The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1919-08-28
Evening Chat
Have Returned.

The grapes are hanging ripe on the
vines now, but It is not of grapes that
l started out to tell you but / am
Just using them as a means of intro
ducing our beloved pair of Cardinals
which believe were brought back by
the grapes.
Several weeks ago this pair of scar
let songsters suddenly disappeared
and we did not at first feel alarmed
as At this time Of the year they had
been known to disappear for a couple
Of weeks and we presume had gone to
the wheat fields there to get their llv-
ing easily from the stacks of hay and
wheat. But when the two weeks drag
ged into three then into four and 50
on We became alarmed and fec red
some accident had befallen our friends,
as we could not believe they would
actually desert US after we had pro-
vided food. shelter and comfort for
them throughout period of three
years or more. We grieved for then,
end listened each day for their return.
Our only hope then for their return
was that they would remember our
grape arbors and when they were ripe
would return for their feast of grapes.
The other day when we discovered the
grapes were ripe we took fresh hop.
and this faith was rewarded yester-
day when we heard chirp which was
nnmistakably our cardinals and imme-
date search revealed them Nperched
atop of their favorite arbor greedily
1eyouring the luscious fruit. They are
very fond of grapes and spend hours
each day eating them until you wonder
where they find room to store SD
much.
These birds have such wonderful
personality that We know they are
the same pair that we have watched
and loved through these years. have
seen many cardinals since these came
to us but they do not look the Same
TO me and believe could pick our
pair out from dozens of the same spe-
cies Our mail bird is unusually beau
tiful and shapely and his head is
crowned with brilliant topnot while
his mate is undoubtedly the sauciest.
perkiest little creature imaginable
and she rules Ter supposed to be
lord and master too.
We have frequently watched these
birds when nesting time came and they
would be trying to locate a place for
their nest. Invariably the female
bird had her way and the place she
seemed to prefer was where the mes.
was built. And why not Was not she
the one to sit upon this nest for the
time required to hatch her young? To
be sure the male bird is the most at
tentiye husband in\ the world and
watches the nest when his mate is
on for exercise and food and brings
her the daintiest of worms and other
Insects while she is nesting, He how
ers around her by day and perches
near her by night and If danger ap-
proaches bears his share of the bur
den. When the birdlets are Matched
and on the wing he is the most devot.
ed OF fathers and really seems to take
more care Of his family than does His
mate. When the time comes that
they must be forced out to fend for
themselves he sticks to them long after
the mother. bird shuns their company.
One thing that gives the cardinals
personality is the fact that they ara
80 unalike in appearance. They both
have topnots but the male birds is
bright scarlet while the female ia n
soft grey tinted with red. It is hard
to tell which is the prettier of the two
There Is SO little difference in the
looks OF male or female thrush.
flicker, oriole and many of the other
birds that 1t is difficult to distinguish
them.
Another thing about the cardinals
that distinguish them from other birds
is the fact that the female bird as well
as the male bird is beautiful singer
and 1t Is difficult to tell which sings
the prettier. This pair OF ours are
unusually beautiful singers aud whe,,
The nesting time comes the female bird
sits on her nest and sings her sweet.
est to her mate, who from the nearby
branch OF tree answers her In notes
equally as melodious.
While our hearts are gladdened Al
the return Of our scarlet songsters yet
they are saddened at the thought of
the departure for the season at least
of many Of our other bird friends. They
are gradually departing and soon this
pair Of cardinals will be all the song
sters left TO us. The orioles have
5een gone for some time, we see only
~ occasional sat bird and most of the
wood ihrishes have also flown, though