The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-26
BIRDS BACK on TIME.
Their Songs Heard In the suburbs In spite
OF the Late Spring.

Of the Late spring.
Winters long hold upon this latitude
did not suffioe 20 deter the migratory birds
from their punotual return. Before the
/ Let Of March, while yet the morning tenn
| perature was from Is to 20 degrees below
freezing the song sparrow was heard In
the suburbs, and In the second week Of
March the first robins were seen.
Less than ten days later the flicker was
| calling from his accustomed high dead
trees In the Bathgate woods, and on st.
Patrick's Day big flooks Of glossy graokles
suddenly alighted and began their metallic
drinking In suburban trees.
Il Is said that In no year does the 10th OF
March pass In these parts without at least
one robin being seen. Some observers
see their first robin little later, but by the
middle Of the month everybody who has
an eye for birds has seen at least two or
three robins.
The returning robins fetch with them
from the South, where they are ruthlessly
shot, q shyness born Of an entirely natural
distrust Of men. They prefer TO ali ght
In high trees and are apt TO make on when
a human being comes too near.
It takes only q few days for this shyness
10 wear OF, and then the robin is the same
fearless companion Of man that he usually
10 In this latitude. Before the list Of April
the robins are feasting on suburban lawns
and prospecting about the caves Of sub
urban houses, with a view TO nest building,
After that the robins are nearly rs much
at home In the suburbs - the ducks and
chickens
When the purple grdckles returned TO
the suburbs the other day they were warmly
welcomed by the English Btarlings, which
do not migrate, and mingled with the me
tallio oresking Of the graokles there came
from the treetOps the deliciously sweet
whistle Of the staTlings. The books per-
sist in saying that the graokles and the
starlings are not Of one family, but their
superficial resemblance and their good
oomradeship make II hard 70 believe them
strangers in blood.
The starlings freely mingled with the
newcomers, following them about from
tree 70 tree, and visiting thus spots to
which they are commonly unaccustOmed.
The spectacle suggested q family reunion.
Some days before the grackles appeared
the bluebirCs were sounding their delicious
whifi Of a call, someth ing between a song
and q warbled note. The presence Of the
English sparTows all winter long has driven
the bluebirds BE- ck to primitive habits Of
nesting, for the spaIToWs being on the
ground first preempt the bird boxes, and
leave the bluebirds. wrens and other small
birds which used to nest In such places 10
find other homes.
Even the couIu geous house martins have
disappeared In some quarters because Of
the spaTroWp, though here and there the
martins are venturtng to return. Perhaps
the sparrow owes his success in driving out
other birds not 80 much TO his lighting
qualities AZ to the fact Of his being amaz-
inGly prolific and always at homo. He
does business at the same stand all the year
round, while the migratory birds pay the
penalty that attaches 10 the luxury OF
wintering in the South.
Even after the middle Of March had
come the white throated sparrow had not
fully thaWed out his song. AL winter long
he sounded part Of bis oh, Lord pity me IN
half hearted fashion, and mid March
found him still short several notes OF the
complete phrase.
BY the time the weather Is warm enough
10 bring out his song in its entirety he goes
North to the Adirondack. where his lost
soul CITY makes the wilderness seem doubly |
lonely. Only a few Of the white tbroats
winter in these parts, though many Of them |
stop here for q few hours OF a few days in /
Their. migratory flight to and from the
North