Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-07-13
BIRDS SEEN a 4 WOOD WALK
Not All OF Them but Just q Few.
singers with Benutisul Plumage.

Not All OF Them but Just q Few.
singers with Reautisui Plumage.
The other day took a long tramp
through the hills. following the wood
roads. Perhaps saw forty kinds Of
birds that 1 did not know, says a writer
in the New York Mail. hut these made
little impression on my eye or ear. On
the other hand. I saw or heard Tor both).
and derived great pleasure from seeing
and hearing, certain common birds that
most people seem to know nothing about,
and yet which are very interesting. very
easily seen and known, very readily
remembered.
Those that now recall were the che
| wink or towhcc bunting, the rosc-brcast-
cd grosbeak. the wood pcwee, the song
| sparrow. the oven bird, the field spar
row, the rcd-eyed vireo, the meadow
lark. the scarlet tanagcr, the cuckoo.
the shrikc or butcher bird the blucbird,
the Maryland ycllowthroat. the wood
thrush, and. at nightfall, the whp-poor-
| will.
| 1t is surely not difficult to know these
birds. for they are all about us.
The chewink Is always in evidence in
a bushy scrubby place. or woods where
| there is plenty of underbrusr. You may
know him because "chewink" is what
| he says. although to some people II is
"to-whoc." or "to-whick." This Ia his
CALL his plaintive song is more elaborate
and is sweet. Country people call him
| tho ground robin and his shape docs
suggest robin, but he is somcwha
smaller. different in plumage and quite
magnificent. The head and upper breast
are lustrous black his lower breast and
belly white: on tho side Of his breast
is a clear chestnut spot: his wings and
tail are marked with white. He calls
most chccrfuly and companionably from
the bushes and s not very shy
The rose-hreastcd erosheak is a wonder
Of song and plumage. He seems to he
rather aristocratic in his associations: he
ikcs the scope and elegance Of gentle.
mems estates" but you may see him in
the oaks in the woods too. His throat
and neck are black: he Is white under
meath. hut on his breast is a glorious
spot ~ rose-carmino. His hoax is blunt
yellow and very noticeable. But his
song! If you have heard him break out
in the night with It, as nc sometimes
does, YOU will never forget it. Some poo.
swceter. moro sustained. richer.
Minot tells this story: An acquaintance
Of his had a rose-brea sted grosbeak in a
cage. For months the bird was silent
and apparently moody, until one morning
he burst into song, and sang gloriousy
for almost an hour, when he fell dead
on the floor of his cage.
One who docs not know the rose
breasted grosbeak has an enthusia SIR
in store for himself. And the bird Il
classcd as common though it Is not Il
be seen everywhere.
You will find It hard to get away from
the red-cycd VIRGO and his tireiess song
sermons. He will lay down the law t.
you: tho bird people call him the preacher
because he seems to say, Tell you it!
sos what It is-got 70 d. it--tclI yo,
it's So" And hc says It in tho hot hon
, Of noon. too. when all other birds ar
, silent. Follow up his insistcnt homily
and you will find a quiet looking httl
olivc-grecn pnrson with n gray cap on
tho iris of whose eye is ruby rcd.
The oven bird ia "a persistent a talko
as the red-cycd vireo but he says owe
and over again "Tcacher. teacher! teach
or teacher" Alvavs ending on Tin
$ get sight of hn,--a little clive-hacke,
\ fellow with yellow crown and spot
: ted breast. But you will do exceedingly
4 we'll if you lind his wonderful most.
\ never found one myself though I hav
o seen the nest. 1t is concealed on tn
o ground and is supposed to he shape
Z like a Dutch oven, hut II looks to n,
2 moro like an Eskimo house or clot
rooted over, with side entrance
. You can always fnd the tanager b
a noting his call. Chip cherr. Chip-cherr.
: which is very sharp and imperative. HI
song, if you had not learned to distin
, prish it. might sound like robins. Bu
when YOU see his flaming color. intense
gorgeous. ndescribable. with his blac
;, wings setting him off. you will see no,
:, | prodigal nature has been in giving hi
u n song at all II would have been enoug
just to make him.
;, Only the other night saw two NAL
:. scarlet Hangers in oak trees on the a0it
duct on Manhattan island. Just south G
High Fridge. They wcrc having a littl
. song competition. People were passinl
" No ono needed.
The wood thrush We have in Contr;
y Park. His song is vocal lusciousncss
Il the highest degree 1t may seem str. ne
o that bird called the field sparro'
q should he shycr than the wood thrust
l. but nc is. Hear his song. ending in
u long -dra wn, delicate thrill at the end. a
he MARBLES 1t at nGhtfall. and you wi
= 20 far into the stony, hummocky pasture
$ TO listen to 1t again.