Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-09-30

point at which they pass into market
or where, as in the case Of seed, they
are consumed on the farm because they
are regarded as more valuable for
planting or feeding purposes than to
be sold to the seed-crushing mills
Wall Street Journal.
WHEN THE BIRDS FLY SOUTH
Naturalist Tells Of Things Not Gensr.
ally Known.
AT this season of chill nights and
heavy dews, the great almost silent
southwark migration of the birds is
under way. It is the gold and purple
time Of the year-the gold OF the
leaves, the corn and the golden-rods;
the purple Of grapes and the aster
hosts, as well as patches and streak
ings In the naples foliage. Weed
seeds are ripening. apples are falling,
the oppression Of dog-days Is past.
and the birds are on the wing. During
the August molt the woods and thick
serted. Even the red-eyed vireo In
serted. Even the red-eyed viero in
the naples has ceased his ti-eless
twittering, and in the evening the
whippoorwill has given only two or
three repetitions Of his elastic cry.
But go, out these brisk September
mornings and observe the change.
There is a reminiscence Of spring In
the glad voices Of robins, fiickers and
errant bluebirds. Swallows and
swifts course about In the sky, and
the downy drums in i the orchard.
Chippies; in almost endless NUM-
bers feeding by the roadside, and
scatter like leaves in a wind before
the approaching team. Where in Au-
gust, yesterday, all seemed lifeiess,
now abound the activity Of newly
feathered wings and the, calls Of gay
foragers. ~ 3,a5rf lttG ~
The juncos have returned to the
meadow border or to the back yard.
where they will linger until snow
flies, and later still II seeds hold out,
and there is q dense copse to retreat
to In storm. And know Of no
pleasanter winter friends to, have
about. Before my barn is shut for
the winter, gay companies Of them
pick of the char on the door, or
fash back and forth on the rafters
with tinkling music. sii3
The pine groves at this time are
filed with fally, transparent cool
ness, with an occasional leaf sitting
down before the wind. The trees are
bronzed lightly with dead needles
which fall in sprays beneath the
touch Of furtiye warblers. Jays
scream noisily az they troop through
the nut trees. whilst crows answer
back from high-in-air expeditions.
September Is the month Of jays and
crows. I, jt3 fssGss4 ~ ltF
The migration is on in full swing.
but swifter. more fugitive, more Sd
lent than In spring. There are occa-
sional bursts Of song, but no contin-
uous music; and the bright plumase
Of spring has In most cases been ex-
changed for a somber autumnal garb.
The gay warbler legions that filed
the May woods with singing and color
are now hurrying, almost unseen,
through the groves. uttering only
faint calls to one another, and In
scarce distinguishable raiment Iden-
tifying them at this season Is a task
reserved for the experienced only,
and even then with some uncertain
ty. @ ss
The lips Of the chickadee is to be
heard everywhere now; and he plays
an important role in respect to the
bands Of small birds. He seems to
have become a kind Of pilot, MARSHALL
Ing his careless warblers and gingiets
through the woods, inspecting intrud-
ers with his swapping black eyes, al
ways fearless, always resourceful.
After the warblers have departed
from the north, the chickadee (who
is himself northerner) still assum g
this part with the small winter birds,
Indeed, one of the prominent charac-
tiers Of the winter forest is what
might be called bands Of winter
friends Of several chick
adees, with kinglets, brown creepers'
nutatches and downy wood-pecker
or two. in tow. You are standing in q
silent woodland, when suddenly you
catch the note Of chickadee, or the
high drawl Of the Canadian nuth-
atch, then another, now sounding
nearer, and before you know It, one
of these bands goes darting, fitting,
swinging, ever exploring and peerins
for food, through the trees over your
head. AS IL by magic the cold woods
are made gay with happy activity
and fine, merry notes. One Of the
chickadees flashes up to you, looks
you in the face as II to question yonr
intent, dee-dees some observation,
and in another moment the troop has
passed on, and quiet remains as be-
fore.
II you wish to remark the autumilal
migration in Its swiftest progress. go
out Of doors some Of these clear Sep
tember nights, take your stand In a
quiet spot, and you will hear the voic-
es of the multitudes passing overhead.
You must not expect something loud
and spectacular; but (far more I'M
pressively) you will catch the hurried
calls Of the small flyers, keeping ac-
count Of one another in their swift
night course. A faint tsip now here,
now yonder, or now longer, slight
ly louder note. dropping from the ap-
parently empty sky will give you q
clew to what is going on. You may
have heard these fine, frequent sounds
of September evening without know
ing whence they came or what they
were. But imagine to yourself
stream Of warblers, wrens, vireos and
other small birds, flowing as 1t were
along invisible pathways of the SKY
throughout the night-a stream
III. ka