The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1912-01-05

pauorm IN some of these hoods directly over the
6isS eiope upon TINS as many sparrows as can
conveniently crowd together rost throughout the
cold weather nights. A club rapping experiment
on an electric light pole at a Chicago avenue cor
ner near the North Side water works LOT during
moving blizzard winter night resulted in
the dlsiodgment of twelve frightened sparrows
lhey Huttered 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 certainly modern in it's
appointments, for it heated and lighted by
electricity.
Take trip through thistle field in July and
there will be seen scores of goIdfnches feeding
on che seeds of the prckly 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 frail though
they appear, stay with all winter yet not one
person in fifty outside of the ranks of the bird
students knows the fact.
in late August the goldfinch drops his gold and
black livery and puts a 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 it's place In the
Chicago Academy of Sciences there is pathetic
evidence of how the goldfnch keeps warm during
the winter nights. The curator has there al
orioles nest from the outside of which hangs the
body of goldfnch caught by the neck and liter
ally hanged by of the cords with which the
orioie has fashioned its home. The goldfinch
has sought refuge in the nest from the weather
and on leaving it in the morning has thrust his
head through the fatal moose These birds utilize
the deserted homes of all their brethren who
build deep nests The goldfnches return night
after night to nest which Oriole had swung
from the tips of elm in Western Springs, H.
Tue chickadee of which something has been
said builds its nest somewhat after the manner
of the woodpecker, but if observation goes for
much the bird does not use this absolutely safe
and retreat for its winter night lodging.
They have been startled time after time just after
sunset on cold nights from the vacated nests of
many species of birds, the chickadee 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 one and all
had disappeared 1t may be that if the appear
ance of one swallow does not make a summer
the absence of the entire tribe may not make
autumn, but 1t is certain that the birds must feel
something that bids them BECOME for they go in
body and they go in the twinkng of an eye.
The swallows live upon insects and there is no
far food is concerned why they
should not stay at least two weeks longer for
their homes are in sheltered hooks The hum
ming birds, despite its delicacy, stays longer than
the swallow and complains not.
If catch sight of saucy little wood
pecker going into hole in tree his lawn at
this season of the year he may hope to have an
interesting neighbor during the entire winter All
the downy woodpeckers remain in the north the
years through. Some of the red heads stay too
but most of them go few score of miles to the
south. All of these birds that remain pass their
nights in holes in trees, and at the time of the
first fall month they busy locating proper
cold weather habitatons If enough interest in