Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1902-02-06
SOME OF THE WINTER BIRDS.
That May Be Seen in Almost ANY
Dooryard With Few Trees.

When the last robins and phoebes
and bluebirds have disappeared IN the
fall. then we are apt to think, NO
more birds until spring comes again.
But is that true? If you keep sharp
lookout, you will be surprised, per
haps. to find, even in the city, especl-
ally if YOU are fortunate enough 10
own a yard containing a tree OF
shrub or two, that good many Diros
don't object to cold weather at all, ana
that we have feathered neighbors IN
the winter as well as in the summer.
There are the chickadees. How they
do fluff up their feathers untH they
look like little gray balls blowr ABOUT!
and how gaily they call, "Chick-a-dee-
dee-hee-hee," when the thermometer is
way down to zerol They are he little
birds with black caps and threats and
white cheeks,-black-capped utmice
they are also called. The white
breasted nut-hatches wear black caps
too. though theirs resemble hoods,
with tiny black lines from the back OF
the neck toward the front, like strings
to the hoods, not tied together. The
nut. matches wear grayish-blue coats,
about the color of the postman's, and
white vests. How HARD they work,
Ticking off great patches of bark to
get at the insects eggs underneath!
/ wonder if you know the brown
creepers. They are not plain brown
- Id
in color, but their backs are so NOTED
that they look much like the bark OF
the tree, to which they cling so close
ly, as they creep up, that If it wasn't
for their motion, one might not notice
them at all. The nut-hatches creep
down a branch or on the under side
as easily as they creep up. but the
creepers always creep up and ny
down. Perhaps it makes them dizzy
to stand with their heads down as the
nut-haches doi One seldom hears the
creper's note, but the nut-hatches nave
a quaint little call-"Yank- yank"
has a sort of muffied sound, as If they
had colds in their heads. Poor things!
1t would be strange, out in all sorts OF
weather as they are!
fiHen there are the downy woodpeck-
ers. dressed in black and white, the
male wearing a brilliant patch of red
on the back OF his head. They rap-rap
away at the treetrunks all winter long.
1t is possible that some mild morning
you may hear sweet, spring-like notes,
and see, pecking away at shrub IN
the yard. quite flock of little birds Oh
a dull olive-gray color. 1t would be
hard for you to guess their names. DO
you remember seeing last summer,
when you were away in the country,
numbers of gay little yellow birds,
with black wings and tails and tiny
black caps, lowering over thistle-tops,
or bounding over fields ofblue chicory?
Those were American goldfinches.
Here they stay, summer and winter
some of them; but. like most of the
rest of us, they change their coats and
hats when winter comes on, and these
dullcolored little fellows are the same
birds that snone so golden in the sun
dast August.
in sight. you may have chance to
watch the junco,--the slate-colored
snow bird he is called. You may know
him by his pinkish bill. and by the
white outer feathers in his tail. Per
haps the bluejays will come too
handsome too,-handsome, noisy fell
lows, with gay blue coats trimmed
with black and white, and with fine
crests on their heads.
The greatest treat that you may
hope for will be sight of golden
crowned kinglets. They are the t1niest
birds we have, except the humming-
birds,-only a bit over four inches
long from the tip of theNbill to the end
of. the tail. The general color IS green
ish olive, lighter underneath. but the
top of the heod is bright reddish gold,
bordered by stripes of black. No
wonder they are called kinglets,-iittle
kings,-with such cleaning crowns on
their royal little heads! Hhey are
very friendly with the chickadees and
nut-hatches, and will sometimes be
seen III company Will luSlh, GA "P
parently travelling together. had
never seen any kinglets until last
winter, though had often watched for
them; but one cold December day,
when | was obliged to stay In the
house because was Ill, and was dis
consolately looking out of the window,
and wishing something interesting
would happen, suddenly heard a
chickadee announcing that it was
right pleasant sort of a day, if the sky
was gray, and the thermometer way
down below freezing. And he wasn't
alone, The old apple tree outside of
the window was all at once the scene
of a merry little party,-the chickadee.
pair of browny woodpeckers. a pair
of brown creepers, and a nut-hatch
were evidently travelling together, and
had stopped at my apple tree for a
light luncheon at noon!
But what were these that | spied in
the branches "a tiny, fairy-like pair,
fitting about necessarily. AZ first
couldn't see them very we'll. but, after
a minute or two, they hoped right