Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-07-12
Esther Bolibaugh and the
Birds.
Dear Editor:

Dear Editor:
As wrote a story on birds last year
thought would write again this year
as I know much more about birds now
than did then. for we wrote stories
on different birds this year in school
and have a new bird book named
"Bird Guide" and it tells about birds
east Of the Rockies.
This year I have seen almost twice
as many birds as last year.
The first bird I saw this year was
the meadow lark, March 8, near
meadow, on my way to school.
Then, March I saw black crow
and March II red headed wood
pecker.
The robin and the bluebird which
are supposed to be the first birds to
come in the spring l saw on March IL
and March ii, and have seen the nests
and eggs of each later. The robins
eggs are blueish green and the blue
birds eggs are a pale blue.
On March II | saw dOwny wood
pecker. sparrow hawk and a flock OF
wild ducks.
On March 20 / saw purple grackle,
or blackbird ,as it Is commonly called.
There is a nest in peach tree IN our
orchard.
On March "a ! saw flock OF Wlld
geese and chicken hawk.
On March rs noticed chickadee.
About this time saw blue Jay.
There are two nests in our yard. | do
not like the blue jay very well. one
day saw them chasing squirrel ana
again 1t seemed to be worrying an
oriole.
On March 80 I saw flicker and did
know where nest was with some III
tie ones in It,. The nest was in a renee
post in an orchard. My father often
calls these birds yellow hammers.
On April saw the red winger
blackbird.
On April Is I saw a hairy wood
pecker and phoebe and you can tell
the phoebe when 1t is near because IT
calls its name.
On April IA Jaw quail but sup
pose they had been here all winter,
but this Is the first I have seen after
starting my bird calendar.
On April % saw dickcissed and
this bird is sometimes called a black
throated bunting. This bird seems to
say, "Chip, chip, chee-chee-chee." It Is
mostly gray with some yellow, black,
white, and little brown.
On April % saw turtle dove.
These birds are very lazy about build
ing their nests I should think. 1t is NOT
mitch OF a nest.
On April 90 saw brown thrashef,
or brown thrush, as most people call
it. and know where four nests at these
birds are.
On April 80 saw cardinal. It Is
rosy red in color but has little black
around it's bill. The cardinals are nice
singers.
On April 81 saw house wren.
Last year there was house wren's
nest In a box we put up for 1t.
On May l I saw bank swallow.
On May 2 I saw Baltimore oriole
flying around in the maple trees In
our yard. Later it built a nest and
every day we see them.
On May 8 I saw an American gold
finch. A few days later saw flock
of them In the Eddyville school yard
On May 8 I saw the red bellied
woodpecker.
On May ~ I saw a rose breasted
grosbeak.
On May Is saw a catbird. There is
pair of catbirds In our garden and
I think there is nest somewhere, but
cannot find 1t.
When saw the white breasted nut
hatch on May 20 it was going down the
tree head first. ...
On May 20 I saw the yellow throated
vireo flying to its nest in maple tree
on our farm. IN.
On May 20 saw kingbfrd. These
birds are very noisy birds.
On May % saw slate colored
junco perched on a fence near the
ground.
On May % I saw the black capped
vireo. The vireos are small birds.
The last bird noticed before school
closed we're the tree and chipping spar
row on May 49, have seen the Eng
lish sparrow.
There are some birds / saw last
year that did not see this year, but
think will see them before the sum-
mer Is over.
Our home is called THE Naples"
and think there are about two hun
dred to three hundred naples on the
place Many Of the birds have men
toned have there homes in these
maple trees.
I like birds, and can tell many of
them by their songs or calls.
A Junior friend,
Esther .Bolibaugh, aged 10.