Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1901-05-09
OPENED UP IN THE, STUDY OF
BIRDS.
SAYS OLIVE T. MILLER
Feathered Creatures Vary Their
Habits in Remarkable Manner
How the Habitations Of Man Are
Seized Upon-DaiIy Existence of
Every Bird "Bewitchins Mystery

statement that certain birds viii do
otherwise, says Olive Thorne Miller
But it is never safe to predict what
birds will do. Besides having marked
individuality, and not the slaves of
habit we have considered them, they
are constantly changing their ways.
Perhaps the spirit of unrest is in the
air, but whatever it is that impels Us
Americans to move on and ever on,
the same propensity seems to infect
our birds. They are always ready
to try new food, or new ways to DO
things. In the single habit of nesting.
several birds have radically changed
their customs within the memory Of
man. Swallows and swifts have be.
come almost parasitical on the
structures of men. Formerly tenanrs
of hollow trees, caves, inches in rocks
and similar natural places, they now
flock to our buildings, inside and out.
Barn and cave swallows seize upon
our barns, rough-wings choose
crevices in our public buildings, anG
swifts preempt our chimneys. Purple
martens have heretofore confined
their dependence on US to houses built
for them, but last spring / found Il
| progressive colony comfortably set
tied in the heart of noisy city, under
the arch of an ornamental terra-cotta
| cap of the cornice of a business block.
Woodpeckers, too, have learned to ac-
ot.1
of our roofs. At least two species
have adopted the labor-saving fashion
of cutting door through our walls
and establishing themselves within.
Wrens are always making expert
ments to better themselves. They
are not at all particular where they
set up their domestic gods. They
like best comfortable wrenhouse.
but will accept an old hat, or the
sleeve of coat hanging in shed,
niche in an empty house, or a hole in
post. l have seen wren's nest in a
hollow iron hitching-post in a city
street, the birds entering through
the hole for the hitching strap And
| have an orioles pretty gray ham
mock, that had been taken possession
of by the wren, filled with a mass of
sticks in wren fashion, and used as
nursery for pert wren babies. Nor
are wrens the only ones who ap-
preciate saving or labor. 1t have
another oriole cradle in which
warbler built her nest and reared he,
,, bits of nestlings,
Perhaps the most wideawake and
quick-witted bird to avail himself of
improved conditions is the un-
welcome alien, the English or house
sparrow. However we may deploro
his presence, no one can deny him the
sharpness of the street gamin and
ability to know good thing when ne
sees it. Not only does he avail him
self of all the erections of man for his
unsightly nests-the inches in the
ornamental part of our buildings, OUT
window stills, over our doors, behind
our closed blinds, under our piazza
roofs, in our openwork trolley posts,
under our electric light caps, but he
takes advantage of the industry of his
ineighbor. He seizes the wood.
,peckers' laboriously excavated homes.
he robs the cave swallows of their
ladobe houses, he settles himself in
every wren and bluebird and marten
house he can find, never hesitating TO
fight for one when he cannot get 1t
without. He even goes so far some
times as to insist on using the door
or w n
her home between our walls, no doubt
making separate nest inside to sui.
his individual ideas.
Such evidences of progressive
ideas on the part of birds are con.
Istantly coming to notice. The inter-
est of bird study is by no means ex-
hausted. There is much to be found
tout For what do we really know
iabout the life habits of even the birds
we call common? We know to u
traction the size of the eggs, the
Length OF every feather, and the small
est detail of anatomy-because it is
easy enough to study dead birds. But
who shall tell us of the life? Who
has time and patience and understand
ing and insight to enter into their
little lives, to interpret their actions
and to understand their emotions?
Who even shall present the bare facts,
while sternly depressing his own
imagination? Truly this shah require
a more profound student than has yet
arisen. He who would accomplish
this must give his days and nights to
it. Evidence of deeper life than
we have given them credit for are con
stantly appearing to those who be-
come really intimate with individuals.
Higginson. in his delightful Outdoor
Papers, says: The daily existence OF
every bird is a remote ana bewitching
mystery" II it has in these latter
days become a little less mysterious
II is not a shade less bewitching.
The story of a nest and the life about
il, faithfully and alphabetically
studied, is one of the most fascinating
studies know. II is full Of vicis-
STUDIES, of JOY and happiness, as we'll
lac anNfptiar ~. -