The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1902-04-18
Our Song Birds.
A seasonable Symposium by
Prof. Cuttings in the Wheeling
Register.

1t is pleasant to anticipate the time
now approaching, wnen our mornings
shall dawn with all the charm of earl.
lest birds. But the real harbingers OF
spring are the migratory birds OF the
south. The writer remembers being at
4 country house in old Virginia soon
after the close of war, being awakened
by a chorus of song birds-a sound he
had not heard in four years-and how
gratefully he accepted their choral
song, as the harbinger ofpeace.
Now the Robins long chant; the
blue pird's twitter; the song sparrow's
trill: the wren's chirr; the cardinal
prosbeak,s whistle, maybe heard here,
at rare intervals, even on sunny days
in winter; but when we hear the flute
like notes Of the wood thrush and see
the bright orange Of the Baltimore Or
iole, lord Baltimore's colors, hence
the name), flashing through the
bouehs-we may know spring is here!
Later on come the catbirds, the yell
low.breasted chats, and the brown
thrusher, our rare hooking birds,
which ali the woodlands with the mel
ody of their ecstatic preludes.
Following, early in May, comes the
hest Of warblers, about forty species.
These small birds with sharp bills are
about the size of the familiar chip
ping sparrow. Some of the species are
very gayo plumage, but being SO very
small, do not receive the general al
tention often paid to larger birds, less
attractive. For instance, the magno-
liza warbler with its snowy dress OF
black and yellow; the worm-eating
warbler, seen on the ground, greenish-
olive on back, pale yellow below, with
black and yellow stripes on head;
the Parula warbler, blue with greenish
patch in middle OF back, bright yellow
on breast, often called blue-yellow
warbler; and the hooded warbler, the
myrtle warbler and the Backburnian
warbler, are all splendid in plumage.
Some Of the warblers are migrants,
passing north and south, to and fro.
twice year, remaining with US only a
few DAYS, while others breed here,
stopping till the middle Of September.
OF the birds that remain with US
throughout the year, the song spar
row is the only one that cheers US
with his notes on dreary winter days.
Others will sing in bright, sunny,
weather; but the writer has noticed
the song sparrow, perched on the top
of an apple tree singing cheerily, in
bleak, wintry rain. Hence this melod-
ltous songster is worthy Of the praise
,heaped upon him by the poet-but not
the painter, because he isvery homely.
He resembles other sparrows but may
be distinguished from them by the
snowy black spot in the middle of his
breast and especially, by the melody
OF his notes.
The brisk chirpings Of the winter
wren and the Carolina wren may each
be heard on bright, sunny days; but
the little house wren wisely seeks a
warmer climate in winter. On warm
DAYS, too, we may see the bluebird,
but he will disappear at the approach
OF stormy weather. What beautiful
bird he Is! But not so common now
about the houses as before the coming
of the English sparrow. We are told
the bluebird is only found in North
America; 1t is a native Of no other
continent. or the bluebird, that lover
OF nature, the writer, Thorcau, said:
"Fair and innocent yet the offspring of
earth. The color Of the sky above, and
OF the subsoil beneath, suggesting
what sweet and innocent melody, ter
restial melody, may have itsbirthplace
between sky and ground"
We have another bluebird, very
comely too, the size of the chipping
sparrow, called the indigo bird. They
are immigrants, returning In the
month Of May. Now, while the female
a clad in rather plain garb, and seems
mp ont OF sight, the male bird, APP
pafently conscious of his snowy dress
OF iridescent blue and green, will
perch on top of high bushes and dead
twigs to sing his peculiar, forceful
song; but the "tship" of the female
will call him quickly to her side.
Now, thesouthern knocking bird is
rarely seen with us, but we have some
OF our own which are constant resi-
dents in summer. The catbird, as we
all know, Is "a gifted songster, and he
can mock most any bird notes he may
hear. Buthe will descend from his
high perch where he Is singing well to
run along the fence with his feathers
ruined up and new ct and fight with 3