Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-07-04
JUST A FEW CRANES ON HAT ISLAND.

bugs They catch flies ms readily as
do swailowS aud kingbirds, feeding
their young, extensively. upon them
and are known to devour destructive
scale effects They are beau5:ous
birds and. as they visit us only when
the orchard limbs hang heavy with
snow, they certainly deserve to live.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN BLUE BIRD.
In the open spaces near the tops vt
our highest ranges can be seen the
pretty Rocky mountain bluebird. II is
about six inches long and Is greenish
azure blue above and below brightest
however, above. Its abdomen and I'M
der tail surface are white; and thu
tail is tipped with u blush tinge. Tie
female has blue only on the wings
tail and rump.
More than three fourths of the sus-
tenance of this bird consists of insects.
1t is very destructive to beetles. the
following being some Utah species that
fall, by thousands under its bill ;he
mountain pine beetle (dendroctonus
montioola) which Is ruinous to lodge
pole pine; the spruce beetle (dendrOc.
tonus piceaperda) which Injuries Enge-
mann spruce; the Douglas spruce bee
tie (dendroctonus pseudolsugael which
is subversive to red fir trees and the
western pine beetle (dendroctonus hra-
vicomis) which attacks the pine trees
IT also feeds upon the cedar heartwood
borers (trachy kele blondelD which
make some cedar posts worthless, AMI
the fir tussock moth (notolophus us-
LARD, which causes extensive defcia-
ton OF the tops of the white fir Be
sides these, it is known to destroy a
species of slug caterpillar tdalcerides
ingenitO which in Arizona, defoliatas
live oak scrubs.
The bluebird eats some spiders: and
In August, three-fourths of its food
consists of grasshoppers. AT other
times Of the year, 1t fattens upon
chokeberries. juniperberries. pokebei
fles greenbriar, bittersweet. holly ""
haws, sorrel ragweed and sumac. With
such beneficial habits. may the Rocky
mountain bluebird beautify our can
yons ana mountain lowlands, unmolest-
ed by the unthinking sport of man,
THE BROWN cREEPER.
In the willows and pine groves Vt
me Wasatch is sometimes heard the lit
We BroWn Creeper. 1t is quite easily
identified by its habit of creeping NJ
and down, under and over. the deli
cate limbs, and by its thin curved beak.
winch IS as long as its head Above. il
Is dark brown with rufous tinge. the
rump however being a rust color II is
a sllky white beneath. the under sur
face of the wings however having
rant rust tinge. II has "A white streak
over each eye and its tail feathers are
brown fringed with yelowlsh Alto
gether the bird is somewhat smaller
than a sparrow
Concerning the Brown Creeper, V. II.
Lowe SAYS
That 1t feeds extensively on the
scale insects, there is little doubt II
may often be seen on scale infested
trees, both In summer and winter,
pecking NJ the scales. especially the
larger ones, such as the oyster shell
bark louise. evidently for the purpose OF
getting the eggs or the live scales"
II may be noticed, en- PEASANT. that
our long tailed chlckadoe (parus at
ricapillus septentriOnalis) devours the
same louise. Being both insectivorous,
neither the Brown Creeper nor the
Long Tailed Chickadee ought ever to
meet destruction.
SLENDER BILLED NUTHATCH
This Is Utah bird resembling the
chickadee, its chief colorntions being
ashy- blue above, black ON the head aud
neck white on the under parts and the
sides of the head, and brown on the un-
der part Of the tall