Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1915-06-03

blue eggs and later the awkward little oa-
bieS that kept the parent birds so busy
filling mouths that ever opened. 1hi:
brood, too, came out early, and while
they were yet unable to provide for them
selves Mrs. Robin started building another
nest just around the corner of the house
while Father Robin faithfully dug ou
worms and hunted up bugs for their new
er-failing appetites. 1t is always inter
esting to see him as with eye and ear he
locates the unlucky earthworm and draws
it out and carries it 10 his waiting chill
dren, so greedy yet SO Dovable.
Almost as interesting as the redbirds
is the home making OF pair OF dear and
dainty little song SparrowS, always rec
equitable by the characteristic shield
upon their breast. They constructed a
cunning little nest OF grasses in our hon
eysuckle hedge, and though at first il
seemed cleverly concealed, once il was
located its nearnesS TO the porch showed
that its builder was not afraid OF Observer
or his family. The speckled brown eggs
were Matched out in due time, and now
both parents are busy providing for three
hungry little mouths. What keen, bright
eyes these birds must have to find insects
sufficient for their own needs and TO sup
ply the youngsters too. Mother Sparrow
is always on the search, but the father
bird must stop now and then to trill his
high, sweet song, than which there is no
clearer, lovelier note.
The catbirdS are here, too-and they
deserve better name, for such music,
such range OF expression, such con-
slant, ever changing song, such pert,
saucy cheerfulness, entitle them to more
aristocratic nomenclature. They have
their nest in tree adjoining the cardi-
nails second nest, and truth compels the
confession that they are very unneigh-
borly. Only yesterday morning Mrs.
Cardinal and Mr.. Catbird had a pitched
battle, which, by the way, she easily
won.
A bit more shy, but no less sweet in
the quality of song, are the Baltimore
orioles, which have built in taller tree
near by. They are so cunning that ii
takes sharp eyes to find their nest, and ii
maybe il will remain hidden until the
leaves fall next autumn. But we know
it's very near, for the male bird sings
close around il all day long. There seem
TO be more orioles than usual this year.
The cemetery has numbers OF them and
there are several nests right along the
Main street in town. Is it true that orr
oles always build on the north side Of the
tree There seem to be few exceptions
to this rule.
How welcome the house wren isl en-
ME Wren, busy and pert and familiar.
She has taken up her quarters in a little
box on Observers back porch especially
put up for her, and she accepts it as her
natural right. An opening door through
which persons pass very frequently has
no terrors for her-she knows her friends
and trusts them. Mr.. Wren just at pres
ent has nothing to do but sing for her,
and, honestly, we fear sometimes that he
will burst his little throat. In few days
now he'll be busy hunting bugs for his
children, but even that will not keep him
from letting out his soul in song. Just
suppose that human being had voice
in proportion to that OF the wren
The blue jays and the flickerS, which
are naturally birds of the woods, h~e
come to town in great numbers. ObSer-
yer saw nine blue jays in one noisy party
earlier in the spring, and within stones
throne OF his home are several neSts-one
OF them only ten or fifteen feet above the
sidewalk where people are passing almost
every minute in the day. The blue jay
has bad reputation, and none OF his bird
neighbors have any confidence in him
II must be true that he destroys, their eggs
when he gets chance. Nevertheless he
is very beautiful fellow, and with all hi:
faults we love him still. The flickers
seem TO be growing more sociable, anc
there are good many of them around
We have an idea that both the blue jays
and the flickerS remain here all winter,
for we saw them at intervals all through
the season.
The purple martens are among ouI
most welcome bird visitors, for their So
ciable chattering and graceful maneuvers
in the air make them always interesting
The town is full of them, for if you pu
up proper box for them they are cer-
tain to come and occupy it. Observer
has had a good-sized apartment house
for them for many years and they have
never failed to accept the hospitality Of
fered them. Next year they are to have
another mansion.
Space fails us to tell OF the blackbirdS,
the English spanows and other common
birds which, though unpopular, are never
theless interesting in their way; of the
raincrow or cuckoo, that slips in and out
of the trees so slyly; of the owls thai
have their nest in the hollow of a maple
next door; of the bulbat or nighthawk
that comes out in the evening; OF the