Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1911-05-27

The Quail Trap, May "a, 1911-A fe-
male Hungarian partridge with four
young was seen May 13 by Frank Per-
rim and sons half mile from the place
where we turned out the imported
birds The chicks f1attened out on the
leaves and could be closely examined:
they were the size Of two days old
though in the down, showed more
markings than our chicken pats. The
mother has broken her leg and wing
exclaimed the boys, who did not re-
member that feigning lameness to
draw enemies from eggs or young is a
ruse common to many orders of birds
Either the Perrins did not see all of
the chicks, or the coopers hawks that
nestled nearby had caught the bulk OF
the young covey. This partridge will
lay from twelve to eighteen eggs, and
sometimes two hens will double up
like bohwhites and lay over. thirty
eggs. No nest is ever made-a few
straws and a bit of dried grass scratch
ed earelessly together. The eggs are
pale greenish brown color, and incuba-
ton lasts twenty-one days. 1t seems
clear that this second record of brown
partridge breeding in Woodstock can
not be traced to the birds we freed
this season. but must be credited to a
pair from the covey raised on the Tom
Hedge farm last year. Even allowing
ten days for mating, twenty days for
opposition, and twenty days for
Matching, would not be time enough
for our wild acclimating lot. At any
rate, the Hungarian breeds a. month
earlier than bobwhite-t1he Virginia
partridge-its enarest relative on the
Atlantic coast. The bunch of quail
that wintered with US, now reduced to
nine birds, was seen on the Perrin
place near large pecan tree, the only
tree of this species know of in Wind
ham county, though 1 have seen sew
eral in Providence. There is another
bunch of eleven quail at the west end
of the Perrin farm, and a third strong
covey at Pigeon Inn farm not far
away. When these groups break up
and mate, and the East Woodstock
covies separate and breed, it should
result in over hundred baby bob
whites in August at this end of the
town.
The verandas of the bungalow are
so perfectly screened that for six
months we breakfast, have luncheon,
and dine ON the back piazza, free from
flies. and can sleep in the couch ham
mocks on the front veranda with no
intrusion of moth, June bug, or mos
quito. Without screening we would be
nearly immune, for pair of tyrant
fycatchers, who are building toggery
nest of lace, moss, cotton and red
string in an apple tree in the Orping
tom run, are on guard all day at tina
front door, And to make safety doubly
sure, two house-pfoebes are also
awning there the hvelong day.I do not
think these phoebes breed they are
large dark birds, appear minated and
we call them our bachelor girls Two
pairs of pewees nest under the farm
buildings, but their hunting ground is
at the horse barn and cow barn, and
they raise twenty young birds in their
two and three broods apiece every
Of rAIx oh xryIaa
have nestled in a pear tree for five
years complete the sextette of fly
catchers as our door. Though there is
a clock in every room at the cottage,
there is no electric town regulator to
keep them straight; the kitchen calen-
dar clock is three weeks behindhand,
and the cuckoo and quail in the fancy
Swiss device do not favor US with a
croak or whistle. But who would ask
for better timekeeper than the whip
poorwilI, who, timed by correct
watch. has begun calling near our flag
staff for six nights in succession at
exactly twenty minutes to eight.
No, children, quail have never been
trapped at the Quail Trap, and every
figure four and sharing device set i'll
our woods or covers has been kicked
up inside Of "a hours. 1t is seven
years since a shotgun has cracked in
the fields or meadows here, and the
trio of quail then shot are mounted
in the dining room as examples of
race Of large home bobwh;tes replaced
bg smaller introduced birds from the
south.
Such frequent reference to the bum
qalow and its equipment may be par
doned when its isolation and environ
ment are considered and it should be
remembered that many of the writer's
happie5t days were passed near the Old
Quail Trap meeting house on the Vol
untown road, where bobwhite WIS
known to nest under the very drop
pings OF the sanctuary. In the patch
of tall standing timber in the hollow
just back Of the church was located
my first great horned owls nest, sew
eral sets of redtail were taken from
this strip of forest and, by driving
gray squirrel into hole in large
chestnut, a bee-tree was found and I
helped secure much store of comb and
honey. In sight of this sacred shack,
guided by the prince of old Tina fish
ermen on q never-te- be-forgotten Fast
day, l caught A pounds of trout, and
three days after, with the same part
ner, took from the same deep stream
40 pounds. The depleted Misery brook.
the Robbins brook with barren waters
and the Kinney brook, long famous
for its two FOUNDERS, still flow to
union, but the placid Pachaug, where
a memory. But the great pond noH
formed by these streams was in its
earlier years an Eden for a bird lover.
In holes in the dead stubs sticking out
of the water 80 pairs of tree swallows
bred. and many purple grackles plas-
tered their nests in the larger erevices
of the stubs. / saw wood duck fly
from old f1ickers' holes in the tallest
dead trees and an osprey's nest near
the middle of the lake was used by
pout and bass fishermen to get their
lucky ranges by. Before the pond was
flowed I fshed from Glasgo's dam to
Poplar bridge with poor luck. though
my partner had a full creel. From
Holmes hole below the bridge ! took
a pound and a quarter trout, when we
trudged back to a bend in the brush
opposite the Quail Trap, where nay
partner finally landed twopound
beauty he lost going down From the
same hole I had a tremendous bite
which broke two joints of an old BAN
boo pole. and I was sure I was going
to beat the first big trout, when / ig-
ANONYMOUSLY dragged out by the line,
the woods with its silvery bark, it's
Slan1or Siam long slim hra ucI1 &C