Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1921-03-10
Some Winter Birds.

do no recall. ever having seen the
smaller members OF the family OF
woodpeckers On which We hnI the
hairy and the downy wOodpeckers) en-
gagged in killing insects on the ground;
indeed the few times have seen any
of these trunk working birds actually
on the ground have been around the
trees wherein ! have established fee
boxes-for these industrious lit;le
fellows are not above accepting some
few choice sunaower seeds to round
out and top off meal composed OF in
sect fare. Where some seeds have fal-
len to the ground have seen them
leave the tree trunks, descending 10
pick them up.
During the summer have never
Witnessed a hairy or a downy wood
pecker on the ground. But the same
is hardly true of the golden-winged
woodpecker. commonly known as the
flicker While il is well-ftted by
nature for tree work, like all members
of the species, still ants constitute
its principal fare. II you have ever
Witnessed a flicker delving and probing
in an ant hole you have witnessed ami
nation headed with a capital A. ! re-
call with a smile the first time had
the honor of seeing this beautiful bird
at this strange task of filling up On
ants Ny first glance showed me
the flicker, but what IL was engaged
in doing was a mystery. He was en-
ergetica.ly lettering up and down with
his head saw his bill driven into
the ground until felt sure that the
bill and everything back Of it would
soon be relentlesslv imprisoned. La
ter, when he had flown went to the
place and by digging down discovered
that it was an ant hole the fellow hal
been enlarging, and it required but
the putting of one and one together 10
ascertain the reason. Some time later
Obtained a specimen of this va
riey of bird from a youthful scamp
who had slain it with a sling shot made
from the inner tube OF a bicycle tire
and upon cutting open the stomach
and studying the contents discovered
to my amazement that il was quite full
OF large ants. Observation in later
years has given me reason to believe
that this member of the wpodpeck-
er family is one of the deadiest enc
mics Of the ants.
All OF the winter birds are ex-
pressly fond of suet. | have fastened
some parts of this delectable bird
food $50 easily acqured) to the tree
outside the kitchen door, and more
in the oak by the shed. In the black
oak by the door | have hung up three
heads of sunflower seeds, and in the
protected box by the shed have
placed the shelled seeds. The birds
visit the boxes and the suet, coming
from miles around. it would seem, and
when they have had their full pro.
coed to the trees 10 fill up again on the
insect mites and eggs which they con-
sumo in such vast quantities. Men who
profess to have an Illuminating inner
knowledge of just how many insects
bird can do away with in one, or in
a given hour, assure me that the little
black-capped chicadee consumes the
mere, matter Of five thousand plant-lice
eggs in one hour. This does not sur
prise me in the least Sufficient in il
self to say that from careful watch Of
these vivacious little feathered bundle
OF Joy | can truly add my confirmation
to the above estimate. There is hard
ly one bird that puts in more time on
the trees in the winter than the chica-
dee.
can always tell when a stranger
puts in his appearance at my feed
box. There may have been silence
before one or two seeds have been
Pecked open and the meats gobbled
down. but Immediately thereafter a
jocund voice will break upon the win =,
try stiffness that would cause most am
one to turn. The feeling of surprise
and unutterable delight upon finding
such select morsels of food within so
easy reach no doubt tckles the wee.
small chicadee soul through and
through. Then they will at once "give
thanks" by pouring out a most ridi-
culous burble of music, turning around
the limb in fighty exuberance; and
even standing on their ears-if NAV
be permitted to say | have now come
to believe that the vistants at nv
bird box not only sing sweeter songs
but ] am sure there is not one tree
on the place that has not been pick
DOCketcl and Heeced ~ lie ;oeoo. iro