Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1935-10-11
The Naturalist's Column
(By Frazer G. Poole)

The woods are bright with color
The birches along the creek r al
most bare and the few leaves tina
are left are a riot of yellow ant
red. The gums, too, have take1
on their fall dress, and the brillian
red of their leaves contrasts vivid
ly with the nearby yellow of tn
beeches and naples. Autumn i
with us again, and with it, the an
nouncement that 'win1er follow
close behind.
On the great Atlantic flyway
passing hordes of migrating water
fowl fill the night air with clango
and cry. Perhaps no sight so stir
that which is primal in man as doe
hat of the great V-shaped wedge
of geese that every year make theil
pilgrimage from the Arctic to tn
south. Nature has no more males
tic sight to offer than that of
flock of geese flying high above
the earth, their fleeing forms out
lined sharply against the red gole
of an autumnal sunset. 1t is small
wonder that Petersen, seeing the
JOYOUS freedom of that hurting
flight, wrote:
Ozark flying rune against the
western glow
1t tells the sweep and lone
illness of things,
Symbol of Autumn vanished
long ago.
Symbol of coming spring."
There are other birds, however,
that are not so evident and yet
whose presence is known to those
who watch closely the comings and
goings in the bird world. Moving
southwark in. the night, feeding
quietly during the day, thsy are
just as much a part of our migrat-
ing bird life as the waterfowl. For
the past few weeks the warblers
have been with us. Coming from
the northern part of the United
States they have filled our woods
with their fitting forms and flash
ing colors. Over forty of the wood
warblers either live in North Caro-
lima or at some time of the year
pass through it. The dainty parula
warbler that makes his home In
the northern forests passes through
during the latter part of September
Its numbers are small, but if one
watches closely the birches along
some stream he will find them not
uncommon. The redstarts are more
than common. From the middle of
September to the middle of Octo-
Der, one can find them busily fit
ting about among the tree tops,
their salmon pink bodies and black
flashing wings conspicuous in the
PIPER branches. Here, too, one may
see, if he is observant, the compare
lively rare Cape May warbler
Small, exquisitely colored with ru-
fous, black and yellow, they are
perhaps the most beautiful of all
American warblers. These feather
ed Jewels are fond of water, and it
may be hat along n stream you
may find six or eight species, al
busily engaged in cleaning insects
and bugs from the leaves and bark
of the trees in which they are feed.
ing. Look for them and you will
be rewarded with arr glimpses Of
bird life tbst few are ever priv
legged to see.
Every evening the chimney
swifts flock by the hundreds tt
roost in the chimneys of the Az
building. Wheeling, darting, ane
turning like some miraculou
acrobats, they drop in a few a
a time until finally they are al
gone. Soon they, too, will be leav
ing for the south. Where they g
for the winter no one knows. The.
leave our country to disappear TO
five months in an unknown land
We only know that they reappea
again in March, and that durin:
their absence, no civilized man ha
seen them.
By this time other birds hav
Joined u list of winter resident
Of this group the migrant shrik