The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1904-09-16
THEsEBIRDs ARE SOCIABLE

ciety.
Suburban woodlands are not so
silent and devoid of bird life as the
Adirondack woodlands sometimes
seem to be, but the orchards and
shrubbery Of suburban homestead are
far richer in birds than neighboring
woodlands. In fact, the birds seem
to regard the woodlands as sort of
retreat to be held in reserve in case of
need.
For reason of their own many kinds
of birds prefer to build their nests
elsewhere than in the woodlands.
Robins catbirds, wood thrushes plain
ly prefer the close neighborhood OF
man to the wild liberties of the wood
land. Even the shy very sometimes
builds in the grounds Of suburban
homestead, though it usually prefers
the woodland.
1t is possible that the birds find
that they have fewer enemies close to
human habitations than in the wood
lands. They certainly are more ex-
posed to the attacks of snakes and
squirrels; and the pot hunter, an
abounding and lawlcss nuisance in
The Bronx operates almost uncheck-
ed in the woodlands, but is excluded
from private grounds. Under these
conditions the robin and the catbird
in the suburbs are almost like barn
yard fowls. Even the wood thrush
is curiously fearless when haunting
the sbrubbery of private grounds.
One thing that attracts the birds to
the nelghborhood of human habita-
tions is the relative abundance of
food. They feed not only upon the
scraps thrown out from the house,
but they find that well kept lawns are
particularly rich in earth worms.
Robins, grackels and wood thrush
es struggle for the hunting privileges
of suburban grounds, and almost any
hour of the day you may see fat
robin chasing off its own suburban
preserve the saucy, slender purple
grackel, perhaps partly in fear of
incursions that the latter may make
upon its nest.
Some of the birds seem to visit the
woodland mainly in search of running
water for drinking and bathing, and it
often happens when other parts of
woodland are silent that the part
through which brook flows is noisy
with the cries of birds.
1t is noticeable, too, that robins
aud wood thrushes seem to prefer
the edge of woodland to its depths,
and you will hear more bird music
at evening on the edge of woodland
bordering on the grounds attached to
a dwelling than in the gloom Of its
heart. Perhaps this habit of the birds
is in part owing to their fondness for
singing from perch where they can
see the sunset shy
A lawn set with trees and traversed
by brook is an ideal place for birds,
as combining all the advantages Of the
woodland and of human neigh bor-
hood.
When summer is over and the time
Of migration approaches. the birds
that have made their homes near hu-
man habitations seem more to fire.
quent the woodlands and the fields.
By that time the young are larg,
to care for themselves and to
escape the attacks of their wild ene-
mics, and this fact may determine
the conduct of the parents.
At any rate the autumn woodlands
Of the suburbs are noisy with the chat
ter Of hungry robins and wood thrush
es and the calls of the vociferous high
hole.
Meanwhile some of the shyer birds
have been frightened away from the
suburbs. The whippoorwill, which
used to be heard frequently a few
years ago in many parts of The
Bronx is now unknown save in re
mote and very quiet spots.
His melancholy and insistent call
is no longer heard even in places
where the quail still whistles from
early May to mid July. So, too, the
larger birds are leaving the suburbs
The blue heron is one Of those that
have sought safer quarters.
Even the fish hawks, which used
to be seen soaring high and heard
from the clouds in parts of
The Bronx midway between the Hud-
son and the Sound seem TO have given
up that region. They doubtless
occasionally came inland to fish the
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