The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-16

Ny bird studies, such as they have been,
were begun in city garden It was not
spot TO choose for such a purpose II the
world had been before me. yet it was not
the worst imaginable. In fact. IL had GER
tain real advantages. The narrowness OF
the field saved me from many distractions,
and perhaps from the paralyzing discour-
agement that IS so apt 10 come over one
who had undertaken to break his way into
a new departure of knowledge with no
master or friend TO give him hand over
the hard places. A beginner is best off with
short lessons. For me, certainly, at that
stage Of the game, two or three birds day
were plenty. = man to whom female
Maryland yeIlow-throat was a novelty and
a puzzle chow beautiful she was'-there
were no words to express IT'D had little need
of the whole countryside in which TO ex-
plot his ignorance
SO IL is that 1 look back upon my hours
in that city garden with nothing but pleas
use Even yet, as I cross it now and then,
and wonder TO see how large the trees
have grown, think Of the good times, the
mornings OF hurry and excitemenJ--for L
must see all that was to be seen before the
Office hours begun-that 1 enjoyed them
more than twenty years ago. How gladly
I would still spend my mornings about
those trim flower beds and shrubbery
patches, if 1 could expect to find in them
as many new BIRDS" or even half as
many, as they then furnished. I have said
81 often. and will say it again, the novice
Is the man to be envied. was like Adam
in his garden; for to me, almost as truly
as to him, the world was just made.
Well, it was then and there that I saw
my first yellow-bellied woodpecker, or sap
sucker as the bird is otherwise called
discovered him one morning in early Octo-
Der on a white maple tree-a migrant that
had dropped into the garden to rest on his
long journey southwark. And very strange
he looked. Even my newly-opened eyes had
no need to look twice TO see that he was
an utter novelty. Instead Of red spot on
the back of his head. he had a blood-red
throat and a blood-red crown.
stayed by him till the last moment.
studying his points," for as yet knew not
what TO call him, and at dinner time. to
my delight, he was still in the same tree.
And there he remained for four days. What
most surprised me was the fact of his
keeping so persistently to that one maple
trunk He had drilled a few holes in the
bark, the sap was running. and he was
drinking IT, Evidently he was an epicure;
one of the fortunate creatures who are
born with a sweet tooth; and his name, 1
said to myself suited him to a dot for
by this time I had consulted my one bird
book dear old MinoO and had made him
cot.
A CHEERFUL COMPANY.
Twenty-three years afterward. in August
last, 1 was driving with friend in Fran
coma, n. H, when we turned into a farm
road which crosses a broad river meadow
on one side of which is larch swamp.
''Mr. used often to go in there" my
friend remarked. He found some rare
plants there and I should think the place
ought to be birdy." VERY good" said 1,
while you are down by the river hunting
for insects. 1 will push into the swamp a
little way and see what L can see." 1t was
a very little way indeed. The sunny edges
OF wood are almost invariably more pop
ulous than its darker interior and l was
hardly in the shadow of the first trees be-
fore found myself surrounded by a cheer
full company: phoebes, wood pewees. king
birds, myrtle warblers. cedar waxwings,
and especially both kinds of crossbills
Then, going few steps farther, L came
upon two white birches in which were
Feveral sapsuckers and two or three hum
ming birds. At a height of fifteen OF
twenty feet from the ground the bark OF
the trees had been perforated thiekly with
small holes for the space of two feet more
or less and from these holes, or at least
from some OF them, sap was running.
1 could stay only few minutes, but IL
was evident at the first glance what was
going on. The woOdpeckers had prepared
a feast, and the humming birds had come
ri.
lively mood (the hummers, l mean, how
ering before the holes. squeaking at a great
rate "a sure sign of EXCITEMENT, and now
and then (anOther sign of excitement
spreading their handsome tails The be-
havior of the wOOdpeckers was exactly op-
posite-sluggish to the last degree-as II
they had sat at table so long and eaten SC
much as to be almost incapable of stirring
This was on Aug. L. The next afternoon
though the place was several miles from
my hotel. was there again, and found
both woodpeekers and RUNNERS present
when 1 arrived. This time | discovered
that a few of the smaller branches had
been tapped. as well as the main trunks
cit was very pretty" my notebook says
ITO see the humming birds, with the sur
on their shining green backs, lowering be-
fore the holes in the bark" Once an An.
TOPS butterfly Zone of our largest species
futtered about the trees and finally came
TO rest upon the belt of holes and stayed
a long time. Tt is SOOd thing To think
of. that any real work we do. though il
be done only from a selfish motive. is like
~ to prove of benefit TO others as well a:
10 ourselves. NO man liveth to himself.
the Bible says, and the same is true Of
woodpeckers.
LAZY WOODPECKERS.
Two DAYS later I made the place a THIRD
visit One of the sapsuckers was on duty
I came up and one of the humminl
birds appeared within five minutes. Now
for the first time 1 saw that the wood
pecker, who seemed to be ''camped" there
as my pencil expressed it, was evidently
resentful OF the smaller birds presence
And why not? Has woodpecker no right
10 the results of his own industry? So fal
as I could make out there was no actua
coming 10 blows, but I saw many gestures
and motions. TO the hostile significance
OF which there could be no manner al
doubt Certainly the hummer had none