The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1911-11-23
INTERESTING STORY
OF OREGON BIRDS

(An excerpt of an article by Mrs
Rebecca II. Kaufman In by IN,
Wayside''. the official organ oil Illinois
Wisconsin and Michigan Audubon Socf
eties.l
Decoration Day found us IN Hood
River, Oregon, seated on a veranda OF
a home near the grounds of the County
Court House, listening to the after.
Moons exercises. BY the side of the
house not far from where we were
sitting, tree of early cherries was
full of ripe fruit. Some one had sent
abroad TO birdland the messaEe, Cher
ries are ripe, cherries are ripe 90 and
the response was most hearty Cedar
wax wings in numbers. robins of
course, wild eanaries (which are very
numerous in this region), a few Eng
llsh sparrows, took entire possession
of the tree. However. cherries. deli
cious cherries, are so plentiil in this
region that there are enough 10 spare
for the birds. To complete the bird
party humming bird flew By.
This.recalls one of the most wonder
ful humming bird stories or even any
bird story. have ever heard Il, has
been related to me by Prof T.. F.
Henderson, until recently in charge Of
the department of botany in the uni
versity of Idaho.
If you would merely look at Protres-
sor Henderson, you would understand
how he might inspire confidence IN the
bird heart. His eyes have that bright
alertness of the bird vision, and his
manner, as he shows you how ne ap-
preached the bird, is most convincing.
But to the story. A pair of hummng
birds had built their nest on a branch
of a fir tree in grove of these trees
near the Henderson home in Moscow.
The Professor conceived the idea Of
feeding the bird on the nest So he
took cup of sugar water and spoon
and slowly, cautiously approachet the
nest. Nearer and nearer he went.
The bird did not fly off, but, startled,
crouched down closely over her two
little eggs. AS he was close on her, a
sudden frightened movement of her
bill put it into the spoon and she got
taste OF the sweetened water That
was enough, she fearlessly helped her
self to more. From that time on she,
and her young ones as they were
hatched out were regularly fed from
the spoon When the young birds
were grown, one of them remained all
summer about the place. The family
ate their meals in the fir grove, and If
they would be late in appearing at the
able the young humming bird would
come to.the porch door and sereech i'm
patiently, as young birds do, for its
meal. One day it evidently tried t.
help itself from cup of milk on the
table, and fell in. 1t was later found
there almost dead. Professor Hender-
sons wife and daughter washed it
tenderly, rubbing the sticky milk
from its plumage with difficulty. They
wrapped 1t in flannel, and put it in the
gentle heat of an oven to dry; then
they brushed its feathers to their for
mer flufiness.
In two or three days it was able to
fly again. When September came off
1t flew one day and they knew no more
ABOUT it. Professor Henderson says,
and my own observation on this Coast
have shown that it is probably true
that humming birds like to build their
nests near houses and people.
Several miles to the West, from the |
place where the Hood River empties
into the Columbia River, is low
sandy fiat which is covered by water
when the Columbia is high. This fiat
is a mass of trees and underground.
Here is place where the birds can
and live.
Blue birds in numbers though "the
sky tinge on their backs and the earth
tlnge on their breasts" are more dingy
than in the Middle West, sing their
Ber- Bermuda Ber- Ber- muda
with member of their Southern Islaud
home, as some one has said, with the
sweet, lingering intonation; and they
take to themselves the freedom of the
Underwood Ferry. opposite the depot.
with as much friendliness.
We have often walked down the rail
road track before twilight and have
listened to the songs of birds we did
not know, and bave caught glimpses of
the unfamiliar feathered inhabitants
Of this bird heaven. One day we
turkey buzzard in flight over
the Columbia. Circling up and up it |
went, and floating onward higher into |
the blue sky with a grace and skill no
'birdman" can ever hope to attain. |
Nature has given the turkey buzzard |
poetry of motion and coupled it with |
lgliness of form. Therefore it is in !
the distance and in flight that one must |
see it. have looked down on it from |
The crest of the Blue Mountains along |
the Atlantic Coast many times. Here |
its aerial journeys take it even higher
to the ridges of the cascades.
In one of the drug stores of Hood |
River was a handsome stuffed speci-
men of a gray eagle. Upon inquiry | |
found it had come from the mountains
near here. A boy out hunting had |
,ome upon it suddenly under some |
pushes and it could not get away. |
Think of the great, soaring eagle in |
such a plight OF course the boy shot
t.