The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-11-19
Children'S Column.
OUR WINTER BIRDS.

cast 6n6lF lot with uS ''ln the white
of the year - and since the species
are then few and their dispositions
generally confdrng, winter is prob
ably the very best time TO begin to
make acquaintance with our small
neighbors in feathers. Instead OF d
diary try d bird book this year, and
growing more beautiful and more
tuneful
Two main sources Of food supply
are open So the winter birds: first,
the eggs, ~larvae, and sleepy insects
TO be found under the bark and IN
the crevices of tree trunks; second,
plant seeds, whe6her of wayside
weeds or of birch, pine, sumaoh, or
cedar. Add so these buds, evergreen
leaves, aud an occasional crumb
from u charitable hcu-ehOlder. A
large proportion of winter birds are
of the wOodpecktr .type-that is,
their beAks are fitted for boring and
prylng, and the r Goes and tails tor
supporting them against the side OF
d tree. Among such may be- men
toned the two nuthatches, the
brown creeper, and the hairy, dOwny,
and yellow winged woodpecker.
The first snOwstorm brings the
juncO, or black snowbird, alb nut, for
he seems 80 fairly revel in the flying
flakes. His suit il of dark slate
color, with breast abruptly white,
and white edgings so his fan shape
tail, while he is turnlsht d, ODDLY
enough, with d delicate little pink
bill. He may often be seen on coun-
try roads cleaning d. meal from the
wAyslde plAnbs, or scratching In the
snow for the fallen seeds and and II
English sparrOws are n 1t too AbGud-
ans, he will come fAmlliarly HOOut
vii ago dOOryards. His winter note
is d ''chit !" or ".hi6-a SIT - anu
right here be it said hat anything
more than d pipe or d whistle is not
80 DO 10 ked OF I'd 5her listened tor in
cold weather AS spring app oaoues,
however, the sOngless winter birds
often indulge in 10 20 melodies.
Quite as we'll KIN WI as the snow
blrA, and more fearless and sOclable,
Is the ChiCkadee, who hardly neeus
description, he is such Ii general
~favOrIte, and announces his name 50
| nhn. - ,rtl- ~ rNOva ,%,DR1w - %h,
woods he hangs head down among
the hemlOok comes and taps the piuos
like d miniature wO,dpecker. He
shares the woCdchOper IS ~lunon, and
a piece OF tat meaG nailed outside the
window will bring hun there uay
after day, even though TaUby be
hungrlly watching fr III the other
side of the pane. Before he h.e-
away he never tails 80 repeat his
merry note, with perhaps d flute
like, two 81 tabled lnterlude, IN ac
acknowledgement of your bounty.
No farther away than the garden,
If it's dereT ted precincts contain n
few uead pea vines or asparagus
tops, you will notice u fl Dck Of small,
brown birds, distinguished by d
chestnut brown and d dark OlUtoh
aorOss their ashen gray breast. THESE
are arctic Chipples, and they are
much more lively anu ~garruluus
Bhhn their HrGless summer name |
sakes. A party of twenty or more
Will sometimes rOOst night after
night in ala apple tree neal the house,
and Chatter and p ay like 3 hDOl
children as they pick up d breakfasts
al sunrise. They are generally gOOd-
uumur,d q, but lIKe most sparrO~s,
not indlspused for a friendly "scr~p ,
On still, brighb d sys birds venture
abroad ON odd or lady ones tuey
c~ungr-gate in some sheltered open
ing among thick woods. AS you Ap-
p~rOach, u spr1ghtly tap, tap, lncreas-
i Z t. d tremOlO, reveals the small,
dOwny wOOdpecker, SO called tor d
stripe of Loose, soft feathers down
the back f his ia, ket. His cOl"rs
are black and whit, enlivened by a
patch IF brilliant scarlet on the back
of his head. On d nelgboring tee ii
brown oreeper il moving rapidly up
the trunk, propped by his s'lff, out
spread tail He is d Iittle bird, wood
bro ~n, finely striped with white,
and is often found in company with
ohickAdees and the dove cOlored "r
''lead-blue" nuthatches. In oase of
heavy storms all these poor little
hn rnfaaE "a Ia ratnpa amnnu avRr