The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-07-22
FINDS BLUE BIRDS
 VERY PLENTIFUL
Wallace Talks About Habits of This Beautiful Little
 Bird in Alabama

Montgomery, July 21.-(Special.)-At the
 request of John II. Wallace, Jr.. state game and fish commissioner of Alabama,
 C. N. Hinderer game and fish warden for the county of Montgomery. has made a | thorough investigation of the bird sltua-
 ton in the vicinity of this city. MT. Hin
 deref reports that wherever he has been
 he has seen large numbers of bluebirds, jay birds, mocking birds, red birds and | thrushes as well as many other species that occur at this season of the year in the latitude in which Montgomery lies, MT. Hinderer states that blue birds are especially plentiful on the Jaeksons Ferry
 road and the Wares Ferry road, and
 that Jay birds are observed by him every
 day on Madison avenue, Jefferson street | and Jackson street
 MT. Wallace. who has recently returned from trip to north. Alabama, stated that
 bird life in that section of the state Is
 particularly abundant. he having observed
 many blue birds in the various counties of that portion of the state. Concerning
 the blue bird and its habits, the state
 game and fish commissioner stated:
 The eastern blue bird is as widely and VA
 eastern North America as any native bird.
 hardly excepting hs relative, the robin. Gentle and lovable in disposition, he comes fearlessly about houses and gar
 dens, having the blue of the sky upon
 his back and on his breast the tints of
 It's rosy dawn, d Veritable harbinger or spring and messenger of good cheer AL though generally migratory everywhere, a
 a few may occasionally be seen In winter e, en in the most northern states, but the majority spend the colder months in the south, where in companies they congre- gate to feed upon the berries of the mis- tletoe, red cedar and other like fruits.
 But in earliest spring, often in February and March. they suddenly appear in
 couples in their summer haunts in the north, returning year after year to the
 same localities. Not infrequently, how ever. they are overtallen by a sudden cold wave and, as happened some years ago, perish by thousands. As soon as weather
 conditions permit, they set about house hunting, and after the inspection of all
 available sites select a nestling box, a hole in tree, hollow post or fence rail, and upon a scan lining of soft
 grasses deposit from four to six pale blue,
 rarely white. unspotted eggs. They are
 often annoyed and frequently dispos-
 sessed of their nesting site by the pestif- erous house sparrow, especially In towns
 and cities, though in country districts
 they manage to hold their own.
 During summer the blue bird feeds a1-
 most exclusively upon insects. such AS grasshoppers, beetles, moths and spiders, often flying to the ground for their cap ture; but it does not hop upon ground. simply alighting there to secure one 1t has spied from a vantage point on fence post or dead weed stalk, and to which It at once returns. After rearing several broods they congregate in small parties In
 pastures, stumpy fields and cleared woods, and seem loath to leave, but at
 last when the warning of approaching winter can no longer be unheeded, they
 start with sadly paintive calls quite un-
 like their cheerful spring notes for their winter homes.