Rocky Ford enterprise., 1912-01-05


liehis crowd together rost throughout the
weathe, Bnghts. A club rapping experiment
: an electric light pole at Chicago avenue
-ner near the North Side water works lot during
u bowling blizzard winter night resulted In
The dslodgment of twelve frightened sparrows.
They flnttered about in the storm and hung like
SO many fascinated moths. When the pounding
ceased they made their way back to their resting
place and doubtless remained undisturbed until
morning Their fiat was certainly modern in its
appointments for 1t heated and lighted by
electricity.
Take a trip through a thistle field in July and
there will be seen scores of goldfnches feeding
the seeds of the prickly plants. These little
creatures have the appearance of the birds of the
= tropics. 1t would seem that barely breath of
the north wind would send them scurrying south
ward In truth, however. these birds. fral though
they appear. stay with us all winter. yet not one
person in fifty outside of the ranks of the Bird
students knows the fact
In late August the goldfnch drops his gold and
black livery and puts sober sparrowlike
!, garb. This is the reason why people think that
!; the little thistle seed lover has left them and
that another bird has taken its place. In the
Chicago Academy Of Sciences there Is pathetic
Evidence of how the goldfnch keeps warm during
sshe winter nights The curator has there an
os.oles nest from the outside OF which hangs the
body Of goldfnch caught by the neck and liter
ally hanged by one Of the cords with which the
oriole has fashioned its home. The goldfnch
has sought refuge in the nest from the weather
and on leaving 1t in the morning has thrust his
head through the fatal moose. Inese DlfGS Utilize
the deserted homes of all their brethren who
build deep nests The godinches return night
after night to a nest which oriolc had swung
from the tips of an elm in Western Springs. Ill.
The chickadee of which something has been
said builds its nest somewhat after the manner
of the woodpecker. but II observation goes for
much. the bird does not this absolutely safe
and warm retreat for its winter night lodging.
They have startled time after time Just after
sunset on cold nights from the vacated nests of
many species of BIRDS the chckadee simply bury
ing itself in the warm Innings in which the sum-
mer before the young of its friends had been
Graded.
BY mid-September the swallows and all
had disappeared. 1t may be that IL the appear
ance of swallow does not make summer.
the absence of the entire tribe may not make
autumn, but 1t is certain that the birds must feel
something that bids them begone for they go In
n body and they go in the twinkng of eye
The swallows live upon insects, and there is no
reason as far as food is concerned. why they
should rot stay at least two weeks longer, for
their h mes are in sheltered nooks. The hum
ming is despite Its delicacy. stays longer than
Me sv<s1ow and complains not.
II one catch sight of saucy little wood
pecker going into a hole in tree on his lawn at
this season of the year he may hope to have an
interesting neghbor during the entire winter. All
the downy woodpeckers remain in the north the
years through. Some of the red heads stay too.
D hut most of them go a few of miles to the
south All of these birds that remain pass their
NIGHTS in holes in trees. and at the time of the
frst fall month they are busy locating proper
cold weather habitations. II enough Interest In