Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1939-01-10
Bird Corner
Conducted by the Henderson
Bird Club
By MISS GARNETT MYERS

luce a new bird lover and enthusiast,
Raw Goodrich, Jr. What an interest
ing hobby for boy! Why don't more
Of you boys and girls adopt birds for
your hobby? There is no more whole
some and enjoyable way to spend
your leisure time. It would fill your
whole lie with color, action, beauty
and ioy You would never tire of
your hobby for once you become in
tcrcg-ed you will be an enthusiastic
bird lover all your life.
Ihis is what Ray, Jr., has to say
about birds:
After studying the birds for seve-
ral d VS. 1 realized that I had a good
chance to pass off my Bird Study
Merit badge so I began to give more
time to it, I became so absorbed and
nterlS.cl shat Mother began to COM
pain hat I was neglecting everything
else between you and me she was
just as interested as I wasl.
One bird 1 have identified which
quite a few people have heard but
seldom seen is the Barred Owl. Nat
uialy l didn't see this one in my
yard. This bird is found in the deep
quiet places. You will recognize his
call The minute you hear it. It is
long "whooooo" and sound as if he
might be questioning your right to in
wade his privacy
The finch family of birds is the larg
est in the world, some 1900, two
hundred of which are represented in.
he United States. These birds
are very helpful to the farmer
Four names have been applied to this
group,-Buntings Grosbeaks, Spar
rows and Finches. To the fellows
who received guns Christmas and
those who already have guns and
claim that they don't shoot anything
but English sparrows, I would like
10 say this, do you really know an
English Sparrow when you see it?"
To the inexperienced observer a num-
Der of different kinds of birds may
appear to be English Sparrows. So
go to the Library look up the bird to
make sure and after you have started
feel sure you will become so inter-
ested and apprecia.ive of the good
work the birds do you will stop shoot
ing them altogether.
Yellow bellied sapsuckers, flickers,
bluebirds, purple finches, knocking
birds, chickadees, and white breast
ed nuthatches have all been visitors
in my yard since the first of Deem
her. Downy woodpeckers have also
been around. Brewers blackbird is a.
very striking looking bird and one
/ have only seen twice. He makes
his home around farmhouses and is
shiny black, with a throat of purplish
pink. He has bluish-green feathers
on the upper parts of his wings. This
bird walks instead Of hopping about.
There are so many interesting
things 1 could tell you about birds
that I don't know where to stop. If
you boys have an idea that being in
terested in birds is Sissy, then get
SISSY" and have the time OF your
life!
Kept out of school by injuries to my
knee which made it necessary to put
my right leg in a cast, there has been
little I could do except try to keep
up with my lessons. I was afraid
that was going to have pretty dull
time of it as I love to wander through
the woods and take part in games
of all kinds, but I have passed the
time away quickly with the fascinat-
ing study of birds.
One morning 1 noticed that the yard
was full of birds Watching them
more closely, I was surprised to find
that I could name only a few and
Immediately became interested in
identifying those I did not know. A
friend had sent me a pair of field
hi rd RI on11
tain me so 1 lost no time getting them
out. With the help Of this splendid
book birds of America)) I have
identified about forty different kinds
of birds in the last several weeks with
out going out of the house. The red
berries of the dogwood trees attract
ed them to my yard in throngs.
An interesting bird I was surpris-
ed to see in my yard was the Morning
Dove. The outst anding characteristic
of this bird is it's call which has been
said to be a call of love and devotion
or of deep sorrow, according to the
listeners mood.
Three handsome cardinals visited
my yard today. The high crown and
flaming red of the cardinals body
makes a brilliant picture. He is an
Industrious bird and easy to iden-
tify.
The Carolina Wren is friendly
little bird, never sitting still but al
ways jumping about or scratching in
the leaves. The first day I saw this
bird he " sitting on the drain pipe
of the house. When David, my little
brother, yelled at him he jumped
down in the drain pipe and hid be
hind a leaf. Lately, when he is sit
ting on the window sill you can go to
the window and he will not be dis
turbed He is one of the birds that
eats the suet / have in the yard for
them.
There are great number of jun
cos, better known as snowbirds
around here. At times there have
been as many as thirty-five or forty
in the yard at one time. They are