Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1911-04-12


...l ,.eood Wright. Published by the
ys.,,orsl Association Of Audubon So
cieses -
an, ;rds have some sort of claim upon
.hs attention, through knowledge OF in
,'r,d,sl habits or economic worth, even
sss, beauty OF plumage or song does not
Ia opr attention. There are birds that
!. should miss il they disappeared from
~. ,,.css where We have been accustomed
"a ard them, but there are others that we
.;mpIy could not get on without, and the
.an. ,psrrow is one OF them.
se,r SPARROW 1t would be better to
=, song sparrows, as this shy yet
,,;s,dly bird, in its adoption to the vari-
-, ambitions that enable It to live in so
,..y psrts OF North America, has devel-
orsd a score OF species that vary more or
~. !, size, color and markings, yet every
-. ~ these has the attributes for which
20 love our own little Eastern song spar
nv 10 we'll that we forget that he is not
the saly one
In. large family like that OF the spar
,ovs and finches, to which our sweet
.iur,r belongs, one would expect to lose
.;yht of the streaked brownish bird with
the large spot In the center OF his breast,
=. II Nature had blended two or three of
the smaller specks, in order to aid its
identity and help US out. But NO, the
srosbeaks and crossbills may compel the
eve q they flash in and out Of the trees;
the j.ncos, snowfiakes and red polls cheer
u, in winter; but, when the March sun
releases the frozen brooks, what voice Is II
that first rejoices at the sound and tells rs
Of Il, The song sparrowl Up floats his
cheerful ditty from the aiders, "~ith
swee.,sweet, sweet, and very merry cheer!"
before his cousin, tho goldhnch, has
donned his yellow spring jacket with
black sleeves and cap, or the trcmolo Of
the gentle soft-eyed chipping sparrow is
heard from the grass before dawn.
Oar song sparrow IL one OF the little
group OF birds that may be called winter
residents in the middle New England
astcs. This does not mean that all Of
these sparrows remain the entire season
in their summer nesting haunts, for even
the hardest birds shift about In the win
ter season. The song sparrows We see
from November to March are apt To be
those that have summered considerably
iArther northward; thus, some Of the
birds that bred in the region OF Quebec
would be likely to winter In Massachu-
setts, while the Massachusetts, birds
sosld come on to Connecticut, New York,
Pennsylvania, and 40 on. Neither will
the sparrows be found 80 plentiful even
in the middle parts Of their range a. in
sumner, as by far the greater number
will 90 to the southeriy limit, lurcd by
mild weather and the moro generous food
supply.
The range OF our Eastern song sparrow
is through the whole Of eastern North
America westward to the plains. It nests
from Virginia and northern Illinois up to
Manitoba and Quebec, and winters from
AassAchusetts.and northern Illinois down
totAs Gulf OF Mexico. Whom you realize
shsa different conditions obtain In the
various parts Of this great range, you will
aosos zee how very adaptable this sweet
anger ia to all sorts OF climate and food
conditions. For. though We may not
think them plentiful birds, from their
nthsr elusive ways, habit Of spending
mooA time In river brush, and never
rsAering in great sutumnsl nocks, like
o.s Of their kin, yet they are one Of the
nv species that have everywhere in
enssd rather than diminished.
rhs difference In the time when nesting
nessn By dinsrent species OF birds 10
noss fascinating study. By the middle Of
Aafch the winter song sparrows will have
aisn wing, ana from that time until we'll
INTO April the summer residents will come
aong, not in docks, bot one or two at .
ums, appearing near tho old nesting
psess. April IL probably the bsst time to
osef the most volubls and unguardsd
"ae Of the sweet singers, for, a. they do
n0s begin to nest until early May, there IL
70 hecsssty Of sscrssy Of movement or
ao'ss OF singing perch.
fact 70 b noted that the
usss birds, or those nrst 10 arrive,
% no msans those that nest nrst.
~ nfse birds, owl, hawks, ETC., take tho