Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-03-28
Suggested Program
For Observance Of
Bird DaY April Ia

Bird Day April IA
The first public Bird day in Maine.
April S, 1921. in accordance with the
proclamation of Governor Baxter, was
generally observed throughout the
State, special exercises appropriate to
the day being given by bird clubs and
other organizations as well as in the
schools and much good was. derived
J therefrom. Bird day will this year be
observed on Friday, April IA.
The Department OF Inland Fisheries
and Game in response to numerous in
qurics from officials of bird clubs,
teachers etc, for suggestions AMI ma
!: terial for use in arranging exercises
for April S. 1921, outlined program.
offering to supply copies OF poems sug-
gestcd therein. as well as any ether
data it could TO aid in observance of
the day.
This program was issued through
the press and to individual correspond
: ents and the requests were SO numer-
Gus that the department decided to in
corporate in its report for the year
1921 Bird day programme give
poems, etc, in full-as is done in
other states.
Il Owing to the change in the fiscal
year of the state by the last Lesisla-
turc the department report will not be
issued until June, 19oo-tht end of
the first new fiscal ycar--too late &c be
Of service in Bird day observance this
year. consequently no special bulletin
is available. but the department has
outlined the following program and
Will be glad. as last year to furnish
copies of the poems and such other
material as may he available:
Reading Of Governor Bakers Bird day
proclamation
Music:
Suggestions : The Mocking BIRD,
Spring Song, Birds Return.
poem
Suggcstions-The Birds a Spring
POEM. Spring Time, Welcome TO
the Birds
Essay, Early Spring. II. J. Thoreau
Poem. The Song sparrow, Van Dyke
Paper or discussion. Birds Are Nat
ural Protectors of the Trees
Incorporate in this paper or dis
cussion the following list of birds es-
pccially beneficial to forests. giving
brief sketch Of their habits and food.
Pileated Woodpecker. Arctic Three
toed Woodpecller. Hairy Woodpcckcr.
Downy Woodpecker., Flicker, Red-hcad-
i Cd Woodpecker. Nuthatch. Chickadee.
Brown Creeper, American Threc-toed
Woodpccllcr.
Poem, Tho Tree. joyce K!lmer
Thr"e-mjnute Talks: The Human Side
of Birds Birds | Have Known per
sonal observations Of a few pupils
or club members)
Paper or discussion, Birds, the Farm
ers Friends"
Last year under this heading the
Marsh Hawk. Black-cappcd ChickaGec.
Yellow Warbler. Juuco. Elack and
White Creeping Warbler. Flicker.
Robin. Eiucbird. Swallow and Rose
breasted Grosheak, were rccomrlc ndcd
for study. as these birds are helpful to
the farmerD
List of birds in this category sug-
sos ted for f3,r, d lis this year:
nal food. practically all insects,
!: lars, flies. wasps and spiders and criclS-
cts. Principal food. gIrasshoppers:
ground beetles. Vegetable food. weed
and other hard seeds and small amount
of grain eaten principally in winter
and early spring. therefore waste ker-
: nels, Seeds Of weeds. ragweed, barn
yard grass and smartweed. eaten from
November to April inclusive. rest Of
year replaced by insects. More than
half of the meadowlark's food consists
4
is composed of either noXious weeds
or waste grain.
Phoebe. Subsists almost exclusively
upon insects. most of which are caugh,
upon the wing. Insects belonging
chiefly to the noxious species.
Baltimore Oriolc. Principal food
catcrpillars. beetles. bugs. ants. wasps.
5rasshoppers and some spiders
Wrcns. In food habits wrcns are en-
'irclE beneficial the house wren par
ucularly living upon animal food
alonc-9S per cent. of their food being
insects and their allies. grasshoppers.
beetles. caterpillars. bugs and spiders ::
; per cent of their food vegetable in
GLIDING bits of grass and similar mat
ter, evidently taken by accident with
! the insects.
Brown Thrasher. ca per cent. of its
;. food is BEETLES gra shoppers caterpil-
lars. bugs and spiders.
Sparrows. While sparrows are noted
seed eaters they do not confine them
selves to a vegetable diet. Through
the summer especially during the
breeding season. many insects are
eaten. injurious beetles grasshoppers.
wasps, etc. and some potato bug lavae.
Eevctahie food limited to hard seeds,
gross and weed seed seeds.
This memorandum Of food OF the
above named birds has been compiled
from data secured b. the United states
J department Of agriculture. from exam
ination of stomachs of the various
birds.
ESffclSc Inc BIRD CLOCK.
This may be made a very effective
and interesting part OF the program.
Here the boys can eXcnlplify their
knowledge of the various bird calls.
The poem should be read by ono Ct the
older pupils who is a good readcr-a
boy or boys in the rear of the school
room to give the calls at the proper
pauses by the reader
| Sample Stanza.
THE night fades. all is hushed:
The paling sky is like a sheet of can
vas waiting color:
Even the air is cXpectant.
Suddenly from the nipples comes an
experimental whistle.
Then confidently.
'Cheerio. Cheerio--quick. quick, quick
(The song Of the cardinal to be imi.
tated here.)
The light grows stronger the breeze
| springs up:
A catbirds liquid melody
Splashcs down from the treetops in
sprinkle of silvery notes
The sun is in the sky"
| (The song of the catbird 10 be imi-
tated here)
Paper. What Constitutes True Sports
man.
Poem. The Birds Picnic.
Address By Some official, noted nat
uralist. or papers by various members