Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1922-04-13
A LETTER ABOUT BIRDS.
Fairmont. W. Va.

notes on birds in this weeks Register.
HIS observations arc Of considerable
interest 70 me, since speat many
pleasant hours rambling about Shep-
herdstown studying birds when | at,
tended Shepherd College. Our prin-
eipal, Thomas c. Miller, who lives near
me here in Fairmont at the present
time, was an enthusiastic bird lover.
He had placed in the library number
OF excellent bird books. Some of them
contain the best illustrations of our
common birds have ever seen.
| would SO out on woodland rambles.
make notes and then study these illus
trauonS and descriptions on my re-
turn. ! we'll remember the first tima
| discovered a song sparrow. He sat
amongst some willows singing near the
old Morgan home, and not far from
the Norfolk & Western Railway tracks.
Since then the song sparrow has been
one Of my near friends and acauaint
ances.
| noticed in the Register few years
ago an article on the startling, which
had made its appearance in Eastern
United States. | watched for tho
startling until last summer. Along in
June was rewarded by seeing a num-
Der of starlings spend an evening
sailing over our suburb. recognized
them by the previous description in
the Register. have seen nothing Of
them since that time.
notice the following in my notes of
March IS, 1912, while attending Shep,
herd College:
To-day took cold, took an examina-
ton in geometry, and at p. m.
took walk-went rambling and bird
studying south of Shepherdstown My
first bird was a crow. The crows have
remained here all winter. saw
great hocks of them in January fol-
lowing the teams at a distance along
the highways. They seemed nearly
famished. The crow is a common sort
OF fellow, yet his good old "caw"
brings back many pleasant memories
Going into cedar thicket dis
covered a large downy woodpecken
Pecking away in tree some distance
from the ground. After he had gone
climbed up to investigate and found
the marks where his bill had delved
into the bark and beneath it, This is
really beautiful bird, with his black
and white stripes and his great white
stripe down the back. His downy,
fluffy appearance is pleasing and on
a cold day makes one feel that he is
we'll protected. On going some dis
lance farther discovered a smaller
downy. He was SO intent on his work
that | watched him from a distance
of Is feet. He went round and round
the limb, pulling and pecking. Some,
times he would pull very hard, and |
suppose he got something to eat at
each hard pull. He appeared to eat
at least a dozen insects in half as
many minutes. Certainly the number
of harmful insects destroyed by these
birds is enormous. One thing re.
markable about the downy is that he is
always busy-at least never saw
him idle. saw two slate colored cat
birds but did not get to study them,
One beautiful bluebird flew up and
perching in a willow tree poured out
that well-known sweet song so hard
to describe.
Several crow blackbirds flew here
and there. They seem to fly so easily
with their long slim bodies cutting
the air. Their song or call is not 50
very pleasant, but guess they mean
well. Two killdeers, the first | have
seen this year, flew along with theig
plaintive peep peep, and with their
swallow-like wings spread out. Sew,
eral song sparrows, whose name and
identity I have just today learned, en-
gagged my attention.
"The sweetness of the song sparrow
notes is not at all in accord with the
dull coat of the bird, and is really
neutrality-suspicious. seems to
be his call note. He has also sever,
al other notes and songs. Robins are
numerous everywhere, having made
their appearance some time ago. A
white robin, probably an albino, has
been seen near here, but ! have not
yet discovered him q later saw him a
number of timesl. ! have been in.