The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1907-06-07
STORY Of NORFOLK BIRDS
AN HOURS RAMeLE AMONG THE
soNGsTERs.
DESCRIBED BY c. 3. sALTER
A Paper That Delighted it's Hearers
and Which Gave an Excellent Les
son In Observance, Was Read at
Mems Club Meeting.


son In Observance, Was Read at
Mems Club Meeting.
How many Norfolk men walk the
length of their avenue without catch
ing the sweet note or the dainty wing
of some song bird?
The Mems club held a May meeting
last Saturday in the parlors of the
First Congregational church. 1t was
the last meeting of the club before the
summer adjournment and In touch
with the spring season the program
dwclt on birds and nature.
A paper which delighted the mem
bers of the club and which, without
pretension, furnished a lesson in OBJ
servance was read by G. b. Salter
Under the caption, "An hours ram
BILE on Koenigstein avenue with the
program for my entertainment pro.
vded by few of our bird neighbors,"
Mr.. Salter said:
The first birds to- greet me, right in
my own yard, were two golden crown
ed kinglets, brilliant little fellows,
creeping and fitting along the branch
es and about the terminal twigs of the
elms and searching eagerly for tiny
insects. They appeared to have an
unusually good appetite, caused no
doubt by the long journey from the
southern states where they have their
winter home. Here they merely pause
long enough to rest and partake of
few hearty meals before continuing
their flight nOrthward to their summer
home. | can find no evidence of their
nesting in Nebraska
Just around the corner a bird called
to me, "Seesee ScCsee.' Up in the
tree tops sat a black and white warb.
Ter, busily engaged in DISCRIMINATING
some of our insect pests. The black
and white warbler's dress is, true to
the name, plain black and white
streaked. He Is a summer resident
In the branches of a soft maple on
the corner of Eleventh street a rose
breasted grosbeak awaited my com
ing. He gave me ample time to thor
oughly admire his rose colored breast
and his other distinguishing markings.
Then to my delight he dashed straight
away, thus displaying his white tipped
| tail feathers and white primaries, a
quartette of white spots that readily
Identifies this lovely bird when on
the wing.
To the lovers OF the grosbeak-and
to know them is to love them-what
a satisfaction 1t is to believe that they
are increasing rapidly in the groves
of our city! Several pairs nestled last
year on Koenigstein avenue and Thir.
teenth street. How happy should those
citizens of ours be who have for their
neighbors the rosebreasted grosbeak
| can imagine no happier strains OF
bird music than his joyous carol on
a May morning.
After being so regally entertained by
the grosbeak | crossed the avenue
where my attention was called to the
nest of an American robin in bo,
elder on the lawn of one of our citi
zens. Evidently the robins knew tina
the owner of the property was love-
of birds for they selected the tree
nearest the front door | was at {
loss to determine which was the hap
pier, the man or the birds. Certainl!
they all showed by their actions tina
they were thoroughly satisfied will
the arrangements. The man so eX
pressed himself and the birds by thei
loving trust declared that benefits
were mutual.
Robin Says "Cheer Up"
Every one is familiar with the mark
ing of the robin-known to many a.
robin redbreast." The only differ
ence in the coloring between the ia
Their and mother is a slightly deepe
tinge of red on the fathers breast
The robin is among the first arrivals
in early spring. Frequently when thu
weather is cold, backward and dis
agreeable, when we are in a despon
dent mood and inclined to be dissat
istied with everything in general, w
may look out of the window to SCI
across the street high on tree to-
+. in the drilling rain and sleet MI
!, Robin, calling Cheer up! Cheer up
= Cheer up" l usually feel like e,
e claiming; "All right, Mr.. Preacher
| | will heed your admonition."
e What a pleasure it is in the earl
$ morning to watch a pair of nestin
| robins take their breakfast. First tn
9 male goes for the early worm, in fac
:, for many early worms. Filling hi
u mouth more than full he carries ther
5 with delightful dispatch to his sittin
a mate. He then goes back for his ow
breakfast, returning as quickly as pc!
:, sible to the nest, where he takes tn
e mothers place while she goes out fo
a mornings outing. What mode
= husband she has! He not only assist
- his wife in the incubation but also i
y the many other little duties pertainin
> to their housekeeping.
l. In one of the tall cottonwood tree
s on Twelfth street a pair of those gail
r attired birds known as the Baltimor
Il oriole were seen fitting backward an
Il forward seeking a suitable branc
:. from which to suspend their poucI
like nest, They were in the vicinit
{ of an old nest of a previous year.
+ may have been their old home of La
S year or perhaps the childhood hon
of one of them. 1t is wonderful no
II these old nests withstand the storm
r. of wind and snow. The female orio
y is considered by some authorities {
% among the best architects in the biz
, world. When the nest is first co
! structed it is so sllillfully woven {
v to be imperviOus TO rain.