The Republican journal., 1904-07-28
Birds Of A Maine Village.

Birds Of A Maine Village.
Nv. q. BrownsOn in Portland Advertiser
The village of Wayne, Kennebec
county, lies six miles west Of Win
throp, in the heart of region famous
for its picturesque lakes and rolling
hills. The little settlement is built on
the borders of a millstream connecting
two Of the finest lakes to be found in
the whole State of Maine, one of medi-
um size and the other much larger.
This was the home of my boyhood, but
1 had not visited it for 26 years until
the present week; so that took Occa-
sion to renew my early acquaintance
with its familiar walks and one morn
ing roamed at will along the shore of
the larger pond and out into the woods
of pine, oak and maple which cover a
pleasant point, where cool winds were
blowing to temper the summer heat.
Here l found somewhat different con-
ditions as regards bird life than around
Portland, although it is only about 80
miles distant. At the Cape we rarely
if ever see myrtle warblers except dur
ing the migrate periods, but here
they were abundant in the middle of
July and without doubt had been breed
ing. They were all through the pine
trees and their handsome plumage was
noticeable, much as we see it in the
spring migration, though in the fall
they will all be sober brown birds, with
nothing really distinctive about them
except the bright spot of yellow on the
rump.
Purple fnches were here in quite
flock, both young and old, some with
plumage dyed deep rose red and 9th
ers with a look like sparrows of larg-
er growth or even crossbills, as they
perched on the SUBMITS of the low
scrub pines and anon began a song
that served to fix their identity beyond
further doubt. The downy woodpeck-
er, always rare bird at the Cape,
summer or winter, was here so tame
that now and then one would come SO
near that | could plainly with the
naked eye observe the little black bars
on the outer white tail feathers. Flick
ers were getting their living here with
the robins, having retired to the woods
after nesting in the outskirts of the
village; for | saw nest in a dead
branch of maple tree not twenty feet
from a dwelling house, where family
of yelloWhammers had been raised un-
der the daily inspection of the people
who lived there. Right on the next tree
was a smaller hole made by downy
woodpecker last year and which this
year had served as the home of a
family of tree swallows, although the
bluebirds Oh their arrival in the spring
made strenuous efforts to drive the
swallows out. The latter made little
fuss about the attack, but like the
Russians entrenched themselves in
their stronghold and refused to come
out unless pitched out, to compass and
this appeared to be beyond the power
of their more brilliantly colored adver-
saries. Now the swallows have raised
are able to accompany their parents in
the long flights high in the air after
food. Over the village trees circled
hosts of barn swallows, and chimney
swifts, never so plentiful as now all
over central and southern Maine.
By the shore of the smaller pond a
pair of rose-breasted grosbeaks were
busy providing food for family of
young birds ana with them a pair of
Baltimore oriole were engaged in the
same duty. They were frequenting an
orchard and potato patch where it
was evident that they were finding an
abundance of bugs and other things to
their taste. The male grosbeak was
handsome bird only rivalled by the
oriole. The brilliant tropical colors of
the two were continually flashing in
and out of the foliage, While the duiler
hues OF the females were in strong
contrast. The young birds of both
were very similar when viewed at a
distance, though of course easily dis
tlngulshed nearer at hand. The young
orioles were so fully grown that to the
casual glance they seemed like adults,
but their never ceasing complaint, if
the food they wanted was not forth
coming on the instant, grew somewhat
monotonous and proclaimed their
Identity at all times. The parents
supplied them with bountiful fare
from the potatoe patch, while they sat
in the branches of the apple trees and
took all that was brought to them.
Likewise the young grosbeak lived in
the same orchard but were less fire.
quently heard. Catbirds were here
and there in large numbers along the
stone walls and the borders of the
ponds. Redeyed vireos were feeding
young families and their usual insist
ent notes were not heard SO much as
usual, though the birds could be seen
carrying insects in their mouths on
their way home to their nests. Chip
ping sparrows, song sparrows and gold
finches were of course common, and
once in a while a brown thrasher,
cedar waxWing, hummingbird, or bob
olink would be seen.