The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1922-06-15

conntry. .
In the previous year boy and i
counted three hundred and sixty holes
made by bank swallows between Mar
ten Stream and the bridge at hinck-
ley, on both sides OF the river
MEADOW LARKS
cannot tell just how long 1t is
since the frst meadow larks were
seen at Good Will. l. have lived in
my present home since the beginning
of Good VIII In 1889. had been
here ten or twelve years before the
first bird of this species appeared.
In Connecticut had been familiar
with them and their coy ways. their
Characteristic walk and their inabil-
ity to hop and their interesting call
which we boys always translated into
"you-can't-see-me.'
In Rhode Island, | had followed
them. where they were known as
Marsh Quail and where they were
hunted for food the same as the Bob
White. quail, and | had often wished
that they were part of the bird life
of Good Will and Somerset County
One morning in early spring |
thought ] heard the note of one of these
birds beyond the barn at Willow
wood. FASTENED across the road
and around the corner; the bird whose.
voice had heard was on a telegraph
pole He seemed to see me at the
same instant that discovered him,
and looking at me, he issued hif salu
| tatipn-"You-can't- see-me" state
ment to which | took exception for
Could not only see him but | had JOY
| in. the long delayed vision. He had
not changed his voice or his greeting
or his appearance in all the years that
had elapsed.
feared he might prove to be only
a. temporary visitor, but he and his
mate decided to stay with us and soon
settled down to the seasons actiyi-
! ties.
l. was greatly pleased. If one pair
| Of meadow larks could successfully
| summer with us. why could not more
| than one pair, and 80 it was an ex-
| pertinent, upon which much depended,
| 1t CHANGED that we had Il household
cat whose name was Jim; Jim was
| the mother of four kittens who re
! 1uired much food and Jim seemed to
1 think tile best was none too good. One
morning Jim stalked across the road
| In front of the house with a half
| grown meadow lark in her jaws, and
II was dead; before sun1et that night
| Jim brought over six more little
meadow larks. do not think this
bird ever lays but seven eggs and so
the entire brood had been wiped out
In one day. | suspected that the par
! ent birds would go elsewhere the next
| season; but they came back the fol-
4 lowing spring or another pair came in
its place. and since then the meadow
| larks have been with us every sum-
mer. In 1920 flock of nineteen was
seen In field and in the afternoon
j Of the same day twenty-three were
i counted in a flock but whether the
i nineteen were included in the larger
dock could not be determined.
/ Now that they have become regu-
4 Ter summer visitants they seem in
i clined to prolong their stay beyond
y their present powers OF endurance
In the winters they have stayed with
lis until the last days of December
and whether they then travelled to a
warmer country or succumbed to the
cold we do not know. The week after
Christmas. in 1921, one of these birds
seemingly ambitious to try winter
sports" in Somerset County, was
found not far from the Seton Fire
4 Place; 1t was a bitter cold morning
n the bird seemed to be numb. and was
u picked up and brought to me by boy
/ hn Of In ,rI ste II
u ing almost at right angles to its body
\ y, held 1t in one hand stroking its
Il Back with the other hand. While
!, Mas deciding, what, could do to save
! It; the bird suddenly left my hand
ana with its characteristic movement
Of wing, made long flight toward the
Roosevelt Bird Sanctuary. Its rea
fate cannot be known
] YELLOW HAMMER
No bird in the Good Will woods is
more industrious-no bird attends tC
his own business in more commend
able fashion-than the bird of many
names--the yellow Hammer" Ellie.
i ker," High Filler" High Holder,
| Pigeon Woodpecker," Golden wing
cd Woodpccker." OF the farmer, and
the bird lover, and the Picus Auratus
of the scientist. Prof. Dallas Lore
Sharp thinks that the Yellow Hammer
Is simple minded, mentally deficient tc
a degree bordering on idiocy; believe
he cites cases where this bird hat
pecked hole. of the regulation vel.
low hammer size, through the end OF
a great barn, hoping and expecting to
reach. at the end of the hole. a cosy
I place for nest; where he has dulleI
his bill trying to dig a hole into a gal.
vanized gutter pipe and other foo
stunts, but. while the yellow hammer
may be lacking intellectually stout.
~ maintain that he is industrious, fru-
gal, and devoted to his mission in life
He pays no attention to what other
birds are doing: he ignores the move
ments of men, even though they come
dangerously near to him; whether he
is digging to the heart OF a tree to
make nesting place, for him; elf and
mate. or extracting a grub from a half
decayed stump. or filing his crop with