat written in our gait and on our
faces
But the line in the calendar was prophet
ic. All our acquaintance had heard us
wall: IF we could only see and hear the
bobolink!" So word came to us that a GER
tain farmer had for a week past noted
some strange birds in one of his fields.
There was a patch Of buff in his descrip-
ton, and that was our hint. Our hopes
rose high; we would go at once and see
those birds. If the farmer could only hold
them till our arrival, A rainy day delayed
us and trebled our anxiety Should the
birds resume their journey we should never
know how near our blissful expectations
had come to realization.
1t was early on a fine sunny morning
when we set out. We found the Moores-
vile pike excellent riding. Near quaint
stone cottage family of purple martins
floated low over a marshy pool. They few
close before our faces, as if blinded by
their ecstacy. A wee bit of box, perched
upon a long pole and surmounted by
most aggressive rooster of enormous pro-
portions, proclaimed these birds TO be of
democratic persuasion. On Pearl-street
road barn swallows-the first of the sea-
son-encircled us, spinning their magic
rings low above the soil, as if weaving over
IL an enchantment born of springtime.
This charm included us, for we were barely
able to break the spell in which their grace
of motion held and ride on. We fol-
lowed one silken guide into a great barn
near by. There we found three nests-one
in process of construction, one with young,
one upon which the female sat- We were
scolded in the mellowest of soft voices,
which rather delayed than FASTENED our
departure.
AS we crossed the ploughed field we heard
many times the witching "conqueree" of
the red-winged starting. Sombre-looking
blackbirds stalked funereally among the
great clods; meadowlarks sang in all di-
rections; dickdissel was there in numbers,
reckoning by his song. We saw one-but
we were looking for bobolinks.
The meadow beyond the stake-and-rider
fence inclosing the plowed field was where
the farmer had seen the birds in question.
A broad expanse of deep. dewey, red clover
sloped down to a willowguarded creek. We
saw bird climbed the fence, but
Bob White sang out from a short distance,
and presently the blackbirds flew over.
Just as we drew breath on the far side of
the fence a soft burst of melody overhead
smote me like reproach to the faithless.
1t seemed to write 'bobolink'' across my
heart with a pang Directly over our
heads bird in black seemed to nestle i'm
the ecstacy of his musical ardor. A second
followed closely behind. Then they kindly
dropped in their flight, and we saw the I'M
n.istakable buff the back Of the neck
to me it was a lovely corn-yellow. OF
course, we instantly plunged into the clo-
yer, wet as it was, and followed Misera-
BILE walking it was, and when found a
sandy-creek bottom we were glad TO walk
I'm that. Hardly had we reached the foot
Of the slope when out Of the silent clover,
far to our right and behind us, sprang a
flock of birds. Some were males, beautiful
in black velvet vests and high buff chokers.
| but many more were the sparrowlike fe-
males, in their inconspicuous stripes 1t
sod ha dfc1, hefn Ia lf for
there were at least fifty in all. Perched
atop swaying clover stem the dandified
male dubbed out melody-the frail spheres
OF sound breaking madly against each
other-whiIe all about him, as If in adora-
| ton, assembled his court. A brown thrush
positively annoyed us with his exquisite
notes because he drowned the newer
charmer. But when bobolink scared up
| and let fall his incoherent tangle OF tender
| notes were completely Frustrated before
| him. He seemed to mount the blue on
steps of song. IL is a low-toned melody
lovely I'm quality the bluebrd's note
| and. to be heard. must be listened for Yet
he sings his sphinx. spank, sphinx with
sufficient emphasis.
Back and forth we paraded in the wet
stepped to our souls brim in happiness and
| to our knees in clover dew. At length j.
insisted for the third time that we ought
| to go home, and we did. We left the roll
| ing bit of clover slope still and silent, for
| the bobolinks were beneath the blossoms
| But even with our wet shoes stuck into the
oven in the kitchen stove and predictions
of indammatory rheumatism inclosing US
about. our spirits suffered no hurt We
| had seen the bobolink,
ELIZABETH NUNEMACHER.
| New Albany, Ind
Eager to BE Gulled.
Harper's Weekly.