Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1900-12-15


larvae lmbedded in tho trunl-s i'> and
OF trees furnish food for the V ~. 1.L.~
efs. Iheif stout bills are 3bls t'fE-
through almost any Intervening r. H->Ft
wood TO reach them. Some So. -.'. h m
ants and crickets. and often .,;.-s ga-
tle ehtoihoIogIst ny opening the e9 tl''--
SlIs sdIidS ana drawing out rhair
tents Many time have 7 .+r,,....."5i -
through tangled mass of osiar l5-i"i
brier for promising cocoon. nni~ ~ ear
That the enterprising wopd-e.--o iit1
been ahead of me. NAt' mad
The white. waX-ccated fr,lit oe cha,
Derry or Myrica certifera, is m, f,,.l ~
1000 OF the yeliowrump, or myrrla hi-4
and wherever there is an thu1fs-- ono,
of those berries there the nyrt;' g.fgH
may be found in great abundapea '!rH>
myrtle bird Is the only one nj ~, PSI.
tribe of warblers that can e,.i,.,- '. -
cold of our winters. -''S Inc
The others of this numerou. y,-..
wend their fight southwark early i, -
season, and many cross the gulf. Gov.
as far beyond the equator as The -
tine republic. With the eyganrin,,
klnglets and humming birds, ;hc,e s,..
the smallest of our birds. Thn'-
those tiny, slender wings croS.inr FL .
vast extent of country twice a ve.r' ''..-
The myrtle bird, however. defin, ,l..
cold of northern winter, trusting IA fa,
Jis btAlitcs WHICH, luFlilSl another .F..
set of adventurers on these harsh ehor''.
with a light to cheer the cold gloom ~
New England winter. In the DAYS OF th,
puritan the waX-cOated fruit of rho -
berry was gathered and boiled in vat.
Inc wax was then skinned off and M
into candles. These must have burned
IKE incense as every part Of the bush is
aromatic. ~
When the SHOWS lie deep and hoav,- ....
the fields the weeds and grasses b,.,j
above them an abundance of food for Ma
seed eaters. One of the pleasant Sich.s
in winter is the imprint of many Ttfi-
feet among the scattered seeds hcnnatb
these clumps. The bird lover feels gl9d
when he sees these signs thar far C,.
more morning at least the hunger of H..
birds has been satisfied. Few things 9r.
more appealing than the trust Of a hirt
Tor the continuance of its food One win
ter, during a cold and driving storm. M.
hunger-driven birds Oyercame their tim.
idlty suf1clently to come in at the omen
kitchen door for the food which We seat
tered near the threshold. and after salts
flying their need they few away TO somc
unknown shelter. The next morning W.
arose considerably later, and on the fresh
iy-fallcn snow of the porch was evidencp.
that the birds had come again sepkjn.
food. They had alighted on the steps.
hoped along half the length Of the porch
Kitchen door showed that they had waitc-
patiently for some time, expecting it to
open. 1t has been my custom for several
winters to hang up bones and bits Of
grlSly meat III some trees before my win
dow to attract the birds. I am rewarded
by. the sight of wOodpeckers, nuthatchcS
chickadees and brown Creepers coming
almost daily TO nibble on these tidbits.
Toward the end Of February the food
supply of the birds is greatly diminished
and the demand increased by the first ar
rivals from the advance rank of the
spring migration. Then if heavy fall
Of snow occurs. ending in what may be
called glacial period for their world
the birds are in a sad plight. The insect
eaters are u little better of than the
for even with wet, Clinging
SHOWS and ice-encrusreti forests one side
OF the trees is usually exposed bnt by
this time most of the seeds from weeds
and grasses have been beaten to the
ground by the fierce winter storms and
lie beyond reach until thaw uneoverS
them. At such times verysshy birds, are
driven by hunger TO seek ref
nge around barns and dwellings.
Two springs ago, after a late March
snowfall, fox sparrow made a tilibus-
tering expedition among the English res
ldents of my back dooryard. 1t is fire.
quently asserted that the English spar
row will wage successful warfare on any
Of our native birds, but the fox spar
rows visit disproved it. The latter is
shy and retiring bird, even in his native
thickets. and his stay with US in the
spring is a brief one of two or three
weeks. When l first heard his feeble
'seep' in my garden, he was sitting in
lilac bush, with dropping, storm-worn
in a detected and humble atti-
tude. But never did prosperity work a
greater alteration of character. He soon
developed the most despotic manners
and, finding the English sparrows gave
way to him, he allow ed them to take
nothing he coveted. / could see even b.
the way he hoped how his arrogancc
grew daily. His poor subjects might
well have asked: Upon what meat does
his, our little Caesar, feed, that he hath
grown so great?" For brief period h.
was an interesting study, but with the
melting SHOWS he vanished from sight,
to resume, no doubt. his onward journcy
to the summer land of his desire-Sarah
I. Woodwork in Recreation