The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-05-21
COLD KEEPS BIRDS
BACK, Though FEW
Of SPECIES APPEAR
Unusual Movement Of Swamp
Sparrows Indicated by
Return After Years
By GA. STEVENS
North Dakota Agricultural Cole,

North Dakota Agricultural COLLEGE
Continued cold weather and few
new birds arriving is . familiar stor,
for the forepart Of May. It Is moi
less interesting that some birds con.
tinue to appear even though no large
numbers are seen. The writer noted
large flocks Of redwinged blackbirds
about May S, but not Of other species
A few more white. throated sparrows
appeared. but still not In large num-
bers. Myrtle warblers seemed to be
somewhat more common. A rather
unusual movement Of swamp sparrows
must have taken place, for q number
Of them appeared In the writer's traps
where they had not been taken be-
fore with the exception Of q single
bird two years ago.
The swamp sparrow is a close rel
alive Of the song sparrow and, rs the
name suggests, they are to be found
in the tall grass Or weeds near the
ponds and sloughs. They are some-
what smaller than the song spar
row and quite easily recognized BY
their distinctly reddish -brown backs
and the brown tinge in the gray Of
the sides. The top Of the head also
is quite red.
Lincoln Sparrow and Sapsucker
The Lincoln sparrow is another rel.
alive Of the song sparrow, but retir.
Ing in its habits and consequently not
we'll known. They r found in our
region quite abundantly about the
middle Of May and middle Of Sep.
TENDER. The bird is quite similar to
a song sparrow, but smaller and with
finer markings especially on the UNI
der parts. A buffy streak across the
top Of the breast is the chief dis
tinguishing mark. They were seen
at jamestown April "a and the writer
trapped one April ~. but only q few
had appeared by May 6.
YellOw-bellied sapSuckers seem to
have been q little more common than
usual. The close set rows Of squarish
holes which they make in the bark Of
various trees are very characteristic
and injurious to the trees. The writer
had occasion to observe once more the
interesting relation between the sap
sucker and myrtle warbler. The sap
sucker evidently had made holes In
several limbs of a cottonwood tree.
The warbler visited these places also,
either for the sap or for insects at.
tracted by it. The sapsucker wa kept
busy chasing the warbler which flew
to q different feeding place while his
pursuer stopped for q sip or two.
Everybody Knows Woodpecker
The common kinds Of woodpeckers
are quite easily identified, though they
often are confused. The downy is the
smallest, about half way between q
sparrow and a robin in size, to use the
familiar measuring stick. The hairy
is about the size of a robin. The sap
sucker Is between the downy and the
hairy in size and shows q greater
amount OF white in proportion to the
black markings. The males of both
the downy and hairy have q red tuft
OF feathers on top Of the head.
The sapsucker has more red on the
head and q red throat as well.
The red-headed woodpecker is quite
q different bird with large patches of
black and Of white, and with the head
all red. The downy and hairy are
with Vi in all seasons. The sapsucker
Is with us chiefly for a short time
during migrations, and the red.
headed Is . summer resident, arriving
the latter part Of May.