Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1909-08-07
BIRDS AT The NAPLES
Marke and Matte the Tame charlottesville Nuhatches
-Wrens-BIue BirdsRobins and Swifts--Where They
Nested-Hqw They Fed-42 Kinds Of Birds Seen
This Season.

! This year have only seen forty two
kinds Of birds around my home In
addition / have heard the whip-poor
will and screech owl. New ones to
the writer were two pine finches,
which came about the middle of
March and stayed six days feeding on
the berries of a Japanese honeysuckle.
If berry separated from the stem.
they would hold it under their claws
on twig and pick out the middle.
then drop the skin. In May / saw a
pair of orchard orioles the male in
plumage of the second year. Proba-
bly, the same pair now have a nest
about a foot from the end of long
and very slender branch. on a large
maple. When the wind blows. the ends
of the limb turns almost over. so that
it looks as if the contents would GER
tainly be poured out. | think the nest
lings must be nearly old enough to
fly. They chirp loudly when the par
ents bring food.
heard chipping sparrow on April
IL, which was two days earlier than l
heard one last year. One came to the
window for food the next day and a
pair soon learned to eat from my hand
as it lay on the sill. The song SPAR
rows come frequently to the window
for food, yet they have only eaten from
my hand twice. One pair have a nest
with three eggs. One day a catbird
ate three bites from my hand. As
they have the name of occasionally
eating the eggs of other birds, l have
tried for two or three years to brighten
them away from around the house This
only resulted in their seeking cover in
thick foliage and scolding. This year
when they came / thought if they
would stay that they would be less
likely to do mischief II they were fed
so I fastened apples securely to the
window sill. One pair soon became
very fearless, coming many times a
day, sometimes together, to eat. l was
able to supply them with apple until
within a few days Of the first straw
berries, then l suppose they found their
own fruit. They also ate bread crumbs.
coming for them, for little. after the
apples were gone. / did not know of
their doing any harm. and instead Of
disagreeable cat calls we heard beauti-
full songs. Their nest was evidently in
a clump of bushes in the back yard, as
/ frequently saw them there and later
saw one feeding a baby in the same
place. / did not go to the nest, as l
did not wish to make a path through
the grass for cats to follow.
One unwecome "calIer'' has been a
male flicker, or wacup, which selected
a certain pane of glass in the attic
window on which to drum. Not only
was there great danger of his breaking
the glass with his vigorous blows, but
his chosen time was before the family
finished their morning nap. To save
the glass one felt that he must be
frightened away. AS he was very per-
sistent this sometimes necessitated a
trip through several rooms and up a
fight of stairs. He was as good as an
alarm o'clock.
A bluebrd came to the box, which
was not desired by the chickadees, and
peered in as the door was too small
it soon flew away. For several days a
pair carried out bits of rubbish from a
hole in an old apple tree until a tree
toad took possession and settled HIM
self in the doorway in the sun, then
the birds went away. Perhaps he had
lived there all winter and been aroused
q little early by Mrs. Biuebird's prepa-
rations for housekeeping. II a squat
ter as his looks indicated, he was
evidently one who was not to be trif1ed
with.
Other window pensioners this year
have been three or more of both juncos
and English sparrows. Both Of these
birds have been many times. A tree
SDdTTOW anu d l6dSI nv CdIC06T have
been a few times. The latter not COM
ing for food, but merely using the sill
for a convenient perch from which to
dash out for passing insects. A very
beautiful caller, for a few minutes one
day, was a male Baltimore oriole. He
fearlessly ate few crumbs.
Jenny Wren commenced a week
earlier than she did last year to re-
furnish her home in the same shell of
crookneck squash tied to a nail on
Nle side of the barn. Two days later,
on May 10, another pair commenced
building in the box on the window sill
in which it had been hoped the chick
ADDE'S would live. The tiny circular
doorway was for the benefit of the lat
ter, who build in a deep hole, placed
near the roof and about eight inches
from the floor. Wrens prefer their
doorway nearer on a lever with the
nest, so they filled the box, which
measured about four by five inches on
the base, to a height of six inches. The
foundation was of dry twigs, from the
length and circumference of a match
to those twice as large. To balance
we'll when flying the twig was held by
the middle. The bird would light in
the doorway. thus bringing the twig
straight across, with the ends extend
ing an inch or two on each side. The
seemed to know how to manage, for
clinging tightly with their claws the
head would be held as far back and to
one side as was needful for one end OF
| the twig to clear the box and enter the
opening, then in a fash the bird was
| in with ii. This was repeated many
times by both birds. Once noticed
the dry stem of large leaf and an
| other time a twig with briers on it,
For the lining they use horsehair
feathers and cotton The last they
tucked in early in the building as well
as for the finishing. The male bird
usually sang in very happy and tri-
umphant way after each addition that
he made to the nest. The females song
was not so loud, but was sweet and
pleasing. One could sit within six
feet and watch them at their work