New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-13
FIRST BIRDS OF SPRING.
Note of the BIueHrd Shoes That
Umter Is OTer.
by e. william Beebe Curator of OrnithoIogy. New
York Geological society.

March is the time Of the most bitterly CON
tested battles in the annual war Of the seasons
But we-and very likely the birds-can look
ahead and realize what the final outcome viii
invariably be, and, our sympathies being all on
the winning side, every advance Of springs out
posts gladdens our heart. But winter is a stub
born foe. and sometimes his snow Iegions AMI
icicle battalions Will not give way a foot
Though the suns fierce attack may drench the
earth with their watery blood by day, yet at
night silently and grimly new reserves of cold
repair the damage.
our winter visitors are still in force. Amid tn,
stins.nE cold the wee brown form Of 4 vinter
wren VIII dodge around a brush plea tiny
bundle Of energy which defes all chill winds
and which resolves bug chrysaldes and frozen
insects into a marvellous activity. other little
birds. smaller even than the wren. call to u5
from the pines and cedIrs golden crowned king
lets. olive green OF body while on their head
there burns crest Of orange and gold.
When a good sized brown bird flies up ahead
Of you and shows a fash of white on its rump
you may know it for the flicker the most I'M
woodpeckerIke Of his class. He is deserving the
trunk climbing method more or less for ground
feeding, and If you watch him you see many
habits which his new mode of life is teaching
him.
Even in the latest Of Marches some warm.
thawing days are sure to be thrown in between
storms. and nothing. not even pussy willows
and the skunk cabbage yield more quickly to
the mellowing influence than do the birds-sym-
pathetic brethren Of ours that they are. Hardly
has the sunniest icicle begun to drop tears, whel
4 song sparrow fits to the top of a BUSH clears
his throat with sharp chirps, and shouts a.
loud as he can: Hip! Hip! Hip! Hurrah
Even more boreal visitors feel the new innu-
ence and tree and fox sparrows MARBLE swcetly.
But the blueDrd's note Will always be spring
dearest herald. When this soft, mellow SCUM
floats from the nearest fencepost il seems l.
thaw something out of our ears; from this in
slant winter seems the defence the cri..s
has come and gone in instant in a sing.
vibration of the air.
Bright coors are still scarce among our birI-
of the third month, but another blue form may
pass US occasionally, for bluejays are more no
tceable now than at any other time Of the yelt
Although not rare bird. by any means y-.
Jays are shy and wary birds with US. In FloriIt
TIER southern cousins are as familiar as robins
without trace of fear of mankind VIA
curious notes our bluejayS have-a creakin.,
wheedling, rasping medley of sounds comin-
through the leahess branches. At this time D.
year they love acorns and nuts. but in the sprin
their fancy turns to thoughts Of eggs anc
young nestlincs. and they accordingly hateS
by the small birds. Nevertheless. no bird IL
quicker to discover and shout and scream
Thief Hobberr' at some harmless little owl
than these blue and white rascals.
You may seek in vain to discover the frs
sign Of nesting among the birds Scarcely has
winter set in in earnest, you will think when
the evil one of the Woods-the great horned
oWl-win have drifted up to some old hawks
nest and laid her white sphere fairly in thu
snow. When you discover her horns" arov,
the lining Of dried leaves, you may find that he
fuzzy young owls are already hatched- But owls
are an exception, and no other bird in our lIti-
tude cares to risk the dangers Of late February
or early March by egg laying.