Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1919-02-06
California Birds and Rainfall
4476 Ampudia street,
Gov ninno CoIif


1 San Diego, Calf.
January 20, 1919.
lGentlemen:
1 1t is still almost as though one hard
| " had the right to write Of anything
/ save the war and that which is grow
ing out OF it.
/ Yet, absorbed as most minds are in
| the mighty events, it is Impossible
mot to have thoughts of the little
things which by habit we cannot help
observing. Sometimes we turn to
these as a solace or a refuge.
To birds, for instance! AS / wrote
last spring, there are no English spar
rows here-the Mnnet takes his place.
He is grayish green in color, about as
large as a canary. The males have
dull rose-red heads and breasts. He
lis ever present, living and building
about the houses. He has a twittering,
sweet song, is not forever quarreling
and makes a respectable and real
birds nest-not a bundle of straw
stuffed with hen feathers like the dis
reputable sparrow.
OF native sparrows there are many
kinds, but I miss the clear notes Of
the white threats and the homely,
sweet familiar notes OF the song spar
row. I am told that there are more
species of birds in California than a.
other state. Considering its size, ex-
tensive seacoast, it's variation in latl-
tude, altitude, Typography, rainfall and
temperature, the statements seems
plausible.
Nevertheless, there are many with
which we are familiar in Wisconsin
not present in this vicinity. 1t is like
taking something out of ones life not
to hear the wood thrush, the brown
thrasher or the veery, and you never
will know how much you think OF the
blue jay until you can't hear him.
A normal persons happiness could
hardly be complete without the rob-
ms. had begun to despair until about
three weeks ago, when they put in
their appearance. The mocking bird
helps to make up for the absence or
some Of our Wisconsin birds.
He is slim, tightfeathered, 1.-THE and
a Little elusive. He wants to be near
trees and builds in dense growths. He
seems to prefer to live near people
about as a house wren does, though
N other respects he is not at all Like
a wren. He sings out rather uncon-
cernedly, unabashed, a rich voice with
&c
There is an agreeable, slightly
mocking tone in his song reminding
one a very little of the cat bird-with
apologies to the former. He sings
complete song from a high place like
our brown thrasher, but he does not
measure and control it with such ex-
treme sweet precision.
Many people have O. wrong impress
sion about the "rainy season" in CALI
fornia. The "rainy season is merely
that season (the winter months) when
there is little more rain than no
rain at ALL We are right in the mid
die Of the "rainy season" now-and
there has not been any rain for a
month.
When one learns that the mean an
nual rainfall is 9.66 inches, and that a
part of this is in the spring, summer
and fall months, he can realize there
is not much left for the rainy sea-
son" extending from December to
April. To be accurate, according to
the government record extending over
a period of 68 years, there was an
average annual fall of 1876 inches for
January and February, 1.79 for De
cember, and LA for March, and in all
the other months less than one inch
each; that for June and July being
only .O6 of an inch each.
The rainfall varies greatly, how
ever, from year to year and month to
month. In 1863 it was only 1902 inches
and in 1884 it was 27,59 inches. This
January has been what the whole
country will be after next July first,
'.bone dry whereas in January, 1916,
there was 7.56 inches.
At another time I WILL If you like,
write about temperatures. We can
hardly realize that while tonight it is
As degrees above zero, in Baraboo it
may be 100 degrees colder than that.
Truthfully yours,
w. H. McFETRIDGE.