White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1919-02-09
Birds We Should KnoW
THE BLUE BIRD.
VII

green shell cases of winter and are
hanging out OF the fluffy gray fringe
on the willows, lcok for the next
sign of spring, the bluebird. This is
he most loyable bird in all the bird
families that visit this part of the
country. First of all the migrating
feathered friends to appear In the
spring and the last to leave as II
cold of approaching winter claims
the northern homes.
What more welcome sight than
these beautiful little creatures that
flash about even before the last snow
has disappeared, looking like small
flakes that have dropped from the
sky above. Here is the true bird
neighbor. He seems to know that
he must arrive early in order TO cap
ture the first hardy insect OF the
s The bluebird takes 1t o
granted that his work is appreciated
and if the wise tiller of the soil bias
prepared a house for his birdsh1p,
he will Immediately inspect the
premises and linger in the neigh
borhood to await the coming OF a
mate. The males of the bluebird al
most without exception arrive In a
locality first. the more somber col
ored females ARRIVING several days
later. Then begins the choosing of
mates. and one who is interested
enough to have a small house for the
visitors will surely be entertained by
watching tins mate-choosing and
general contests for homes.
The writer and a neighbor have
up little houses on poles high
enough to be out Of reach of the de-
structive honse-cat and here each
the bluebirds come to raise
several little broods.
Any handy boy can build a. bird
Just prepare a small box
about 6 by 10 inches with a tight
slanting roof. Bore two holes In
front of the box about one and one
half inches in diameter and nail on
a small shelf for a landing in front
Of the holes. The most important
hing is 10 erect the bird house In
such a that the cat will not
able to climb up to the nest and
eat the young birds. One plan is
o fasten each side of the house to
.ong narrow strips, s%pringing them
.ogether at the base and fastening
o a piece of timber firmly planted
n the ground. The support must be
strong enough to hold the house up
n a heavy wind, but too small for
/ a to climb. Another plan is to
lail the bird house TO the side of
/ barn or against the house.
The person who once prepares a
bird house will ever after he a friend
o the bluebird. Sparrows often se-
ect these houses for homes. but If
he bluebird has onee built its nest
a particular house. the sparrow
a small chance of occupying
t. The busy little sparrow will
)erch on the roof and send out his
.,hattering call TO his mate, but be-
tore the more timid mate arrives,
here will be a dash from a nearby
perch as the bluebird darts so close
20 Mr.. Sparrow that he ducks his
nervousness. Two or three of these
flashing nose-dives from the blue
flying expert discourages the spar
row and he looks for a home more
easily obtained. Any old place will
do for the sparrow family, but the
bluebird must have a protected home
like the bird house or a hole In some
tree. When the home is won either
from a daring sparrow or another
.bluebird, and the mate has consented
to occupy IL, the pair can be seen
carrying small pieces Of dried grass
for the foundation OF the nest, and
later long strands of horse hair for
the lining. Housekeeping soon be-
gins and the little pale blue eggs,
three to six in number, are soon laid
Now the parent birds are never seen
together, n Of them is always at
home sitting or the eggs while the
other forages for food. II is amaz-
ing sometimes to notice the change
of shifts. and the little quarrels that
occur. generally when the male bird
is returning. sometimes the brill
liant master of the house will land
on the perch before tho door and
will not enter Immediately but will
make short flies back and forth,
when suddenly the female will dart
out of the entrance and attack him
yciously. A very little of this is
enough for the frivolous fellow and
he soon slides through the entrance
to take his turn at incubation.