,illustration3 ,,strings ,,and ,,cotton ,,and ,,chicken ,,feathers ,,for ,,the ,,birds' ,,nestings 7,see page #ef7 ,,how ,,to ,,have ,,bird ,,neighbors ,,by ,s4 ,,louise ,,patteson ,,author ,,of 8,,pussy ,,meow1 ,,the ,,autobiography ,,of ,a ,,cat0 ,,and 8,,kitty-,,kat ,,kimmie1 ,a ,,cat',s ,,tale0 ,,photographs ,,by ,,the ,,author ,,cover ,,by ,,helen ,,babbitt ,,and ,,ethel ,,blossom ,d4 ,c4 ,,heath ,,and ,,company ,,boston ,,new ,,york ,,chicago ,,copyright1 #aiag1 ,,by ,s4 ,,louise ,,patteson #aah ,,dedicated ,,to ,,boys ,,and ,,girls ,,foreword ,this narrative of neighborship with birds is suggestive rather than exhaustive4 ,it aims not so much to inform the reader1 as to instill in him the desire to learn from the outdoors itself1 to know at first hand about the charms and the benefactions of birdlife4 ,the observing reader will supply what has been left unsaid1 and so experience the zest of initiative1 the joy of discovery1 in our mysterious and manifold bird-world4 ,s4 ,l4 ,p4 ,waldheim1 ,east ,cleveland1 ,ohio1 ,october1 #aiag4 ,illustration3 ,,suet ,,and ,,doughnuts ,,for ,,downy1 ,,corn ,,for ,,the ,,cardinal1 ,,cereal ,,for ,,the ,,song ,,sparrow ,,contents ,,page ,list of ,illustrations vii ,i4 ,my ,first ,bird ,neighbors #a ,,ii4 ,new ,adventures in ,birdland #aa ,,iii4 ,real ,troubles in ,birdland #ba ,,iv4 ,the ,bluebirds' ,bungalow #bh ,v4 ,the ,wrens' ,apartment ,house #cf ,,vi4 ,the ,boy #dd ,,vii4 ,the ,chimney ,swifts #fb ,,viii4 ,birds ,not of a ,feather #fh ,,ix4 ,the ,martins' ,aircastle #gh ,x4 ,more about the ,boy #ib ,,xi4 ,the ,cardinals #ajb ,,xii4 ,my ,bird ,family #aaj ,glossary #abc ,directions for ,making ,bird ,houses #abg ,index #acj ,illustration3 ,,goldfinch ,,feeding ,,babies ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations ,strings and cotton and chicken feathers for the birds' nestings ,frontis ,,page ,suet and doughnuts for downy1 corn for the cardinal1 cereal for the song sparrow v ,goldfinch feeding babies vi 8,oh1 where is ,mother80 viii ,the basin on the porch railing #a ,they were making that can into a bird home #d ,the baby robins #i ,one winter day a pigeon came in at an open window #aj ,vacant lots attract birds #aa ,the winter birds like peanuts and suet #ac ,when ,i did not have peanuts ,i gave the nuthatch doughnuts #ad ,the dear happy chickadee #ag ,the selfish nuthatch #bj ,cats belong on their own premises #ba ,the basin was ,bunny's looking glass #bb ,the genial gray squirrel #bg ,the return of the bluebird #bh ,sometimes she was just gliding through the entrance as he alighted on the housetop with a choice morsel for her #ca ,bluebird babies to feed and care for #cc ,the bluebirds moved into the pretty double house #cd ,rented for the summer #cf ,the small wren house in the pear tree #ci ,a baby wren on the window sill #dc ,bluebirds are great helpers in a garden #dd ,baby flicker peeps at the outside world #di ,mrs4 ,wood ,thrush on her nest #ea ,a killdeer's nest in a potato field #ec ,the bluebirds in their primitive home #ee ,every little while a goldfinch came to the 8store0 tree and got some string #eg ,the chimney swifts' temporary home #fj ,the flicker is also called golden-winged woodpecker #fa ,chimney swifts' nest #fb ,one of these ,swift babies was put to rest in the nest1 but he did not stay there long #fc ,a robin's nest #fh ,near the nest tree was a big stone which the redheaded woodpecker used as a perch #gd ,each little goldfinch called as loud as he could #gf ,a young goldfinch alighted on the clothes line #gg ,this martin scout brought a lady with him #gh ,the martins' aircastle #ha ,the home-coming of the martins #hg ,a great gathering in mid-air #ia ,a bath for birds and a lunch beside it #ib ,the crested flycatcher and a ,berlepsch house #ie ,kitty watching for mice #ih ,the new food house was visited by bluejays #ajj ,a feedery much liked by downy #aja ,a tree trimmed with peanuts for the birds #ajb ,the cardinal's favorite feedery #aje ,always ,mr4 ,cardinal came first and ate a while2 then she would follow #aji ,song sparrow #aaj ,mother ,oriole in the bath #aac ,so made that they can be easily opened after use and cleaned #aaf ,food house1 made out of waste materials #aah ,maybe they will fly to us1 instead of away from us #aba ,the birdies' policeman #abb ,the finished martin house #abh ,raising the martin house #abh ,illustration3 8,,oh1 ,,where ,,is ,,mother80 ,,how ,,to ,,have ,,bird ,,neighbors ,illustration3 ,,the ,,basin ,,on ,,the ,,porch ,,railing ,,how ,,to ,,have ,,bird ,,neighbors ,i ,,my ,,first ,,bird ,,neighbors ,the birds that live in my yard are the loveliest of all my neighbors4 ,during the springtime and summer they awaken me every morning with their sweet songs4 ,then all the day long their pretty ways make me wish ,i had nothing to do but to watch them4 ,now ,i can imagine someone saying1 8,if ,i had a yard1 ,i1 too1 would try to have bird neighbors40 ,listen6 ,before ,i had a yard ,i had bird neighbors on my porch4 ,how did ,i get them8 ,in summer1 a basin of water on the porch railing1 and in winter1 the basin filled with table scraps--this is what did it4 ,on the porch of that apartment house ,i learned how to neighbor with birds4 ,a kind lady in the next house tied suet and strings of peanuts to one of her trees4 ,during winter and spring the woodpeckers enjoyed the treat1 while we enjoyed the woodpeckers6 ,pigeons and bluejays came too1 and1 yes1 ,english sparrows1 those birds that are nowhere welcome4 ,but they didn't have it all their own way there1 as they do where nothing is done to attract other birds4 ,one winter day a beautiful blue and white pigeon with rose-colored neck came in at an open window4 ,the streets were covered with snow4 ,it was hard for birds to find anything to eat4 ,this pigeon ate some rolled oats that ,i scattered before it1 drank some water1 and walked into a corner4 ,after a nap it ate some more2 then took another nap4 ,when it awoke again ,i set it in a waste-paper basket by the open window1 so it could go away when it pleased4 ,it took several more helpings of oats4 ,toward evening it flew away4 ,among the pigeons that used to come often to my porch was my little guest of a day4 ,as the pigeons ate they always cooed4 ,perhaps they were remarking how good it tasted4 ,in early spring the robins came4 ,they liked little scraps of meat4 ,chopped raw beef was to them the greatest treat4 ,at the basin they not only drank1 but spread their wings over it and splashed the water all around1 trying to bathe in that shallow dish4 ,it was only a big flower-pot saucer4 ,while the weather was still cold1 they began to sing mornings before daylight4 ,it was like listening to ,christmas carols to hear them4 ,on mild and thawing days they could be seen hopping over my neighbor's lawn4 ,most cunningly they would turn their heads to one side1 then to the other4 ,it is said that they do this so they can hear the worms and insects move about in the ground4 ,i believe it2 for often ,i have seen a robin1 after listening intently at some spot1 stop to scratch and dig1 then pull out a worm4 ,the robins often pulled and jerked at the morning-glory vines on our porch4 ,whenever they got one loose they would gather it up in loops with the bill and carry it away4 ,they also tore strings off our mop and flew away with them4 ,on a pillar of our porch there hung a can in which we sometimes put flowers4 ,one rainy ,april day a little wren alighted on the edge of that can and looked in4 ,the can was empty at the time1 so the bird went inside1 but came out again quickly and flew away4 ,pretty soon two wrens came1 and both went inside4 ,then for several days they made frequent visits to that can1 and there was almost constant trilling of the merriest bubbling songs4 ,sometimes there was just a chatter back and forth1 as if they were talking or arguing4 ,these wrens were so much together that ,i concluded they were mates4 ,illustration3 ,,they ,,were ,,making ,,that ,,can ,,into ,a ,,bird ,,home ,they fetched little twigs of all kinds and dropped them into that can4 ,they also fetched bits of cloth and chicken feathers1 as if they actually intended to make a feather bed4 ,mr4 ,wren could carry things in his bill and sing at the same time4 ,once in a while1 when he brought something1 ,mrs4 ,wren chattered louder than usual4 ,it sounded as though she wasn't pleased with what he had brought4 ,sometimes she wouldn't even let him in1 and1 after carrying his burden around for a while1 he would drop it4 ,but he sang on just as happily1 and entertained her while she did most of the work4 ,this went on for several days4 ,at last they fetched grasses1 too4 ,it was a joy to see how happy they were at their work4 ,they were making that can into a bird home4 ,when the little home was finished1 ,mrs4 ,wren loved it so well that for about two weeks she stayed in it nearly all the time4 ,mr4 ,wren brought her many kinds of bugs and worms to eat1 and sang to her all the day long4 ,soon there were some baby wrens in that little home4 ,again ,father and ,mother ,wren worked hard from daylight until dark1 fetching worms and bugs for their babies to eat4 ,whenever one came home with a bill full1 he glided right in among those thorny twigs4 ,how they could do it without getting pricked was a wonder6 ,one day all this was changed4 ,instead of going into their little home with provisions1 both ,father and ,mother ,wren stayed out on the edge1 and held a worm or a bug where the little ones could see it4 ,after a while1 one of the baby birds came up a little way to receive a helping of the food4 ,but the big outdoors must have frightened him2 for he ducked right down again4 ,the next one that came out had more courage1 or else he was more hungry4 ,he received a helping2 then gazed about him a little4 ,evidently the world looked pleasant to him4 ,he shook his feathers1 flapped his wings1 and didn't go back into the little home at all4 ,this was just what ,father and ,mother wanted him to do1 and each gave him a whole worm1 although the birdies inside were calling for some too4 ,the day was fine4 ,it was still early4 ,the babies would have all day in which to get used to the outdoors if they would come out now4 ,to-morrow it might rain1 and the next day1 and the next4 ,the babies were quite old enough to live outside of that stuffy can4 ,they must come out to-day1--so ,father and ,mother ,wren had decided4 ,after the little venturer had received several helpings1 another birdling came scrambling up4 ,he got all of the next helping4 ,mother ,wren was among the porch vines1 chirping4 ,every little while she flew to the little ones1 fluttered her wings before them1 and then flew back to the vines4 ,in this way she was coaxing them to follow her4 ,before ,number ,three came out1 the mother had ,numbers ,one and ,two safely among the vines4 ,number ,four came close behind ,number ,three4 ,it wasn't very pleasant to stay down in the can all alone4 ,the mother kept up her coaxing until she managed to get them all in nice1 shady places4 ,it was now about nine o'clock4 ,the rest of the day was spent quietly among the vines4 ,after they had rested a little from the excitement of their first flight1 ,mother tried to keep them moving from vine to vine4 ,one was more clever than the others4 ,he learned everything quickly4 ,the ,wren family lived in the vines all the next day4 ,on the third day ,mother ,wren began to coax them farther away4 ,back and forth she flew between the porch and my neighbor's tree1 and around in circles1 to show the babies how to do it4 ,father ,wren coaxed them on with a white worm in his bill4 ,he was not singing much now1 because these growing birds needed more and more food4 ,also1 father-wisdom bade him keep quiet lest his babies be discovered and come to harm4 ,the cleverest of the four was also the biggest2 so it was easy to tell him from the rest4 ,again1 he was always the first to venture4 ,but as he neared the tree1 when he had almost reached his goal1 he began to drop2 and he fell to the ground4 ,fearing some harm might come to him1 ,i went down quickly with the long-handled dust mop4 ,it was fuzzy1 and soft for him to rest on4 ,with it ,i hoisted him to a low branch4 ,mother and ,father ,wren scolded1 but went to the young bird as soon as my back was turned4 ,birds do not like to have people meddle with their affairs2 but sometimes when they are in trouble we can help them4 ,maybe this little mishap showed ,mother ,wren that her babies were not yet strong enough to fly so far4 ,anyway1 she waited until the next day before she urged the others to go4 ,even then she was not quite decided4 ,at dinner time the three were still on the porch4 ,they had reached the highest rung of the trellis4 ,in the afternoon1 when ,i returned from school1 they were gone4 ,father ,wren was again singing his cheery songs4 ,he had kept pretty quiet while the little ones were learning to fly4 ,why8 ,because he did not want anyone to find out where they were4 ,my robins1 meanwhile1 had made themselves a nest on a high window sill at the far end of the porch2 but not until the wrens began nesting did ,i discover it4 ,already there were three blue eggs in it4 ,the robins seemed so distressed at being found out that we kept away from that end of the porch until they got well used to us4 ,the wrens didn't fear us at all4 ,they came to their nest no matter how many people were on the porch4 ,i had now learned what the wrens and the robins like for their nestings2 so ,i fastened strings1 shreds of cloth1 some cotton1 and small chicken feathers to the low branches of my neighbor's trees1 and also on my porch4 ,i had read somewhere that some birds will pull feathers out of their own bodies1 if they can find none elsewhere1 with which to line their nests4 ,after the wrens had cleaned out the can1 they helped themselves to cotton and feathers1 and made ready for their second nesting4 ,father and ,mother ,robin were such devoted parents1 it seemed as if they couldn't do enough4 ,their babies always craned their necks and opened their bills wide as soon as they heard anyone near4 ,as they grew older they also chattered and flapped their wings4 ,sometimes they fluttered over the sides of the nest so far that ,i feared they would fall off the high window sill4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,baby ,,robins ,one morning the robins' nest was empty1 and the young were over on my neighbor's lawn4 ,for convenience ,i will call this neighbor ,mrs4 ,daily4 ,she lived on our right4 ,the neighbor to our left was ,mrs4 ,cotton4 ,a birds' bath at ,mrs4 ,daily's and the tree with nesting materials on it showed the birds that they were welcome there4 ,so the parents coaxed their young in that direction4 ,mrs4 ,cotton also tried to attract birds4 ,but her basin sometimes went dry for days4 ,also1 she had a big1 beautiful cat that was usually somewhere in the yard4 ,it was not so inviting there1 according to birds' ways of thinking1 nor so safe for their young1 as over at ,mrs4 ,daily's1 where the cat was kept in4 ,i kept our kitty locked up night and day1 and asked my neighbors to keep their cats in1 too1 until these young robins could fly up into trees4 ,at first they could only fly sideways4 ,it is more than just a kind act to save young robins from harm3 it is saving birds who will be useful and pleasing all their lives1 and who will spread happiness wherever they go4 ,when ,i saw how my birds left me as soon as their young could fly1 ,i began to wish that ,i1 too1 had a yard and trees1 like my neighbors4 ,i longed to have more birds1 and birds of different kinds4 ,illustration3 ,,one ,,winter ,,day ,a ,,pigeon ,,came ,,in ,,at ,,an ,,open ,,window ,illustration3 ,,vacant ,,lots ,,attract ,,birds ,,ii ,,new ,,adventures ,,in ,,birdland ,i got my wish3 ,our present home is a whole house1 with a yard4 ,we have big trees and little ones1 and on one side there is a grape arbor4 ,all around us are vacant lots1 where thornapple bushes1 dogwood trees1 and tall sunflowers grow4 ,these attract birds4 ,behind the vacant lots there is a ravine with wild cherry trees1 elder bushes1 wild grape tangles1 and other attractions for birds4 ,the wrens and the robins had gone to their winter homes when we moved1 and the woodpeckers had come4 ,i had bought a bird guide with colored pictures1 and a pair of field glasses which brought those black and white birds very near to me4 ,some had red on the back of the head4 ,they were the downy woodpeckers4 ,a bird very much like the downy1 but larger1 was the hairy woodpecker4 ,and there were birds just like the downy and hairy but without the red patch on the head4 ,they were the mates of the downy and the hairy4 ,whenever ,i heard a brisk 8chsip10 ,i could see downy approach in graceful1 curving flight toward some tree4 ,usually he perched near the bottom and climbed up1 pecking and scratching as he went4 ,sometimes he alighted higher up and came down cat-fashion1 but always busily pecking at the bark4 ,the hairy did the same4 ,this must be why these birds are called woodpeckers4 ,knowing how well the winter birds like peanuts and suet1 ,i fastened strings of peanuts across a bird table that ,i had made1 and in the tray below ,i kept suet4 ,i also scattered chickfeed on the ground beside a tree1 and added to it buckwheat and sunflower seeds4 ,but ,i soon learned better than to put anything for birds near a tree behind which a cat could hide6 ,it was great fun to watch the different birds select their favorite food4 ,the woodpeckers liked the suet so well that1 while it was on hand1 they hardly ever touched the peanuts4 ,downy also liked the chickfeed2 but he did not like to step down to the ground4 ,in trying to get it1 he would back down the tree until his tail touched the ground4 ,then1 without leaving the tree and while propped on his tail1 he reached over to the right or left and picked up kernels4 ,in this way he could eat without stepping on the ground4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,winter ,,birds ,,like ,,peanuts ,,and ,,suet ,and downy had good eating manners4 ,he never hurried1 never fidgeted4 ,sometimes he stayed twenty minutes at a meal and ate slowly and quietly1 like a well-bred person4 ,illustration3 ,,when ,i ,,did ,,not ,,have ,,peanuts ,i ,,gave ,,the ,,nuthatch ,,doughnuts ,another bird that came to my place in winter had a light blue back and a white front4 ,his wings and tail were dark blue1 and so was the top of his head4 ,i always knew he was near when ,i heard a sound like 8gack0 or 8yack40 ,he liked the peanuts better than anything else4 ,with his sharp bill he would punch a nut1 then hold down the shell while he pulled out the kernel4 ,maybe this is why he is called the nuthatch4 ,sometimes1 when ,i did not have peanuts1 ,i gave him doughnuts4 ,he liked them just as well4 ,he would nibble at a doughnut until it dropped from the nail1 then go to the ground and forage there4 ,he liked cheese also4 ,i soon found that somebody else1 too1 liked suet and peanuts4 ,this was the red squirrel1 and when he was on the table the birds would not come near4 ,however1 it was birds ,i wanted and not squirrels1--especially not the red squirrel1 who is said to bother birds in many ways4 ,to keep him away ,i nailed tin sheeting around the post of the bird table4 ,i am sorry to say that the nuthatch was not at all polite to other birds4 ,he always wanted all the food himself1 no matter how much there was on hand4 ,he would flit from one feeding place to another and chase the other birds away4 ,i stopped putting peanuts on the table1 so that he would have no excuse to go there and the birds who liked the suet might eat in peace4 ,i put all the peanuts on the tree farthest back in the vacant lot and made the selfish nuthatch eat there by himself4 ,another thing that was not nice about the nuthatch was his way of eating4 ,he was always in a hurry4 ,he would take the kernel out of a nut1 walk up the tree with it1 and fly away4 ,then he would come back quickly and do the same thing again1 as if afraid another bird might get something4 ,sometimes he kept this up for an hour or more4 ,even after all the peanuts were moved to his tree1 he would bluster around at the other feeding places and try to drive those peaceable birds away4 ,the dearest of all my winter birds were some that came singing in all sorts of weather4 ,i called them my little minstrels4 8,chicaday1 chicaday1 chicaday-day-day-day10 was their song4 ,somebody has named them chickadees1 and the name just fits4 ,if you should see a little gray bird with a black cap and bib1 who comes singing that song1 you may know that you have seen a chickadee4 ,the chickadees were not at all particular what they ate4 ,they sang just as cheerily when they had only breadcrumbs as they did when they found suet and peanuts and sunflower seeds4 ,they never wasted their food4 ,if any fell to the ground they picked it up4 ,they were the politest of birds and1 like the downy and the hairy1 they worked at the trees most of the time4 ,these winter birds are some of nature's best house-cleaners4 ,they work all through the cold and stormy season when the other birds are away in their sunny winter homes4 ,should we not remember to give them a treat once in a while1 and so brighten the cold days with good cheer8 ,from the very first1 ,i heard many bird voices coming from the ravine4 ,so one morning ,i took a walk out that way4 ,scattered all along were tall sunflowers1 now gone to seed4 ,foraging on some were the noisy bluejays1 on others the dear happy chickadees4 ,the trees were bare1 so that ,i could see as well as hear the birds4 ,woodpeckers were tapping1 pecking1 delving4 ,all along ,i heard this pleasing1 friendly music1 as if the birds were following me4 ,so pleasant was my walk that ,i did not realize how far ,i was going until ,i was at the end of the city1 where the country begins4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,dear ,,happy ,,chickadee ,a good way off were some widely scattered houses4 ,on a tall pole near the first house was a very large bird house4 ,as ,i drew nearer1 three small bird houses came in sight4 ,i made up my mind to get acquainted with the people in that home4 ,a pleasant lady opened the door and invited me in4 8,who put up those bird houses80 ,i asked1 the first thing4 8,that's my boy10 said the lady4 8,he just loves to tinker with his tools40 ,she pointed with pride to a clock shelf which she said he had made for her birthday4 8,and he made that big bird house1 too80 ,i asked4 8,he made every one10 answered the lady1 8and he is making more4 ,he is learning it in the manual training school40 ,i told her ,i wanted to make some bird houses1 but didn't know just how to go about it4 ,then she led me into a tiny room off the kitchen4 ,there by the window stood an old dry goods box that had been fitted up as a work bench1 with a vise and a rack for small tools4 ,larger tools were hanging on the wall4 ,on some shelves were wooden boxes and boards4 ,on the work bench lay a bird house4 ,i picked it up and looked at it4 8,he says that's to be for wrens10 explained the lady4 ,from a chest she produced another bird house which she said was for bluebirds4 8,he makes them out of these boxes that he gets from our grocer10 she added1 8and ,i save the starch boxes for him40 ,the lady had much to do1 so ,i made ready to go4 ,but she went on talking3 8,at first1 ,i couldn't bear to give up this little storeroom4 ,but since ,i have seen how happy it makes ,laddie to have this little #8shop1' as he calls it1 ,i am glad ,i gave in to him4 ,would you believe it3 from the time he begins to work with these tools until he lays them down again he whistles and sings like a bird himself6 ,i think anything that makes a boy so contented must be good for him40 ,the lady then went about her work1 telling me not to hurry4 ,so ,i stayed to take some measurements of the bird houses4 ,both were made so that they could be opened in front4 8,he makes them that way so they can be easily cleaned10 explained the lady4 ,on the way home ,i stopped at our grocer's and got some small wooden boxes4 ,two were yeast foam boxes1 and one was a cocoa box4 ,i1 too1 had learned in manual training school how to use simple tools1 so ,i bought also a saw1 plane1 shaving knife1 brace and set of bits1 and a small vise4 ,then out of an old sewing machine stand ,i made a work bench1 and a light corner of the basement became my 8shop40 ,i made those yeast foam boxes into wren houses1 and out of the cocoa box ,i made a bluebird house4 ,the boy's mother had told me that his manual training teacher was a lady1 and that she was 8just as good as a man10 so ,i felt quite proud of my new fancy work4 ,the house for bluebirds and one for wrens were put up in trees4 ,the other wren house was mounted on a post above the grape arbor4 ,but it did not stay there long1 for ,i soon found that a grape arbor is no place for a bird house4 ,can you guess why not8 ,it was while waiting for the wrens and the bluebirds to come that ,i had such delightful times with the woodpeckers1 the nuthatches and the chickadees4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,selfish ,,nuthatch ,illustration3 ,,cats ,,belong ,,on ,,their ,,own ,,premises ,,iii ,,real ,,troubles ,,in ,,birdland ,i said that birds were lovely neighbors4 ,so are some other animals4 ,at my new home ,i soon became acquainted with a wild rabbit4 ,two dogs roamed around in the vacant lots and in the ravine a great deal4 ,often when ,i heard them barking1 the next thing ,i saw would be ,bunny1 running as fast as he could toward our place1 with the dogs after him4 ,bunny could glide through under the garden fence1 and that was lucky for him4 ,the dogs were too big and couldn't4 ,i was glad when ,bunny came to our place for safety4 ,he liked slices of apple so well that he would come nearer and nearer to get them1 until finally he ate out of my hand4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,basin ,,was ,,bunny',s ,,looking-,,glass ,one hot day while ,bunny was in our yard1 he saw the birds' basin1 and went there to drink4 ,he had been accustomed to drink at the brook in the ravine1 where the water always runs1 if there is any4 ,but the brook was dried up at this time of year4 ,the clear1 still water in the basin was a new thing to ,bunny4 ,he took a long look at it4 ,seeing himself pictured in the water was another new thing to him1 and he looked again and again4 ,evidently he thought himself quite handsome1 for even after it rained and the brook filled up again1 he still kept coming4 ,the basin was his looking-glass4 ,i am sorry for what ,i have to tell about some other animals4 ,one day our neighbor's cat lay crouching near the tree under which the chickfeed was scattered4 ,a downy woodpecker was just coming down the tree4 ,kitty's eyes glared4 ,her teeth chattered4 ,but evidently the downy did not see her4 ,i scolded ,kitty and drove her away4 ,this disturbed the downy1 and he flew away too4 ,but that was better than to let him come down where ,kitty could jump on him4 ,she could easily have done so while he was reaching over to the ground for a kernel4 ,after this experience ,i covered up all the chickfeed beside the tree1 and scattered some in more exposed places1 away from any trees and from bushes4 ,i also laid suet on low branches of trees and tied it on firmly1 and poked some into small holes of old trees1 and under the bark4 ,soon afterward ,i saw the same cat again4 ,this time she was on a branch1 eating suet4 ,that set me to thinking3 8,if the cat can get to the suet in the tree1 she will also be able to get to the bird houses4 ,some day she might find some baby birds in there1 not yet able to fly40 ,i did not take away the suet which the birds liked so well4 ,i got some tin sheeting and tacked it around the tree4 ,the cat could not climb over the smooth sheeting4 ,imagine my surprise when ,i saw her up there at the suet again6 8,how did she get there80 ,i wondered to myself4 ,day after day ,i watched ,kitty before ,i found her out4 ,one morning1 who should go climbing up that tree but a red squirrel8 ,when he reached the tin1 he looked around and made a loud chatter4 ,seeing no one1 he took one big jump over the sheeting and went to the suet4 ,after tasting it1 he wiped his mouth on the bark as if he did not like it4 ,then he went over to the bluebird house4 ,the entrance to this little house had been nicked by somebody with sharp little teeth4 ,now ,i found out who that somebody was4 ,this squirrel was even now nibbling at the entrance1 trying to make it still bigger4 ,at the wren house somebody had broken off the little porch1 which was probably the squirrel's doing also4 ,i wondered what ,i should do to keep this squirrel from spoiling my bird houses4 ,some more tin sheeting1 ,i thought1 would fix it so he could not jump over4 ,i put another sheet just above the first one4 ,that made the tin protection thirty-six inches deep4 ,when the squirrel came the next time1 he climbed as far as he could1 then looked up at the tin4 ,that was too high a jump4 ,he turned1 jumped to the ground1 and scampered away4 ,the pilfering red squirrel is not to be confounded with the genial gray squirrel of our parks1 who loves to take peanuts out of our hands4 ,i still wondered how ,kitty had made her way to the suet1 with the tin around that tree4 ,surely she could not jump over the tin6 ,as a jumper the squirrel can beat ,kitty any time4 ,one day ,i heard a scratching noise4 ,kitty was sharpening her claws on the bark of the next tree4 ,every little while she climbed a few steps up that tree2 then sharpened her claws again4 ,there was nothing in that tree that she could harm1 so ,i let her go on4 ,she walked along on one of the branches1 and jumped across to a branch on the other tree1 the one that held the bluebird house1 and smelled around there4 ,it was early spring4 ,there were no young birds in the house yet2 so ,i let her go on1 just to see what she would do4 ,some ,english sparrows had started to nest in the little house4 ,kitty pulled out grasses and feathers1 and spoiled the nest4 ,now just think how wise she was to plan that all out so nicely6 ,and all she gets for it is scolding6 ,why should we blame ,kitty for liking birds8 ,we like our chicken dinners4 ,we praise ,kitty when she catches a mouse or a rat4 ,some people even entice her to catch ,english sparrows4 ,how can she know it is good to clean out a mouse nest and naughty to clean out a bird nest8 ,two things can be done to lessen the loss of birds by cats4 ,first1 to safeguard in every possible way every bird house1 feeding place1 and bath4 ,second1 to compel the owners of cats to keep them on their own premises1 and to lock them up nights4 ,it is at night1 when there is no one to interfere1 that cats do the most damage to birds4 ,i knew that if ,kitty could jump from that tree to the next one1 the squirrel could do it1 too2 so ,i put double tin sheeting on that tree also4 ,but such a clever cat and such a nimble squirrel would also know how to climb the grape arbor1 ,i thought2 so ,i took the wren house off the arbor4 ,this house also had been nibbled and the entrance made much larger4 ,i concluded that the worst of all places for a bird house is a grape arbor1 a pergola1 or a garden arch4 ,a friend had sent me a beautiful wren house4 ,it was shaped like a small barrel1 and had four rooms4 ,i called it the apartment house4 ,fortunately1 it was made of such hard wood that no squirrel could bite through4 ,i had this house put on a tin-sheathed post on the north side of the house where it would be in shade4 ,for the bluebirds ,i put up two new houses4 ,the one that had been up all winter was so smelly of squirrels and ,english sparrows that ,i knew the dainty bluebirds would not like it4 ,the time was near for the birds to return from their winter homes4 ,i wanted everything clean and safe for them4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,genial ,,gray ,,squirrel ,illustration3 ,,the ,,return ,,of ,,the ,,bluebird ,,iv ,,the ,,bluebirds' ,,bungalow ,i love the springtime because it brings my birds back from their winter homes4 ,one cold ,march day ,i saw something blue flash across the sky4 8,can that be the bluebird ,i have been waiting for80 ,i thought4 ,it flew into a tree2 then alighted on a clothesline post4 ,i could plainly see the blue on its back and the red on its front4 ,yes1 it was the bluebird4 ,his song was as beautiful as his plumage1 but in a minor tone3 8,de-ary6 ,de-ary60 ,next he flew to the top of the wren house1 tripped along the roof1 leaned over and looked at the little porches4 ,then he went down on one of them and looked into the room4 ,that was as far as he could go4 ,the entrances to these apartments had been made for the tiny wrens and not for bluebirds4 ,when he saw the bluebird house in the tree1 he flew to a branch just in front of it and looked at it a while4 ,then he flew back to the wren house and tried that again2 he liked it so well1 he couldn't bear to give it up4 ,after a week or so another bird came1 of much paler hue1 but with the reddish breast4 ,the song of my bluebird now became long and pleading3 8,deary6 dear1 dear1 deary60 ,but it still remained subdued and minor4 ,together he and his newly arrived companion visited the bird houses1 so ,i concluded that they were mates4 ,they could hardly make up their minds which house to take1 so pleased were they with all of them4 ,mrs4 ,bluebird tried the wren house1 too4 ,but when she saw she could not get inside she did not go there any more4 ,my prettiest bluebird house was on our hammock post1 well shaded by our biggest tree4 ,i had read somewhere that bluebirds like to have one house for spring and another for summer4 ,so this house was made with two rooms1 one above the other4 ,i thought the bluebirds would surely like this double house better than the single one1 for they went inside it many times1 and always stayed there long4 ,the other house1 which was mounted on a young maple1 was not nearly so pretty4 ,it was made out of cigar boxes and ,i had forgotten to take off the labels4 ,after the bluebirds had visited it ,i did not dare touch it because1 if their houses are interfered with1 birds are liable to go away4 ,both the maple and the hammock post were well protected with tin sheeting4 ,one day ,mrs4 ,bluebird fetched some grasses in her bill4 ,to my great joy she alighted on the perch in front of the double house4 ,twice she poised to fly1 but did not4 ,at last she flew--and where do you think she went8 ,why1 to that ugly little house with the labels on it6 ,illustration3 ,,sometimes ,,she ,,was ,,just ,,gliding ,,through ,,the ,,entrance ,,as ,,he ,,alighted ,,on ,,the ,,housetop ,,with ,a ,,choice ,,morsel ,,for ,,her ,while she was in the house1 ,mr4 ,bluebird alighted on the porch1 looked in1 and sang a little song4 ,mrs4 ,bluebird flew out past him and almost brushed him off4 ,then he went inside1 and just as ,mrs4 ,bluebird returned with some more grasses he came out with a chip in his bill4 ,some chips had fallen inside when ,i made the entrance1 and he did not like that4 ,the little house must be clean1 since ,mrs4 ,bluebird was going to make her nest in it4 ,sometimes he brought a grass or two2 she brought whole wads of grasses4 ,but he made up in attentions to her4 ,wherever she might be working1 he perched near by1 on a fence post or a low branch1 and kept his eyes on her4 ,as she went from place to place to find the right kind of grasses1 or to the little house to throw them in1 he always followed her4 ,sometimes she was just gliding through the entrance with a load as he alighted on the housetop with a choice morsel for her to eat4 ,one day our neighbor's cat was hiding behind an evergreen near where ,mrs4 ,bluebird was hunting grasses4 ,mr4 ,bluebird's bright eyes saw her just in time4 8,dear-dear-dear60 he cried1 quickly and jerkily4 ,mrs4 ,bluebird knew that that meant1 8,danger6 ,fly quick660 ,up she flew1 and away4 ,the cat jumped high and almost caught her4 ,after that ,i chased the cat away every time ,i saw her4 ,there certainly should be a law to make people keep their cats at home4 ,when ,mrs4 ,bluebird had her house all furnished she stayed at home about two weeks and took a good rest4 ,mr4 ,bluebird continued to bring her meals and to entertain her4 ,when he was not hunting bugs and worms1 or chasing ,english sparrows1 he was sure to be somewhere near home1 singing his sweetest songs4 ,when ,mrs4 ,bluebird was able to be out again she and ,mr4 ,bluebird were busier than ever4 ,both were carrying food to the little house4 ,i knew then that they had babies in there1 so ,i called him ,father1 and her ,mother4 ,illustration3 ,,bluebird ,,babies ,,to ,,feed ,,and ,,care ,,for ,the bluebirds caught some of their food in the air1 but a good deal of it they picked up in my garden4 ,i had some low stakes there expressly for them4 ,they perched on these and on the bean-poles1 and from there pounced on many a luckless worm or bug that their sharp eyes espied4 ,i am sure the bluebirds are great helpers in a garden4 ,after two busy weeks of baby-tending1 ,father and ,mother ,bluebird did just what the little wrens had done4 ,they made the babies come outside for their food1 or go hungry4 ,i think the first little bird to leave a nest must be very courageous4 ,the others usually follow close after him4 ,it was so with these bluebirds4 ,and as they came out1 one after another1 ,mother coaxed them over to the thornapple bushes4 ,she did it by calling1 8,dear dear10 and flying back and forth between the little house and the bushes4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,bluebirds ,,moved ,,into ,,the ,,pretty ,,double ,,house ,some of the baby bluebirds were quite obedient and flew after the mother4 ,two liked it so well on a branch in front of their house that they stayed there a while2 then flew to other branches in the same tree4 ,father looked after these1 and ,mother stayed with the other three4 ,what a chatter they always made when food was brought to them6 ,it seemed as if each one said3 8,come to me6 ,come to me60 ,while ,father and ,mother ,bluebird had those babies to feed and to care for1 they started another housekeeping4 ,this time they moved into the pretty double house and took the lower story4 ,in the second coming-out party there were four more little bluebirds4 ,all through this second housekeeping the ,english sparrows tried repeatedly to get into the upper story1 and ,father ,bluebird had to spend much time chasing them away4 ,in the one-story house he had that much more time to get food1 or to sing4 ,i did not clean the bungalow house after their first nesting1 because ,i did not want the bluebirds to nest in it again4 ,after the double house was vacated1 ,i cleaned both houses1 and found that the bluebirds had used only grasses and a few feathers for their nesting4 ,in each case they had covered the entire floor with grasses1 but the cup-like nest was back against the rear wall1 as far from the entrance as it could possibly be4 ,what could this mean but that the bluebird likes a house with depth so she can bed her young as far back from meddling paws as possible8 ,this much ,i learned from examining the deserted bluebird nests4 ,illustration3 ,,rented ,,for ,,the ,,summer ,v ,,the ,,wrens' ,,apartment ,,house ,a four-room house which had been sent to me was very much liked by a pair of wrens4 ,again their lively1 rippling notes filled the air1 as these wrens went from room to room of this 8apartment house10 as ,i called it4 ,it was three days before they made up their minds which room they liked best4 ,then they brought little twigs and bits of rag1 and leaves1 and other things1 and poked them into one of the rooms4 ,it was as good as saying1 8,we will take this apartment for the summer40 ,some ,english sparrows wanted that same room4 ,we always shooed them away1 of course1 if we could without frightening the other birds4 ,the wrens jabbered and hissed at the sparrows1 and stayed1 pecking them and being pecked by them4 ,there were four sparrows and only the two wrens2 so the poor little wrens finally gave up and went away4 ,but1 try as they would1 the sparrows could not get inside of the house4 ,after a while1 they1 too1 went away4 ,then the wrens returned4 ,it seemed as if they had been watching for the chance4 ,the wrens soon fetched more twigs1 some of them several inches long4 ,they poked them in as far as they would go2 then went inside and pulled them in as well as they could4 ,but some of the longest ones remained partly outside and so blocked the entrance to any birds except the tiny wrens4 ,again the ,english sparrows came and1 although they couldn't even get their heads in now1 still they bothered the wrens4 ,they couldn't have that room themselves1 and they didn't want anybody else to have it4 ,with such a mean spirit is it any wonder that nobody likes these birds8 ,i cannot bear to call them sparrows any more1 because so many good birds go by that name1 and are therefore in danger of being disliked4 ,or1 ,i wish that all the good sparrows could have a different name1 and let the ,english sparrow alone keep the name he has dishonored4 ,the boy has told me that1 to keep ,english sparrows from increasing around his place1 he destroys their eggs wherever he can find them4 ,he said that one pair of sparrows seemed to blame the bluebirds for it1 and in revenge destroyed the bluebirds' nest4 ,we kept up the shooing and handclapping whenever ,english sparrows visited the wren house4 ,after a while the wrens began to understand that we were trying to help them1 and went on with their nesting4 ,they put tiny sticks and twigs into other rooms of their house also1--and now there was a perfect concert of wren music all the time4 ,before night two more entrances were blocked4 ,some of the twigs that these wrens brought had such long thorns on them that they would not go inside at all4 ,but this did not discourage the plucky wrens4 ,they just dropped them to the ground and fetched others4 ,the next day another pair of wrens came4 ,it seemed as if wrens had a way of letting their friends know where some nice apartments could be had4 ,i was so eager to accommodate as many wrens as would come that ,i had made some one-room houses for them4 ,one was mounted in a pear tree2 another under the overhang of the garage roof4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,small ,,wren ,,house ,,in ,,the ,,pear ,,tree ,this last wren pair seemed quite bewildered with so many houses to choose from1 and all of them different4 ,whenever ,mrs4 ,wren showed preference for one house1 ,mr4 ,wren would go to another one and with his singing try to coax her there4 ,she was seen oftener about the house under the garage roof1 than the others4 ,mr4 ,wren seemed to like the apartment house best4 ,he was such a jolly little fellow1 it is no wonder he liked to have company4 ,but ,mrs4 ,wren did not care for that at all4 ,a small cottage was her choice4 ,after making us believe that she liked the one under the garage roof1 she came with a stick about three inches long and flitted about with it4 ,mr4 ,wren had already put some nesting material into the apartment house4 ,but hard as he tried1 by singing and by soft chatter1 which ,i suppose was coaxing1 and by frequent visits to the apartment house1 he could not win her over4 ,her mind was made up1 and it must be--what8 ,well1 it was the small house in the pear tree4 ,when ,mr4 ,wren saw that he couldn't have his way1 why1 of course1 that small house became his choice too4 ,each of these pairs of wrens raised some babies4 ,but with all their work and family cares1 and the ,english sparrows to bother them at times1 they were always a happy company4 ,they could sing just as beautifully when carrying twigs or worms or bugs as at any other time4 ,their happy music made a continuous open-air concert4 ,and their manners1 whether at work or at play1 were so entertaining that ,i could not bear to take my eyes off them4 ,this went on through late ,april and part of ,may4 ,one morning the wrens were all excited4 ,two of their little ones were on the ground4 ,our kitty had been tethered to a hitching weight2 but now1 fearing one of the little wrens might fly near her1 ,i locked her up4 ,the parents were coaxing their little birds over toward the vacant lot where the thornapple bushes are4 ,these bushes start even with the ground and are so dense1 and have such long1 sharp needles1 that a cat would get her eyes scratched out if she tried to go in4 ,i shall always plant thornapple bushes wherever ,i may live1 especially for the protection of young birds4 ,and ,i shall plant several close together1 so as to make a dense thicket4 ,these bushes will provide food for birds1 as well as protection4 ,the way these wrens coaxed their little ones to follow was very clever4 ,they would go near them2 then walk away trailing their wings4 ,this made a soft1 rustling1 coaxing sound4 ,but it was over an hour before they succeeded in getting the little ones where they wanted them4 ,they had to come back to them again and again and keep up the coaxing4 ,i was glad when they finally had them safe under those thorny branches1 where ,i could not see them any more for the leaves4 ,by this time two more young were ready to leave the house4 ,one was already on the little porch1 the other peered out of the entrance4 ,these were wiser than the first two4 ,instead of going to the ground1 one flew to the kitchen roof which was near and almost even with the wren house4 ,it was a flat roof covered with gravel4 ,pretty soon the second baby also flew to the roof4 ,it must indeed be a wonderful event in the life of a bird when first he steps out of the crowded little home and looks around him at the big outdoors4 ,then what courage it must take to venture on his wings6 ,he has fluttered them a few times over the nest1 of course1 but that is not to be compared with just bouncing out into the air and trusting to his wings to bear him up4 ,the two stayed on the kitchen roof all the rest of the day4 ,i put a potted plant out there for them to perch on4 ,in the morning one of the baby wrens perched for a little while on a window sill1 but ,father ,wren coaxed him back to the roof4 ,i put several more plants out on the roof in order that the fledglings might exercise their wings and strengthen them for the long flight they would have to make to the nearest tree4 ,after a while they did fly from plant to plant4 ,in this way they spent the rest of the day and they liked it so well that they stayed another day1 and perhaps longer4 ,i was absent from home a few days4 ,on my return the apartment house was empty of baby birds2 so also was the small house in the pear tree4 ,the wrens were pulling out the feathers and grasses of the first nestings1 and getting ready to nest again4 ,one pair had already begun nesting in an unoccupied apartment4 ,can anyone imagine the hustle and bustle of those busy wrens1 cleaning house and nesting at the same time1 and the joy with which they did it8 ,the one-room house in the pear tree was so made that the front could be raised after turning a small screw-eye on the side4 ,this made cleaning it easy4 ,now1 aside from furnishing their rooms all over again1 these wrens had their babies to care for4 ,but they seemed the happier the more work they had to do4 ,they were just bubbling over with happiness all the time2 and they made everyone about them happy1 too4 ,i should think everybody would put out wren houses and get these jolly little fellows to live near them4 ,wrens are not particular whether they live on a porch1 in a city yard1 or on a farm4 ,they are just as happy in one place as another1 as long as they have a safe little home2 and they will rid a place of bugs and flies and other unpleasant things4 ,so cheery was that summer with those wrens around me1 that ,i hope always to have them as my neighbors4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,baby ,,wren ,,on ,,the ,,window ,,sill ,illustration3 ,,bluebirds ,,are ,,great ,,helpers ,,in ,a ,,garden 7,see page #cc 7 ,,vi ,,the ,,boy ,one day in early ,april ,i was in the ravine getting hepaticas4 ,before ,i knew it ,i was near the boy's house again4 ,his mother called to me from her garden4 8,the boy is at home now10 she said2 8maybe you would like to see him at work40 ,i thanked her1 and went with her to the little shop4 ,there beside his work bench stood a boy about twelve or thirteen years old4 ,he was painting the wren house a dark green4 ,the bluebird house was finished1 ready to put up4 ,i told him ,i had put up my bird houses long ago1 and that the bluebirds had been house hunting for some weeks4 ,he said that there were so many ,english sparrows around his place that he feared they would nest in his houses if he put them out early4 ,but he had just learned of a way to keep the sparrows from nesting in bluebird houses4 ,he said his manual training teacher had advised him to mount his houses for wrens and bluebirds only about eight feet from the ground1 since the ,english sparrows seldom nest lower than ten feet from the ground1 and will not be likely to take a house that is lower4 ,the boy put up the bluebird house while ,i was there1 on a young maple that afforded plenty of shade4 ,his bluebirds were house hunting too1 and visited the house right away4 ,i told him about the tin sheeting to keep cats and squirrels down4 ,he said he had been using tangle-foot1 the sticky stuff that is sometimes put on trees to keep bugs down4 ,but he said that cats and squirrels didn't mind climbing over it1 and he was going to try the tin4 ,i fear that the boy was not wise in delaying so long to put up his bird houses4 ,when ,i saw him again1 in mid-,april1 he said that one pair of bluebirds had nested in a house that he had intended for chickadees2 that another pair were in an old hollow tree2 and that a pair of wrens were visiting the new bluebird house4 ,two of his other houses were for woodpeckers1 and a beautiful new one for purple martins already had some tenants4 8,it is two years now that the first martin house has been up1 and yet ,i have never had any martins to stay60 said the boy4 8,they would come1 go into the house and twitter1 and then fly away40 ,he began talking again about his manual training teacher3 how she called one day1 and told him that the martin house was mounted too low1 and too near trees2 that martins want to be fifty feet away from a tree or building1 and sixteen feet up from the ground2 also1 that it pleases martins to have openings near the ceiling of their rooms so they can have a change of air4 ,i remarked that this ventilation would make their rooms more comfortable4 8,yes10 said the boy2 8and this new martin house is made according to teacher's directions40 ,as we stood there1 martins were flying about1 twittering1 singing1 perching on the telephone wires near by and on the roof and the porches of their house4 ,the pole had hinges so that the house could be brought down and cleaned1 when necessary1 or closed4 ,one lovely ,june day found me again at the boy's home4 ,i remarked the large number of young robins on the lawn4 8,the young have just left their nests in that tree10 answered the boy1 pointing into a big cherry tree4 8,robins have nested in that tree every year since ,i can remember40 ,i guessed that perhaps the cherries were the attraction4 8,well10 he said1 8we think birds earn all the cherries they eat2 we never pick those on the top branches at all1 but leave them for the birds40 ,during that visit the boy showed me several bird homes4 ,first he apologized for doing it4 8,every bird home is a secret between mother and me10 he said2 then added1 8but ,i know ,i can trust you40 ,one of these little homes belonged to bluebirds4 ,the others belonged to the flicker1 the wood thrush1 and the killdeer4 ,we walked slowly and talked low1 as we went from one place to another4 ,loud talk and running frighten birds4 ,and to go very near to a bird nest is harmful because1 every time the mother is frightened away1 the eggs or young are liable to get chilled if the weather is cool4 ,if hot1 and the nest is exposed to the sun1 the eggs or young are liable to get overheated4 ,the boy told me of a marsh hawk's nest which a gentleman came to photograph4 ,he said that this gentleman brought a lad along to hold his hat over the young to shield them from the sun1 during the mother's absence4 ,the two were there only about ten minutes4 ,but evidently that boy told other boys2 for soon the nest was being visited at all times of day4 ,at every visit1 the mother flew away1 and in a few days all the young were dead4 ,i remarked that photographing nests should be done with the greatest care2 that if any screening foliage was pushed aside1 it should be replaced1 and the nest left just as the mother bird had planned it4 ,it is indeed fortunate that bird photography is so difficult that only few people attempt it4 ,exposing a nest to the camera is very apt to result in disaster unless it is done by one who has the highest interests of birds at heart4 ,the flickers had their home in a stump of a tree4 ,the entrance was so low ,i had to stoop in order to look in2 but the nest was down deep1 out of sight4 ,whenever ,father or ,mother ,flicker came with food they called softly1 8,ye quit6 ye quit60 ,then the babies could be heard making a hissing sound4 ,sometimes when the parents were gone longer than usual1 a baby flicker could be seen taking a peep at the outside world4 ,illustration3 ,,baby ,,flicker ,,peeps ,,at ,,the ,,outside ,,world ,one day during the previous spring while walking along the ravine ,i had seen three of these large brown birds1 and had learned their name from hearing them sing1 8,flicka flicka flicka40 ,it is easy to get acquainted with birds who are named after their song4 ,one of these birds on that spring day was constantly spreading his wings and his tail before the others1 as if he wanted to show the beautiful yellow feathers underneath4 ,because of these yellow feathers the flicker is also called golden-winged woodpecker4 ,nearly all birds have a scolding word4 ,when the flicker wants to scold he says1 8,queer10 as plainly as a person can say it4 ,of course1 we never went near enough to any bird's nest to frighten the brooding birds1 nor did we stay long enough to keep the parents from feeding their young4 ,we always found a convenient place fifty feet or more away1 and through our field glasses watched the birds without annoying them4 ,i had long known the wood thrush by his yodeling song4 ,it usually came out of the thickets and tangles in the ravine back of our place1 so the singer could not easily be seen4 ,at sunrise and sunset1 the music of the thrushes1 singing and answering one another1 was like bells calling to prayer4 ,from early ,may until mid-,july ,i always wanted to be out mornings and evenings to attend the matins and the vespers of the wood thrushes4 ,mrs4 ,wood ,thrush tried hard to hide her nest2 it was completely surrounded by thornbushes4 8,wit-a-wit-a-wit10 said her mate as we went near2 then he came out of his hiding place4 ,he had a brown back and a white and brown speckled front just like ,mrs4 ,wood ,thrush1 who sat serene on her nest all this time4 ,she was trusting in something to protect her fully2 whether it was her brave companion1 or those bushes bristling with thorns that surrounded her nest1 ,i do not know4 ,maybe she thought we didn't see her at all4 ,we pretended not to see her4 ,illustration3 ,,mrs4 ,,wood ,,thrush ,,on ,,her ,,nest ,always1 when ,i find a nest1 ,i turn away and try to keep the birds from knowing they have been discovered4 ,i look out of the corners of my eyes1 and go away humming a tune4 ,after a while ,i return and walk near by1 again singing the same tune4 ,i do this as many times as ,i can during a day or two4 ,before long the birds seem to know that the person who comes singing that tune has never harmed them4 ,they remain quiet when ,i am near1 and this affords opportunity to observe them more closely4 ,some bluejays were flitting about4 ,bluejays are everywhere1 and at all times of the year4 ,the bluejay is that big blue and white bird with handsome crest4 ,in early spring he sings some pleasing notes1 but in autumn and winter he is just noisy4 ,now he was very still4 ,i could just see ,mrs4 ,bluejay's head between two branches of a poplar tree4 ,she had a nest there1 for there were tell-tale twigs hanging over on both sides4 ,mr4 ,bluejay did not want anybody to find her1 nor the nest4 ,this was why he kept so still4 ,the boy had scattered some peanuts on a bald spot in the yard4 ,i asked why he did this during the summer time4 8,it keeps the chickadees and woodpeckers coming here all summer10 said he4 ,as we sat there a bluejay came for a peanut and went under a tree with it4 ,there he punched a hole in the ground with his bill and poked in the nut4 ,then he went to a currant bush and got a leaf4 ,returning to the spot where he had buried the peanut1 he patted the leaf neatly over it4 ,a brown and white bird about as big as a robin flew overhead singing1 8,killdeer killdeer0 as loud and as fast as he could4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,killdeer',s ,,nest ,,in ,a ,,potato ,,field 8,there goes a killdeer10 said the boy4 ,so the killdeer is another bird that is named after his song6 ,how easy it would be to know birds if all were named after their song1 like the chickadees and the killdeers and the flickers1 or after their colors1 like the bluebirds1 or after their actions1 like the woodpeckers6 ,the boy's father had found a killdeer's nest in a potato field when he was plowing4 ,we went to see that1 too4 ,it was in a patch of ground overgrown with weeds because the man had kindly plowed around it4 ,mother ,killdeer sat dutifully on the nest while ,father ,killdeer guarded the premises and told us by his various shrieks and somersaults that he wished we would not go near enough to disturb her4 ,on the farm that day ,i saw the golden-throated meadowlark4 ,he is another yodeler4 ,his favorite tune is3 8,le-o- lee-o-loo0 ,his songs ring so clear and flute-like that ,i can hear him away over at our place4 ,he is a brown bob-tailed bird4 ,over a beautiful yellow front he has a black band1 pointing down in the middle1 ,v-shaped4 ,a large company of these birds were in the meadow1 happy as larks2 so they are well named meadowlarks4 ,but think of a dear little bird and such a sweet singer as the song sparrow1 bearing the same name as the odious ,english sparrow6 ,it seems unjust1 and in this the boy agreed with me4 ,we got to talking about the song sparrow because one was on a fence post near by1 singing over and over this lively ditty3 8,twee twee twee_/twe-etwe-ejejejejejejejejeje jay40 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,bluebirds ,,in ,,their ,,primitive ,,home ,the bluebirds' home that the boy had mentioned at the beginning of my visit was in a hole of an apple tree4 ,by standing on tiptoe ,i could look in and see four light-blue eggs lying on a nest of grasses that looked like a cunning little basket4 ,it was a hot day1 too hot for ,mother ,bluebird to stay in that hollow tree all the time4 ,she was out playing tag with ,mr4 ,bluebird4 ,perhaps she thought the hot air would keep her eggs warm4 ,after she went in again he visited her often with food4 ,before going after more he usually perched on a little knob just above the entrance and sang4 ,sometimes she came out on the ledge to listen4 ,it was a winsome sight to see the bluebirds in their primitive home4 ,this was the bluebirds' second nesting on the farm4 ,their first one had been destroyed by the ,english sparrows4 ,the boy said he had tried in every way to help the bluebirds1 and that1 whenever he saw any sparrows near1 he gave a sharp whistle--his confidential whistle1 he called it--and that ,mrs4 ,bluebird got so she understood what it meant2 that as soon as she heard it she would come up on the ledge and call1 8,dear1 dear-dear40 ,immediately ,mr4 ,bluebird would appear and drive the intruders away4 ,these bluebirds were also annoyed by a red squirrel who climbed the trees in the orchard and peered into the nest holes4 ,mr4 ,bluebird dashed for him whenever he saw him1 especially if he found him near the home tree4 ,sometimes both the bluebirds chased the red squirrel1 who would run off barking like a little dog4 ,the boy had seen how ,i put out strings and cotton and chicken feathers1 for the birds' nestings1 and he had fixed up a 8store0--as he called it--on a tree1 where they could 8buy without money40 ,every little while a goldfinch came and got some string4 ,always on coming he sang out1 8,perchikatee10 as if to say1 8,by your leave40 ,downy woodpeckers1 chickadees1 and nuthatches were there at this time of the year1 although ordinarily they are seen only in winter and early spring4 ,illustration3 ,,every ,,little ,,while ,a ,,goldfinch ,,came ,,to ,,the 8,,store0 ,,tree ,,and ,,got ,,some ,,string ,the boy said it was the ravine1 with its trees and thickets and tangles1 that attracted so many birds4 ,he was always praising that ravine4 ,he thought so much of it that he had asked the neighbors not to throw rubbish down there1 and not to disturb the underbrush1 which shelters so many birds4 ,he had also asked them please to keep their cats indoors at night1 because so many birds had nests and helpless little ones on the ground1 or in low bushes4 8,mother put me up to that10 he said2 and added1 8we are trying to keep that ravine as a sanctuary for birds1 where they and their little ones can be safe40 ,another thing that attracted birds to that place was a mulberry tree4 ,though only two years old1 it was bearing fruit and was visited by robins1 orioles1 thrashers1 and redheaded woodpeckers4 ,the boy had so many kinds of birds never seen near our place that ,i began to wish ,i1 too1 could live on a farm and have so many more of these charming neighbors4 ,a storm came up4 ,soon the shallow places in a cornfield near by were turned into puddles4 ,the baby martins that had been lounging on the porch went inside4 ,the old ones came flying home in a hurry4 ,we went to the garden house1 which the boy had fitted up as a workshop because he didn't like to deprive his mother any longer of her little storeroom4 ,when it stopped raining the sun came out and the clean earth fairly glistened4 ,a flock of robins came to hunt for worms in the drenched field4 ,some bathed in the puddles4 ,it was amusing to watch them chase one away if he stayed in long4 ,as we were enjoying the robins1 the boy's mother called out3 8,come here1 you bird people1 and see what has happened40 ,she took us to the living room and told us to listen at the chimney4 ,a rasping twitter came from within4 8,it must be those chimney swallows10 guessed the boy4 ,he stepped upon a chair and took off the chimney cap4 ,there1 scrambling around in soot1 were some black looking birds4 8,one1 two1 three1 four10 he counted1 as he reached in and handed them out on a newspaper4 ,three were young birds1 and one was an adult bird with long wings4 ,their nest was also there4 ,the heavy rain had loosened it and made it fall4 ,the little ones screeched in chorus1 and tried constantly to get hold of something with their claws4 ,the older bird gave no sound at all4 ,she seemed to be hurt4 ,we called her the mother4 ,the lady looked at their little nest4 ,then she went and fetched a basket1 and1 as soon as the birds were removed to it1 they began to clamber up the sides4 ,when they got to the top1 where they could hang at full length1 they stopped their screeching4 ,only now and then they still gave a rasping sound4 ,perhaps they were hungry1 and scolded because nobody brought them any food4 ,some crossed over the rim of the basket and tried the other side4 ,i stayed there the rest of the afternoon4 ,every ten or fifteen minutes the little birds gave a call1 like1 8,gitse gitse40 ,thinking that they must be almost choked with the soot1 ,i tried to give them water1 but they would not open their bills4 ,i forced them open with a manicure stick1 and gave them a drop at a time4 ,they swallowed it when it was dropped far down in their throats2 otherwise they would jerk their heads and throw it out4 ,i also moistened a cracker with some egg yolk1 and mixed into it about fifty flies out of the flytrap2 then tried to feed the birds with the little stick4 ,by prying up their upper mandible ,i got some flies down each bird's throat4 ,the lower mandible was very soft and would not bear handling4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,chimney ,,swifts' ,,temporary ,,home ,i became so attached to these birds1 ,i hated to leave them1 but the time came for me to go home4 ,the boy and his mother seemed distressed at the prospect of having birds as boarders4 ,there was canning to do1 besides cooking for extra farm hands2 and ,laddie had to help his father with the haying1--so his mother said4 ,i offered to take the birds and do the best ,i could with them1 if the lad was willing4 ,he was2 so ,i took the birds and the nest with me in the little basket1 which was their temporary home4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,flicker ,,is ,,also ,,called ,,golden-,,winged ,,woodpecker ,illustration3 ,,chimney ,,swifts' ,,nest ,,vii ,,the ,,chimney ,,swifts ,the correct name of these birds whose home life was so rudely broken up is chimney swift4 ,according to the bird books1 they have been known to fly a thousand miles in a day1 and they live in chimneys4 ,could any name fit them better8 ,chimney swifts are sometimes called swallows1 probably because they resemble them somewhat1 and twitter like swallows4 ,but they are not swallows at all4 ,i thought if the birds could have their nest near them1 it would seem more like home to them4 ,it was a tiny nest1 a bracket made of twigs which were woven together basket fashion and tightly glued4 ,i have preserved it as an art treasure4 ,on each side is a flat1 gluey extension4 ,wetting this extension made it sticky2 but it would not stick to the rough surface of the small basket4 ,i laid it on the smooth surface inside a peach basket and put weights on it4 ,when it became dry1 the nest was stuck fast4 ,illustration3 ,,one ,,of ,,these ,,swift ,,babies ,,was ,,put ,,to ,,rest ,,in ,,the ,,nest1 ,,but ,,he ,,did ,,not ,,stay ,,there ,,long ,then ,i transferred the swifts from the small basket1 which had been their temporary home1 to the peach basket4 ,they perched around the nest4 ,one of these babies was put to rest in the nest1 but he did not stay there long4 ,they all clambered up to the edge and from time to time they changed places1 sometimes crossing over the edge of the basket from one side to the other4 ,it was fortunate that this happened during my vacation1 because the care of a baby bird demands much time4 ,he has to be fed regularly and often4 ,having several birds to feed is about enough to take up all one's time4 ,if they only had opened their bills when they were hungry1 it would have been much easier to feed these swifts4 ,their very short but wide bills had to be pried open every time and the food poked down their throats4 ,i tried to feed them every fifteen or twenty minutes4 ,it took so long to feed each one1 that usually1 by the time ,i had finished with number four1 it was necessary to begin feeding number one again4 ,the food ,i gave them was bread soaked in warm milk1 with plenty of flies mixed in4 ,for a change ,i mixed the bread with a raw yolk4 ,i gave them warm water occasionally4 ,it seemed to me they needed it after having come through that mass of soot4 ,at the end of the first day the young were as chipper and bright as any young birds4 ,instead of screeching they began to twitter1 8,gitse gitse40 ,the mother was very still4 ,she did not seem to care for her babies at all1 and did not go near to keep them warm4 ,she just hung in the one position4 ,several times she tried to fly1 but she could only fly a few feet2 then she fell to the floor4 ,during the second day the young seemed to be doing well4 ,they preened themselves1 and their blackish breasts were changed to gray4 ,it was a cool day1 and ,i set the basket where the sun would shine on the birds4 ,they fluffed their feathers as if they enjoyed the warmth4 ,once in a while one tried to fly1 but he always fluttered to the ground and had to be brought back4 ,the mother tried her wings again and again4 ,she got so she could fly a little farther at every attempt1 before she went to the ground4 ,at about five o'clock she flew far enough to get out of sight4 ,all the next day ,i kept the peach basket with these swifts in it outdoors1 hoping the mother would return and feed them4 ,but she did not return4 ,on the following day these birds began to look feeble4 ,i went to the telephone and called up a gentleman#a who is an authority on birds1 and asked him what ,i should do4 ,he said the main thing was to keep the birds evenly warm2 that more young birds die from chill than from hunger4 ,to revive them he said ,i should put a few drops of whiskey in a glass of water and give them each a few drops2 then ,i should try to get them some gnats1 or a grub from the garden1 mince it well1 and feed it to them4 ,flies1 he said1 had not much nourishment in them4 ,on returning ,i found that two of the little birds had died4 ,i determined to try hard to save the remaining one4 ,it was impossible to get whiskey because ,i live in a temperance town4 ,i gave the little bird a weak solution of baking soda because he had a big lump in his craw4 ,then ,i wrapped him in a silken scarf1 and warmed him beside the cook stove as ,i have seen baby chicks revived when they have been chilled by a sudden rain4 ,the lump disappeared4 ,he brightened up4 ,i could find no grubs2 but a few grasshoppers1 some ant larv1 and several juicy green cabbage worms were food enough for the rest of that day4 ,i kept the bird in his wrappings all day1 but fixed it so he could clamber on to the basket4 ,at night ,i put him away warm and snug1 and seemingly happy4 ,the first sound ,i heard the next morning was 8,gitse gitse40 ,the little bird was ready for a meal4 ,from an ant hill near by ,i got more ant larv1 something which all young birds like4 ,for the first time now he swallowed food just as soon as it got inside his bill4 ,up to this time he had jerked it out unless it was poked down4 ,but he still refused to open his bill4 ,he did not care for the nest and never would stay on it4 ,so ,i fixed him again in the little basket where he would be more snug4 ,i had lined it with cotton batting and woolen cloth so his breast would be against a soft1 warm surface4 ,i also kept him at an even temperature1 and fed him regularly4 ,the little basket was on my work table4 ,he seemed to enjoy being near me and being talked to4 ,sometimes he flew over on my shoulder4 ,i fed him more cabbage worms and grasshoppers1 and also gave him water occasionally4 ,i could not forgive myself to think ,i hadn't asked for advice sooner4 ,i felt sure that1 had ,i done so the first day ,i took charge of these birds1 and then followed instructions1 the two would not have died4 ,again at the close of the day ,baby ,swift was put away in his warm wrappings4 ,in the morning ,i did not hear the usual1 8,gitse gitse40 ,baby ,swift had gone to the bird heaven4 ,it had been a big undertaking to adopt those homeless birds2 but ,i am glad for several reasons that ,i did it4 ,first1 ,i am glad that ,i helped them in their trouble4 ,second1 ,i am glad ,i relieved the boy and his busy mother of caring for them4 ,third1 ,i am glad because ,i have since read in the bird books that the chimney swift is a very useful bird2 that he feeds wholly on troublesome insects4 ,fourth1 ,i am glad because it gave me opportunity to get acquainted with one more bird4 ,i consider that something worth while4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,robin',s ,,nest ,,viii ,,birds ,,not ,,of ,a ,,feather ,one day1 on looking up into a tree in the vacant lot1 what should ,i see there8 ,a mother robin just dropping a worm into her baby's open beak4 ,the nest was right in the crotch where the trunk forks into two main branches4 ,so many robins' nests are blown off the branches by the wind1 or washed off by heavy rains1 that ,i was glad to see this nest firmly saddled on that strong trunk4 ,but a second thought told me that it was easy for cats and squirrels to get at1 so ,i studied how to make it safe4 ,all the tin sheeting had been used up2 but ,i knew where there was some old stove pipe4 ,a kind neighbor ripped it open4 ,one piece was not wide enough to go around the tree1 so ,i had to use two4 ,mrs4 ,cotton1 who had again become my neighbor1 having built a bungalow on one of the vacant lots1 came to help me4 ,she said it wasn't good for the tree to drive nails into it1 and fetched some wire4 ,meanwhile1 ,i got the stepladder2 for the sheeting must be high enough so that cats and squirrels cannot jump from the ground to the trunk above it4 ,we used only two small nails1 to keep the wires from slipping4 ,of course1 the robins scolded while we were doing this4 ,they never liked to have anybody near their tree4 ,after a week the young ones were sitting on the edge of the nest4 ,i knew then that they would soon leave it1 and ,i began to keep a close watch on them1 and on the cats of the neighborhood4 ,if all cats belonged to people1 and had to be kept on their own premises1 little birds would be much safer4 ,as it is1 cats may roam wherever they please4 ,they can crouch in tall grasses1 flower beds1 shrubs1 and other places1 ready to pounce on any bird that comes near enough4 ,homeless cats who have to hunt their living are the greatest menace to birds1 especially to young birds who are not yet wise to the dangers that surround them4 ,now who is to blame8 ,surely not the cats4 ,instead of continually berating the cats1 let the friends of birds secure laws to license cats1 to compel people to keep their cats on their own premises1 to punish people for putting cats astray1 and to put homeless cats out of their misery4 ,one ,june day1 while walking along the ravine1 ,i saw three robins on the ground4 ,i went to the tree to see if the young had all left the nest1 and found that one was still there4 ,he looked down1 as if he would like to go to join his brothers2 but he seemed to be afraid to leave the safe little home4 ,the parents brought food to him and also to those on the ground4 ,whenever the parents went to the one on the nest1 they urged him to come over to some of the near branches2 but he stayed on the nest as if glued to it4 ,finally1 one of the parents got behind him and just politely pushed him off4 ,he spread his wings to fly1 but fluttered to the ground4 ,instead of continuing my walk that morning ,i stayed with the robins4 ,about a hundred feet away ,i could see them well with my field glasses4 ,my neighbor1 ,mrs4 ,cotton1 was just as much interested in these birds as ,i was4 ,they could not fly well yet4 ,between us we saw to it that no harm befell them that day4 ,towards evening the robins also sought the protection of those bristly thornapple bushes4 ,one by one they coaxed the young in that direction4 ,during that night a great storm came up of lightning and thunder and rain4 ,i was sorry for the young robins1 but had no doubt that their parents shielded them4 ,i have seen a mother bird sit faithfully on the nest when the rain was pelting her mercilessly4 ,mother love knows no discomforts4 ,i think all birds enjoy a good shower2 they always sing joyously as soon as it clears again1 and sometimes while it is still raining4 ,some also enjoy a shower bath4 ,sometimes they finish it with a ducking in the basin4 ,those that do not care for the shower usually know where to find a comfortable place during a heavy downpour4 ,on such occasions1 ,i have seen them take refuge in trees1 close to the trunk where it is steady and where the foliage is dense over them4 ,and ,i have seen them go for shelter under rail fences1 such as there are in the country1 where the rails are broad enough to protect a little bird4 ,i have also seen birds come out from under a corn-crib after a rain1 so ,i presume they had gone under it for shelter4 ,after the robins had left their nest ,i took the sheeting off the tree4 ,it is said that the bark of a tree is its lungs through which it breathes4 ,i want all the trees around me to breathe deeply of the precious air1 so ,i try always to save the bark4 ,it is much easier to take off the wires than it is to take nails out of a tree4 ,already some insects had made nests and cocoons under this sheeting4 ,my way of getting acquainted with birds was by keeping a notebook4 ,in it ,i wrote everything ,i saw any bird do3 what he ate1 how he sang1 what he looked like1 where he was generally seen1 etc4 ,i always watched a bird as long as it stayed in sight4 ,when it left ,i observed its flight and its shape4 ,then ,i looked at the colored pictures in my bird books1 to see if ,i could find a bird similar to mine4 ,if ,i did find him1 then ,i read all about him to see whether that bird ate the kind of food1 and acted1 and flew1 and sang1 in the way my strange bird did4 ,if he did1 then ,i knew ,i had made the acquaintance of a new bird4 ,for instance1 ,i had written about one bird3 8,rather plump1 head pointed1 bill long4 ,head and back olive4 ,front yellow4 ,wings dark with white bars4 ,tail brown with dark marks4 ,is on the fence getting strings4 ,also visits the basin4 ,never sings4 ,likes bread crumbs4 ,nearly as large as robin40 ,sometimes there came with this bird a beautiful black and orange bird4 ,in a little pocket guide ,i found both these birds pictured as mates4 ,they were the ,baltimore orioles4 ,she was the bird ,i had described in my notebook4 ,while she was getting strings1 her mate was usually up in a tree somewhere near1 singing3 8,heeho_/hee1 heeho ho_/hee40 ,it was no wonder that the orioles needed so many strings4 ,they made a baglike nest on the tip end of a branch in ,mrs4 ,cotton's elm4 ,the wind used to swing that nest like a hammock4 ,i often thought how nice it must be for those baby orioles to be rocked by the wind and to have such a fine musician for their father4 ,mrs4 ,cotton was keeping her cat housed during those days4 ,moreover1 she threw bread out on her lawn every day for any birds that might want it4 ,the orioles were among the birds that went there2 they preferred graham or entire wheat bread to white bread4 ,other birds that came to my yard were the brown thrasher1 the goldfinch1 and the redheaded woodpecker4 ,they had their nests along the ravine4 ,the redheaded woodpeckers' home was in a hole of an old tree near the ravine4 ,their call was a guttural 8,chr-r-r10 which was pleasant to hear4 ,near the nest tree was a big stone which they used as a convenient perch4 ,the woodpecker babies did not have the showy red head and neck of the parents2 theirs were of a rusty color1 and the white on their wings was barred with black4 ,during the summer1 ,father ,woodpecker often brought the babies to the food station4 ,they could help themselves pretty well to suet2 but the peanuts were a puzzle to them4 ,they just pecked into the shell and tried to eat that4 ,usually1 before the babies arrived1 the father came and perched on some high point and looked all around4 ,if all was to his liking1 he sounded his rattling tattoo4 ,the babies always came so promptly that it was evident he had hidden them somewhere near1 probably with orders to await his signal before venturing farther4 ,illustration3 ,,near ,,the ,,nest ,,tree ,,was ,a ,,big ,,stone ,,which ,,the ,,redheaded ,,woodpecker ,,used ,,as ,a ,,perch ,i think the brown thrasher must have had a large family2 he used to tear off pieces of bread and carry them away from the bird table4 ,once he carried off a piece of cheese that kept him trailing near the ground1 it was so heavy4 ,a blackbird followed and tried to take it1 but the thrasher got away from him4 ,a queer thing about the brown thrasher is his song4 ,it is made up of real words and sentences1 and he sings everything twice or more times4 ,if you should ever hear a big brown bird1 with a long reddish tail and speckled breast1 sing1 8,beverly ,beverly10 8,peter ,peter10 8,tell it to me6 ,tell it to me60 8,come here6 ,come here60 and such things1 then you have heard the brown thrasher4 ,if you will look high enough you can almost surely see him too1 in the top of a high tree4 ,he loves to be seen as well as heard4 ,mrs4 ,brown ,thrasher looked just like her mate4 ,she had hidden her nest so well that ,i did not find it until it was empty4 ,it was in a dense thicket4 ,i knew it was hers because she was still near4 8,io-it6 io-it60 she scolded1 until ,i went away4 ,one little baby thrasher was on a branch of the thicket4 ,the mother was guarding him4 ,the goldfinches were very late with their housekeeping4 ,in ,july they were still gathering strings and cotton for their nesting4 ,they are just as polite and gentle as the chickadees4 ,their name fits so well that anybody who sees these yellow birds1 just like canaries with black wings and tail1 ought to know them at once4 ,their song usually starts with 8,sweet sweet sweet10 and the rest is a regular canary song4 ,they are sometimes called wild canaries4 ,illustration3 ,,each ,,little ,,goldfinch ,,called ,,as ,,loud ,,as ,,he ,,could ,the young goldfinches loved to sit on the edge of their nest as soon as they were old enough4 ,as they sat there they chattered to each other1 8,ze bebe1 ze bebe10 and fluttered their wings a great deal4 ,when ,i found their nest ,i was surprised that ,i hadn't seen it before2 it was low on a buckeye4 ,when the young goldfinches left their nest it seemed as if they wanted to get acquainted with people4 ,they came down on the lowest branches1 and quite near the house4 ,one alighted on the clothesline4 ,whenever ,father or ,mother came with food there was the greatest fluttering of wings4 ,each one called1 8,ze bebe ze bebe10 as loud as he could1 and opened wide his bill to catch what the parents tossed or squirted out to him4 ,it was no living1 squirming thing1 but a pulpy mass4 ,the young were yellow in front1 olive on the back1 and they had black wings with brown and white bars4 ,the black tail was edged with white4 ,goldfinches like sunflower seeds4 ,but the main reason why they are so useful and so well liked is that they eat large quantities of thistle seeds and dandelion seeds4 ,when cold weather came the parent goldfinches were no longer so beautifully yellow1 for they had put on their gray autumn coats4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,young ,,goldfinch ,,alighted ,,on ,,the ,,clothesline ,illustration3 ,,this ,,martin ,,scout ,,brought ,a ,,lady ,,with ,,him ,,ix ,,the ,,martins' ,,aircastle ,the purple martins like a house with many rooms1 so they can live together in a large company4 ,since the martins belong to the swallow family1 to call them purple swallows would1 it seems to me1 be more informing4 ,my friend who had sent me the wren apartment house was so pleased with its success that he sent me also a martin house4 ,it is four stories high and has twenty-six rooms4 ,around each story are porches1 some of them several inches wide4 ,it pleases birds to have their houses look1 before they occupy them1 as if they had been out in all sorts of weather4 ,so1 for several weeks before this martin house was set up1 it lay out in the yard to be rained and snowed on4 ,one cold ,march day a purple bird came in at my window4 ,he perched on picture frames1 twittered a little1 and went out again4 ,according to the bird books1 my little visitor was a purple martin4 ,maybe he had seen the martin house on the lawn1 and came to ask me to put it up4 ,anyway1 the next day it was mounted in the farthest corner of the garden4 ,for1 according to the directions that came with the house1 martins want their houses to be fifty feet away from any building or tree1 and on a pole at least sixteen feet high4 ,in early ,april another martin came2 or maybe it was the same one1 returning to see whether the house had been put up4 ,martins always send one of their number ahead to look up a house for them4 ,he is called a scout4 ,this martin scout perched on the wires nearby1 and tried repeatedly to alight on one of the porches of the martin house4 ,but some ,english sparrows were there2 they also wanted that house4 ,every time the scout went near1 these sparrows flew at him and kept him from getting a foothold on the house4 ,sometimes he managed to perch on the roof and there wait for a chance to get inside4 ,but the sparrows were too many for him4 ,now and then he gave a sad note1 as if he were discouraged and calling for help4 ,then again it seemed as if something had encouraged him1 and he sang out clearly something like this3 8,whew whew whew tr-r-r-r cho cho cho cho40 ,after holding out against the sparrows for three days1 he went away4 ,about a week later ,i heard a sweet and happy twitter4 ,several martins were flying around the house4 ,i had named it ,the ,martins' ,aircastle4 ,by this time the ,english sparrows had begun nesting in some of the rooms4 ,the martins perched on the wires in front of the house and made a saucy chatter1 calling the sparrows all sorts of names1 ,i suppose4 ,the sparrows jabbered back at them4 ,in about an hour the martins left4 ,early the next morning another flock of martins came4 ,some perched on the wires1 some on the roof1 and some on the porches of the martin house4 ,others flew around in big circles4 ,all were twittering and calling in their happiest manner4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,martins' ,,aircastle ,i had driven the sparrows away the night before1 and this is how ,i did it3 ,i put a few big nails into a tin can1 then closed the can and tied it to a long stick4 ,with this stick ,i banged the can against the martin house pole again and again4 ,it frightened the sleeping sparrows4 ,by the moonlight ,i could see six come out and fly away2 but ,i think there were more4 ,two pairs of sparrows came back in the morning4 ,they had made their nests side by side in the third story4 ,long grasses were hanging out from the entrances4 ,perhaps the martins were sorry for them2 anyway1 it looked as if they were willing to play fair4 ,they did not chase them off any more2 and the sparrows1 being now so few1 no longer molested the martins4 ,the martins now began to clean house4 ,there were wads of chicken feathers and some broken eggs among the rubbish which they threw out4 ,this was soon replaced by straws and sticks which they brought for their own nesting4 ,i could only count twelve pairs of martins1 so that there were plenty of rooms for them and the sparrows too4 ,i suppose one reason why the sparrows were unwelcome is because they are such untidy housekeepers as to render close neighboring with them insanitary4 ,the more ,i see of martins1 the better ,i like them4 ,they are always cheerful1 always busy4 ,their shiny1 purple plumage1 broad shoulders1 and tapering body give them a distinguished air4 ,these purple birds are the father martins4 ,the mother martins' back feathers1 when exposed to the sunlight1 have all the shades of violet4 ,in front they are cream-colored1 and finely speckled4 ,these violet-colored ones stayed around home more than the others2 this is why ,i took them to be the mothers4 ,the father martins flew around and brought in the provisions1 which they caught on the wing4 ,on returning a martin would sometimes sit on the porch and sing into the room to his mate2 or she would come out to him1 and the two would coo to each other in the most affectionate manner4 ,the martins were also friendly with all their bird neighbors4 ,but they were so high up that their housekeeping was for the most part a secret which they wanted to keep to themselves4 ,it was hard to tell what they had to eat1 except when one caught a dragonfly or a grasshopper4 ,when one got a big catch like that1 he usually held it squirming in his bill a while as if he was proud of it and wanted to show it off4 ,or maybe he tried in this way to prolong the enjoyment of it4 ,when it began to disappear in his bill the body always went first and the wings last4 ,martins are not strong on their feet4 ,even when walking around on the porches of their house they just waddled1 like ducks4 ,but at flying they are masters4 ,they can soar high1 almost out of sight1 then shoot straight down and skim along close to the ground4 ,sometimes the martins visited the basin to get a drink or to bathe4 ,one of their favorite pastimes was to roll in the sand in our garden4 ,when around home they loved to perch on the wires or lounge on the porches4 ,they also visited a bald tree not far off1 and there preened themselves4 ,i never saw them visit trees that had foliage on them4 ,some more ,english sparrows tried from time to time to come back4 ,it seemed as if they watched for the martins to go away4 ,then they would come and peer into the rooms1 and even go in4 ,the martins1 however1 always left one of their number on guard1 for usually the intruders were soon chased away4 ,once a martin caught an ,english sparrow in his room4 ,he went in1 but kept one wing outside1 and that wing flapped and fluttered just like a flag in a high wind4 ,no doubt the sparrow got a good beating with the other wing4 ,sounds of 8,kr-r-r6 kr-r-r60 came from the room4 8,kr-r-r60 is the scolding word of the martins4 ,it sounds as if someone1 walking beside a picket fence1 were scraping it with a stick4 ,i have often heard the martins say it to the sparrows1 but never have ,i heard them use it among themselves4 ,they are the most contented birds1 always polite and kind to one another4 ,for good behavior ,i have put them on the honor roll with the chickadees and the goldfinches4 ,the martins are also wonderful singers and whistlers4 ,they sing all day long1 and often after dark4 ,their song is made up of three parts3 a sibilant or smacking twitter1 a trill1 and a whistle4 ,to me it sounds something like this3 8,heechut-chut-chut_/tr-r-r-rho_/heeho-h o-ho40 ,they keep this up in a sort of conversational fashion1 and as they do so are continually changing places on the housetop1 the porches1 or the wires4 ,in ,june the baby martins began to lounge on the porches and to sun themselves on the wires4 ,after a while there were more babies4 ,the porches were covered with them4 ,my6 how busy those parents were6 ,as babies increased in numbers1 evidently the parents felt that the older ones ought to become self-supporting2 but they preferred to spend their days preening and twittering and being waited on4 ,the parents pecked and scolded them1 and finally pushed them off their perches to make them go and hunt food for themselves4 ,one day after the second batch of babies had appeared outside1 two hawks came and perched on the telephone wires near the martin home4 ,my attention was attracted to them by the guttural calls or scoldings of the martins4 ,as they called1 they flew swiftly to and from the house1 and around in big circles4 ,soon the wires were lined with martins that had come from other colonies1 and the air was rent with their guttural shriekings4 ,evidently they felt that these big birds were a great menace to their young4 ,to the credit of the ,english sparrows it must be said that they also flew around with the martins1 and tried to help them call attention to the danger4 ,the hawks stayed about fifteen minutes1 looking constantly in all directions2 for they were completely surrounded by the vigilant and frantic martins all that time4 ,then they flew into a bald tree near by1 and after looking on from there a while they flew away4 ,they returned a few times after that1 but never again stayed long enough to cause such a commotion4 ,after the young were all able to fly1 the whole company was usually away most of the day4 ,early in the morning when they were getting ready to go1 and at sunset time when they returned1 there was always a great demonstration1 with trilling1 and twittering1 and whistling1 about the house and on the wires4 ,the home-coming of the martins was a daily event to which not only we1 but our neighbors also1 looked forward4 ,then1 as night set in1 there was a steady chorus of cooing as if each martin mother were singing a lullaby to her numerous babies4 ,we used to wonder how they all existed in those rooms1 six inches square by six inches high4 ,for no matter how hot the night1 they all went inside before midnight4 ,one evening my former neighbor1 ,mrs4 ,daily1 was present when the martins returned4 ,she also had put up a martin house1 but so far it had not been occupied4 ,illustration3 ,photo by ,joseph ,h4 ,dodson ,,the ,,home-,,coming ,,of ,,the ,,martins 8,your house has such wide porches1 and mine hasn't any10 she remarked1 as she watched the returning birds sit on the porches and coo to each other4 8,and10 she added1 8,i have been told that my house is too near the garage40 ,it is true that martins are not easily attracted2 but when once they have accepted a house they will be steady summer tenants for years4 ,when ,i think what a pleasure it is to have a flock of these lovely birds1 year after year1 from ,april to ,september1 ,i wonder that any good-sized yard is without a martin house4 ,martins are content to live anywhere1 in town or country4 ,all they want is the right kind of a house with plenty of room around it1 and they like some wires near by for perches4 ,it seems to me that a martin house1 perched high in broad sunlight1 needs ventilation4 ,but this must be provided without causing drafts4 ,it can be provided by making a half-inch horizontal slit on the inner walls just below the ceiling1 something like the ventilation in a steamer cabin4 ,martins will not tolerate drafts4 ,then if the two topmost rooms in the martin house are made to connect by means of a hole two and a half inches in diameter1 next to the ceiling1 this will greatly assist the visiting scout4 ,when ,english sparrows see the scout enter the house1 they will lie in wait where he entered1 expecting to molest him when he comes out4 ,but if he can leave at another exit and get his colony while the sparrows still wait for him1 they will have to surrender when he returns4 ,it is a question of numbers4 ,this kind of house1 even though it have only six or eight rooms1 will attract martins1 and promise a good beginning in martin lore4 ,my neighbor1 ,mrs4 ,cotton1 has now a martin house also4 ,it has ten rooms1 ventilated as described above and with the two upper rooms connecting4 ,there being no telephone wires near enough1 a wire running over the house on four uprights serves the same purpose4 ,the first martin that was seen to visit this house brought a lady martin with him4 ,maybe he had been there before1 alone1 without being noticed4 ,the pair inspected the rooms1 then perched on the wire overhead and preened4 ,every little while ,mr4 ,martin twittered3 8,chow chow chow choochoochooho_/_/_/_/heehohoho0 and 8,yo yo yo yo yo40 ,this pair took possession of the upper east room4 ,the next day four more martins came4 ,one pair took a lower east room1 the other took the south room4 ,it looked as though the wire on top and the ventilation pleased them4 ,i was overjoyed that this house1 which ,i had designed1 proved satisfactory to these notional birds4 ,the dimensions of the rooms in this house are six inches square by seven inches high4 ,the diameter of the entrances is two and a half inches2 the width of porch five inches4 ,the pole extends through the center of the house and is screwed to the roof4 ,the rest of this house is held in place by means of a bolt underneath1 which can be taken out and the house--without its roof--let down to be cleaned4#b ,now listen to the good that martins do3 ,a martin will eat mosquitoes by the thousand every day1 besides many insects that injure fruit trees and spoil the fruit4 ,to protect their young1 martins will drive away hawks and other big birds that come near4 ,in this way they also protect any poultry yard near by4 ,on moonlight nights they hunt the moths and millers until midnight4 ,in late ,august the martins began to assemble in ever increasing numbers1 getting ready for the journey to their winter home1 which is said to be in ,central and ,south ,america4 ,during one of the days while those gatherings were going on1 the boy was here4 ,the martins had1 by this time1 become so confiding that we could go clear up to the pole on which their house was mounted1--and they would stay on the wires and look down at us6 ,i told the boy how ,i had driven the sparrows away from the martin house1 and showed him the stick with the can tied to it4 ,he tried it on the nearest telephone pole1 and instantly the martins flew from the wires4 ,it looked like a great gathering in midair4 ,the father martins were much darker at this time than in the ,spring1--in fact1 almost black4 ,mother's pretty violet hues had faded to gray4 ,baby ,martin was brownish-gray on the back1 and light in front4 ,one day the whole colony departed1 a jolly company1 leaving us sad indeed1 but hopeful that they would return with the ,spring flowers4 ,illustration3 ,photo by ,joseph ,h4 ,dodson ,a ,,great ,,gathering ,,in ,,mid-,,air ,illustration3 ,a ,,bath ,,for ,,birds ,,and ,a ,,lunch ,,beside ,,it ,x ,,more ,,about ,,the ,,boy ,i am sure that the farm at the end of our street is like home to the birds of the neighborhood1 and that that good boy is big brother to them all4 ,he always has a bath for the birds set out on a table1 and a lunch beside it4 8,you would be surprised to see how well the birds like oatmeal mush and other cereals10 said he1 the last time ,i was there4 8,just watch that song sparrow60 ,the little brown bird was feeding on a shredded wheat biscuit4 ,she stayed long enough to eat a hearty meal2 then took away as much as she could carry in her bill4 ,while ,i sat there she returned several times for more4 ,we were out in the boy's workshop4 ,he had just finished making what he called a food house4 ,it was a tray roofed over1 8to keep out the rain and snow10 he said4 ,i remarked that it was early 7it was in ,july7 to talk about snow4 8,oh10 said he1 8this is one of my vacation jobs4 ,after school begins ,i won't have time for these things4 ,i'll be a freshman in ,high1 you know40 ,the tray was about a foot long and not quite so wide4 ,on each side there was a wire pocket to hold suet4 ,four neat1 round sticks supported the roof1 which he said was made out of the sides of a soap box4 ,i asked where he got those fine round sticks and that pretty tray4 ,he said the sticks were scraps from his uncle's cabinet shop1 and that he got the tray from the grocer4 ,the name 8,neufchtel0 was printed on the sides of the tray in big letters4 ,i said1 8,wouldn't it be nice if all the ,neufchtel cheese boxes were made into food trays for birds80 8,yes10 he answered1 8,i know that our grocer would rather give his boxes away for some useful purpose than to burn them40 ,i admired the little food house so much that the boy gave me some sticks so that ,i could make one1 too4 ,then he told me of a pair of cedar waxwings that had nested in the orchard1 and a pair of crested flycatchers in a woodpecker's house4 ,i was very curious to see the waxwings1 so we went to them first4 ,the nest was about ten feet up in an apple tree4 ,with our field glasses we could see it quite plainly from under the nearest tree4 ,mrs4 ,waxwing was sitting up there2 we could just see her head and her tail4 ,mr4 ,waxwing visited her every few minutes with some food4 ,they were the quietest birds ,i have ever seen4 ,what they did say or sing was in very soft tones1 as if they were telling each other secrets4 ,i hummed parts of the little song occasionally4 ,when ,i explained to the boy why ,i did so1 he smiled1 and looked as if he didn't quite believe me4 ,we went from the waxwings to the flycatchers4 ,they lived in what the boy called a ,berlepsch house4 ,that means it was designed by a man named ,berlepsch who was a great friend of birds4 ,the boy said his uncle in ,new ,york had sent him the house as a birthday present4 ,what could be a nicer gift for a boy than a bird house8 ,it would make him want to get birds in it1 of course4 ,and ,i can think of nothing that would make a boy happier than to have bird neighbors4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,crested ,,flycatcher ,,and ,a ,,berlepsch ,,house ,the ,berlepsch house was made so one could raise the top1 lid-fashion1 and clean it when necessary4 ,it was mounted about twelve feet high on a brook willow that stood aslant in the ravine2 and it had been intended for woodpeckers4 ,the crested flycatchers are brown birds with gray upper breast and yellow below4 ,their headfeathers are always ruffed1 which gives the appearance of a crest4 ,the flycatchers were flying back and forth continually with all sorts of prey4 ,the brown bugs called 8,canadian soldiers0 were numerous that day and were easy to catch4 ,these parent birds evidently had a large family1 judging from the amount of food they delivered4 ,mr4 ,flycatcher had a loud1 explosive whistle4 ,it sounded as if he were saying3 8,wha-a-at80 ,the young could be heard giving the same whistle1 but much more softly1 and somewhat long drawn out3 8,wha-a-a-at80 ,after our visit with the flycatchers we returned to the waxwings4 ,waxwings are brown and about the size of bluebirds4 ,on the back of the head they have a tuft4 ,a black line extends across the bill1 and around the side of the head4 ,the front is yellowish-gray and the tail edged with yellow4 ,the name1 waxwing1 is due to a shiny red patch on their wings4 ,the fact that these waxwings are very fond of cedar berries must be what has given them also the name of cedar bird4 ,the nest was made of twigs1 strings1 and various kinds of fiber4 ,the boy said that a few weeks ago he had cut his dog's hair and left it lying on the lawn3 that these waxwings then came and carried every bit of it to their nest4 ,while near the birds ,i hummed the bird song again1 to let them know that the same persons were there that had visited them before4 ,the mother bird was looking straight at us and sitting perfectly still all the while4 ,the boy said he believed the song did help to keep her quiet4 ,on a cornice of the front porch a phbe had made two nests1 one last year and one this4 ,both nests were now empty4 ,i said ,i hoped that a phbe would come to live on our porch next year4 8,you can have this one10 answered the boy2 and added1 8,i have to wash off the porch every day while ,phbe is nesting3 she scatters so much mud40 ,illustration3 ,,kitty ,,watching ,,for ,,mice ,as for me1 ,i would gladly clean off our porch several times a day if a phbe would nest here and sing as sweetly1 8,phbe1 phbe10 as ,i heard that one sing4 ,sometimes ,i noticed a slight trill in the second syllable of her song1 like 8,phbery40 ,she sang 8,phbe0 with the inflection generally downward2 but when she trilled it1 8,phbery10 the inflection was always upwards3 8,ph-be-ry40 8,pee-e- a- wee- e- e- e- ee0 came up from the ravine1 clear as a strain from a flute4 ,on my way home ,i saw the pewee on a fence picket4 ,every little while he flew after an insect1 then back to a picket4 ,as ,i walked slowly along1 he flew from picket to picket ahead of me1 until ,i came to where the houses on the street begin again4 ,then he flew back4 ,i think that pewee and phbe must be some relation1 they look so nearly alike4 ,and both sing their own names4 ,another bird who sings his name is ,bob ,white1 the quail4 8,bob ,white60 came ringing across the meadow every little while4 ,the boy could whistle it exactly the same as the bird1 and they answered each other back and forth4 ,bob ,white was on a fence post1--a large brown bird with a stubby tail4 ,on ,thanksgiving ,day ,i was up at the farm again1 and ,i saw a shelter which the boy had made for the winter comfort of ,bob ,white1 and other birds who wished to share it4 ,it was tent-like1 made out of cornstalks1 the inside filled with pea vines1 bean vines1 morning-glory vines1 and several sheaves of oats4 ,kitty was watching beside the shelter1--for mice1 the boy explained6 ,the new food house was being visited by bluejays1 who nibbled at the suet4 ,a smaller feedery on a tree had corn in a tray and suet in a wire pocket4 ,this feedery was much liked by downies1 and small gray birds with white on lower front and tail--juncos4 ,juncos came in flocks of a dozen or more1 and twittered1 8,tut1 tut1 tut10 to each other and to us1 in sociable fashion4 ,they preferred to pick up the scatterings of chickfeed on the ground1 rather than perch on the tray4 ,both of these food stations were protected with tin sheeting to keep the squirrel from eating the birds' food4 ,this visit at the boy's home made me wish more than ever that some day ,i1 too1 might live on a farm4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,new ,,food ,,house ,,was ,,visited ,,by ,,bluejays ,on that ,thanksgiving ,day ,i had quite a surprise4 ,some dogs came barking from the ravine4 ,before them ran a rabbit just as fast as he could4 ,they were the dogs that had so often chased ,bunny1 and this rabbit looked so much like ,bunny1 that ,i felt sure it was he4 8,there's my rabbit10 said the boy1 as he went to chase the dogs away4 ,i was glad to know that ,bunny had such a nice home1 and that the boy was a big brother to him also4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,feedery ,,much ,,liked ,,by ,,downy ,illustration3 ,a ,,tree ,,trimmed ,,with ,,peanuts ,,for ,,the ,,birds ,,xi ,,the ,,cardinals ,having often seen cardinals feed in poultry yards with chickens1 ,i again started to scatter chickfeed1 hoping to attract those beautiful birds to my house4 ,chickfeed is finer than chickenfeed1 and ,i believe the birds like it better4 ,every winter ,i trimmed up an old tree with peanuts for the birds' ,christmas1 and always after a snowstorm ,i tramped the snow down2 then scattered the feed on it1 with buckwheat and sunflower seeds added4 ,at first only nuthatches1 chickadees1 and juncos came to my lunches on the snow4 ,one stormy day a cardinal ventured into our front yard2 but he did not go near the chickfeed4 ,several juncos were there1 and maybe he wanted to be generous and leave it all to the smaller birds4 ,he kept coming nearer to the house4 ,at last he flew pell-mell into our porch4 ,it seemed as if the wind had blown him in4 ,on a little shelf behind the windshield he alighted and stayed4 ,after a while another bird flew to the little shelf4 ,i hadn't noticed this bird before1 my attention being taken up with the cardinal4 ,this second bird was reddish green4 ,in my little bird guide ,i had seen pictures of the two cardinals1 so ,i knew that she was the red one's mate4 ,the cardinal pecked at her when she went to his side1 and the meek little bird just clung to the shelf4 ,the next day ,i made a shelf for her just below his4 ,at dusk the cardinals returned1 silently1 even stealthily1 as though they thought it unwise to publish their presence4 ,again he was a little ahead of her1 and he flew to the new shelf4 ,she alighted on the edge of the upper one4 ,after a while she tripped a little farther in1 to a more comfortable place4 ,when she was settled1 he went to her shelf and snuggled down beside her4 ,maybe he was sorry that he had acted so selfishly the day before4 ,i never saw him peck at her again4 ,every stormy day that winter the cardinals came to our porch at evening4 ,they became so confiding after a week or so that he usually announced their arrival with a few low hissing notes1 something like 8,tset1 tset1 tset60 ,sometimes he would perch on the upper shelf1 sometimes on the lower4 ,mrs4 ,cardinal was a peace-loving bird4 ,she always came last1 and took the empty shelf4 ,usually he would change so as to sit beside her4 ,they were always gone in the morning1 no matter how early ,i came out2 and when they came in the evening it was usually dusk4 ,so ,i never got a picture of my cardinals on the shelves4 ,mr4 ,cardinal finally got so he sometimes came to the lunch on the snow2 but his favorite feedery was a tray in my neighbor's yard1 which ,i kept supplied with shelled peanuts and shelled corn4 ,the ,english sparrows could not manage these large kernels1 so the cardinals had this feedery to themselves4 ,this may be the reason why they preferred it to the one on the ground4 ,but the cardinals must have procured much of their food elsewhere1 for they came only about once in three or four hours to get a dainty at the tray4 ,strange to say they never came together4 ,always he came first and ate a while1 then sometimes she would come1 too4 ,it seemed as if she let him come first1 then1 seeing that he stayed1 she took it for granted that all was well4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,cardinal',s ,,favorite ,,feedery ,in ,march the cardinals stopped sleeping on the porch4 ,about that time ,i began to hear almost daily a new song4 ,it sounded like1 8,d e a r gilly gilly gilly gilly60 ,immediately after it there would be a loose twitter3 8,chuk-chuk-chuk-chuk10--so soft and low1 it seemed it must be very near4 ,usually it brought another song from the cardinal1 and presently he would appear with a morsel for ,mrs4 ,cardinal1 who had a favorite perch in our little pear tree4 ,i soon learned that the twitter was her response to his call4 ,the winsome sight of seeing him feed her repaid me for all the money ,i spent for peanuts at thirteen cents the pound4 ,the pair began now to frequent the ravine more than usual4 ,on its edge lay a log from which the outer bark had been removed4 ,here the cardinals were often to be seen1 peeling and tearing off strips of wood-fiber1 which they bore away in long flowing streamers4 ,one morning ,mrs4 ,cotton came in4 8,here is news for you10 she said4 8,the red bird and a greenish bird are making a nest in my syringa bush40 ,the birds went on with their nesting for several days4 ,then ,mrs4 ,cotton came over again1 looking sad4 ,the birds were carrying away all their nesting material1 she said4 ,they had probably seen the cat1 had become alarmed for the safety of their home1 and so changed its location4 ,the cardinal had several songs4 ,one was3 8,whit whit d e a r d e a r whoit whoit whoit0 ,another was just plain3 8,w h o i t w h o i t0 sung from three to ten times in succession4 ,sometimes1 when ,mrs4 ,cardinal did not respond promptly1 he 8chuk0-ed1 himself1 in imitation of her notes4 ,in late ,august ,i found the cardinals' deserted nest in an evergreen on the ravine's edge4 ,it was made almost entirely of this stringy wood-fiber1 lined with fine rootlets1 and interwoven with many leaves4 ,i never saw but two baby cardinals of this brood4 ,they were brownish birds1 and they had the red bill of the parents4 ,after ,august ,i saw nothing more of their mother4 ,i have suspected that a boy down the street was to blame2 his favorite plaything was an air-gun1 and he had been caught shooting a brown thrasher shortly before4 ,it seems to me the laws protecting song-birds ought to be taught in every school1 and that children should be obliged to know that shooting song-birds or their young1 or spoiling or stealing their eggs or nest1 is a crime punishable by fine or imprisonment1 or both4 ,father ,cardinal was seen tending the young faithfully until ,october4 ,then he suddenly turned on them4 ,whenever they followed him after that he drove them from him4 ,the young found peanuts which ,i had chopped and scattered on the ground for them4 ,but whenever ,father found the young birds eating these nuts1 he chased them away4 ,once a baby cardinal found a whole peanut4 ,he bravely ventured to eat it1 and in the attempt got the shell partly open4 ,he was just picking a nut out1 when his brother tried to snatch it from him4 ,a struggle followed1 during which the shell broke in two1 and each contestant got a kernel4 ,in ,november the young cardinals disappeared4 ,father ,cardinal's persecution of his motherless children seemed unnatural1 not to say cruel4 ,can it be that he tried thus to compel his young to seek their natural food1 rather than to subsist on dainties furnished8 ,did he want to encourage them to become self-reliant and useful8 ,only on this theory can ,i account for his conduct4 ,our cardinal was a widower for some weeks longer4 ,only a few times during that mild winter did he come to sleep on our porch1 and on those occasions he came alone4 ,then a lady cardinal appeared1 and she followed him persistently4 ,but he wholly ignored her4 ,finally she began to carry food to him and to feed him4 ,whether this be a last resort of wooing in birddom1 or not1 ,i do not know4 ,anyhow1 ,mr4 ,cardinal relented4 ,the next thing1 he was seen to feed her whom he had treated so coolly4 ,this was a pretty sure sign that the two had come to an understanding4 ,again the old log by the ravine was being visited for nesting material4 ,again all his songs rang out1 and he added a new one4 ,it seemed as if he were singing over and over3 8,come here come here ,come here here here0 ,illustration3 ,,always ,,mr4 ,,cardinal ,,came ,,first ,,and ,,ate ,a ,,while2 ,,then ,,she ,,would ,,follow ,illustration3 ,,song ,,sparrow ,,xii ,,my ,,bird ,,family ,a great big family--that's what my bird neighbors are to me4 ,this large family is made up of smaller families4 ,let me set them all down in a row3 ,there are the bluebirds1 meadowlarks1 killdeers1 song sparrows1 robins1 purple martins1 goldfinches1 wrens1 orioles1 thrashers1 thrushes1 waxwings1 flycatchers1 pewee1 phbe1 and the redheaded woodpecker4 ,oh1 there is one more4 ,i would by no means slight the humble chimney swift4 ,when ,i hear that 8,gitse gitse0 twitter1 then ,i know that they1 too1 have come4 ,from early ,march when the first bluebird arrives1 until late ,may when pewee comes1 ,i am like a mother who waits at evening1 unsatisfied until all her children are in for the night4 ,when ,i hear the call of the latest comer1 the sweet-voiced pewee1 then ,i know that my absent ones have all returned4 ,add to these the ,bob ,whites1 the cardinals1 bluejays1 and flickers1 who stay the year round1 and the chickadees1 nuthatches1 downy and hairy woodpeckers1 and juncos1 who come in autumn to spend the winter1 and you have my bird family1 a wonderful family1 of musicians1 of workmen1 of homemakers--fathers and mothers and children4 ,to me the ways of birds are more entertaining than the best play ,i have ever attended4 ,they enact real life1 not make-believes4 ,then1 too1 what music can be compared to the sunrise and sunset concerts of birds in springtime and in early summer8 ,to know each singer by name adds much to the enjoyment4 ,the ways of birds are also wonderful1 past finding out4 ,who can explain how they make their nests so pretty1 when the only tools they have are beak and feet8 ,then1 how gingerly they hide their nests1 some with dainty curtains of leaves1 others by blending colors6 ,to find a bird's nest always fills me with reverence4 ,it is a little home1 a sacred place to its owners4 ,it shall be sacred to me4 ,the mother-wit and father-wisdom that birds show in rearing their young and in protecting them from harm makes me believe that they do think and plan and reason out things much as we human beings do4 ,the most wonderful thing about birds is the long journey that so many of them make every year1 generally with several babies only a few months old in the family4 ,it has been proved that birds will return year after year to the same orchard1 garden1 yard1 or porch4 ,i know my birds by their actions4 ,i do not need to tie bands on their legs to know them4 ,when they return they visit all their familiar haunts1 not cautiously as a stranger would1 but boldly1 and with the joyousness of those who have returned home after a long absence4 ,they call to me as if they would say3 8,here we are again6 ,are you still here1 too80 ,then what curiosity they display when they find a new bath6 ,how they fly over and around it1 trying to satisfy themselves that it is a safe place to alight6 ,what joy they express by their splashing6 ,it was while taking her bath that ,mother ,oriole was caught one day by the camera4 ,most wonderful to tell1 her own babies whom she often brought with her took this picture4 ,how did they do it8 ,they tried to perch on the thread leading from the camera over to the house1 where ,i sat waiting for ,mrs4 ,oriole to come out of the water before taking her picture4 ,the thread was not strong enough to hold the young birds4 ,they went down with it1 and in so doing snapped the spring which operated the shutter4 ,this took the picture of ,mother ,oriole in the bath4 ,those of my bird family who inhabit houses are sure every spring to find either some new houses1 or their old ones cleaned and repaired4 ,i always keep two houses up for bluebirds1 and several for wrens4 ,it is pleasant to watch them make their choice1 and after a fledging they can set up housekeeping again in the same house1 or take another4 ,my experience has been that birds become attached to a house where they have safely fledged a brood1 and if it is promptly cleaned they will return to it1 rather than try a new one4 ,but ,i have known instances where a pair began a second nesting before the young of their first brood were fledged4 ,in such a case an extra house is convenient4 ,illustration3 ,,mother ,,oriole ,,in ,,the ,,bath ,my bluebird house is five by seven inches1#c and is so shaped as to afford depth4 ,sufficient height is secured by means of a gable roof2 and a half-inch hole immediately under the roof affords ventilation4 ,the bluebird covers the floor of her house with grasses to the depth of about an inch and a half4 ,away back against the rear wall she makes the little hollow in which she lays her eggs4 ,i make her entrance one inch and a half in diameter1 and just below the middle front4 ,while brooding she can look outside1 and this affords her some diversion during that monotonous task4 ,this certainly seemed to be what one bluebird aimed at who nested in ,mrs4 ,daily's wren house4 ,the wad of grasses in that house reached clear up to the entrance1 which was about four inches above the floor4 ,apparently this bird had tried to build her nest high enough so she could look outside4 ,wrens always make a litter several inches high of twigs and other materials4 ,in this litter they embed their nest of fine grasses and feathers4 ,hence ,i conclude that they want their entrance several inches above the floor1 so that1 on going in1 they can walk over the litter and do not have to grope through it4 ,being small birds they need only a small house4 ,after years of experimenting ,i have settled on five inches by seven for wrens also1 but their house is so shaped as to afford height4 ,the sides run up at the back to twelve inches4 ,a half-inch hole high on each side affords ventilation4 ,i make the entrance one inch and an eighth in diameter1 just too small for the ,english sparrow1 but large enough to serve some other small bird should no wrens come4 ,a smaller entrance makes it difficult for wrens to get in their bulky nesting materials4 ,my wrens raised three broods in their little house in the pear tree last summer4 ,a friend of mine bought a wren house which has a low entrance4 ,some wrens nested in it4 ,one day ,father ,wren was very much excited1 but no one could understand what was the trouble4 ,the next day1 believing that the wrens had fledged their young1 my friend ordered the house to be cleaned4 ,to her horror she found ,mother ,wren wedged in among the nesting1 dead4 ,the babies were dead in their nest4 ,evidently their increasing weight had settled the nesting materials so the mother could not get out any more and neither could ,father ,wren go in4 ,let this be a warning to all who make wren houses1 to make the entrance several inches above the floor6 ,my houses for wrens and bluebirds are so made that they can be easily opened after use1 and cleaned4 ,the front on the wren house can be raised1 that on the bluebird house lowered4 ,by means of a screw eye1 the front is securely closed while the house is in use4 ,illustration3 ,,so ,,made ,,that ,,they ,,can ,,be ,,easily ,,opened ,,after ,,use ,,and ,,cleaned ,of late ,i have also used an open shelter4 ,it consists of a tray about five inches square1 roofed over1 and serves two purposes4 ,for winter use ,i fasten a small wire pocket on it1 into which ,i put beef suet4 ,then ,i mount this shelter about five feet high on a tree4 ,around the trunk ,i fasten strings of peanuts2 in the tray ,i keep shelled corn1 of which cardinals are especially fond4 ,the ,english sparrow does not care for the suet1 and as he cannot manage the corn nor the peanuts1 this feedery attracts only desirable birds4 ,in ,march ,i remove the wire pocket1 and mount the shelter a few feet higher1 to serve as a nest shelter for robins4 ,the roof will ward off heavy rains1 which destroy so many robin's nests4 ,a similar shelter1 if fastened in the shade on a wall1 might attract phbes4 ,when one starts out to make bird houses he should decide first of all what birds he wishes to attract by means of them4 ,booklets containing drawings and instructions for making houses for many kinds of house-nesting birds can be had free by addressing a postcard to the ,biological ,survey1 ,washington1 ,d4,c4 ,whoever tries to attract birds should also protect them from storms1 from their natural enemies1 and from meddlesome people4 ,birds will sometimes reject a good house because it is not properly mounted1 or because the location is objectionable4 ,the boy and ,i visited a park lately where about a hundred bird houses had been put up1 and but a few were said to be occupied4 ,these houses were so constructed that1 by turning a cleat underneath1 the floor could be pulled down and out4 ,if occupied1 opening them in this way might have disturbed the nest4 ,we visited twenty-five of these houses4 ,all except two were mounted so low that the boy could reach them1 some with ease1 and turn those cleats4 ,only the two which he could not reach were occupied4 ,some people have recommended tin cans as nest boxes for small birds4 ,i have tried the tin can1 carefully painted and placed in the shade4 ,but1 even with these precautions1 ,i would discourage its use4 ,people are so apt to forget about placing it in the shade6 ,i have seen birds' nests in tin cans with little skeletons embedded in them1 the birds having been smothered by the intense heat which metal will store4 ,enough wooden boxes are discarded by grocers1 druggists1 and other merchants to stock the country every year with bird houses4 ,if our fathers and mothers will encourage the making of these discards into bird houses1 shelters1 and feederies1 it will mark a step forward in bird protection4 ,illustration3 ,,food ,,house1 ,,made ,,out ,,of ,,waste ,,materials ,food houses should be protected so that other animals cannot mount and monopolize them1 keeping the birds at bay4 ,the red squirrel will do this unless the food tray is at least five feet above ground and the post well sheathed in tin4 ,my newest food house has the lid of a cheese box as tray and the top of a sugar barrel as roof4 ,this flat surface is a handy place for a basin of water4 ,in each of the four pillars supporting the roof is a hole1 to be stuffed with suet1 cheese1 peanut butter1 etc4 ,my grocer saves the drippings from his peanut grinder for my birds1 so there is no extravagance in giving them this dainty4 ,song sparrows and bluebirds like it as well as the woodpeckers4 ,on the side of the tray ,i tack nesting material4 ,so this food house1 made out of waste materials1 serves several uses4 ,the boy liked it so well he patterned one after it for his birds4 ,every autumn a lisping1 whispered1 dreamy bird song coming from some low elevation has puzzled me4 ,the bird looked like the song sparrow1 but this soft warble was so different from his spirited spring and summer songs that ,i could not believe my eyes4 ,after repeated autumn entries in my notebook1 8,i see his heavy breastspot heave and swell1 and his tail quiver as the song sparrow's always does when he sings10 ,i was gratified to find my findings confirmed by another observer4#d ,the singer was the song sparrow4 ,but to return to my bird family4 ,from the time the first birds arrive in the spring until they leave again1 my notebook and my field glasses are my constant companions4 ,now here are some little nature secrets4 ,my notebook is a green one4 ,i have to buy the paper in large sheets of the wholesaler1 and make the books myself4 ,a green notebook on my lap does not make such a striking patch on the landscape as a white one would4 ,the birds do not notice it so readily4 ,then1 whenever ,i am out 8birding10 except in winter1 ,i wear green clothes4 ,when taking pictures ,i use green focusing cloths instead of the usual black ones4 ,these things are great helps in bird study4 ,there now6 ,for the first time in this book ,i have used the word 8study0 in connection with birds4 ,some people think they must study volumes on ornithology before they can enjoy birds4 ,nothing could be farther from the truth4 ,even the little tot in a family may have an interest in his bird neighbors that will provide him wholesome pastime4 ,i know one who1 ever since he could walk well1 has faithfully kept the birds' bath in the yard supplied with fresh water1 and who saves all the table scraps for them4 ,he wears an ,audubon button and says he is 8the birdies' policeman40 ,love1 look1 listen1 appreciate2 let these be your watchwords4 ,just love the birds4 ,look1 as long as they remain in sight4 ,observe their ways and their appearance4 ,listen to their songs4 ,try to know your immediate bird neighbors by appearance1 name1 and song4 ,do them a kindness when possible4 ,this will lead up to recognition of birds1 which creates a desire for study of them4 ,the rest will follow4 ,you will begin to record observations4 ,you will wish for field glasses and bird books4 ,you will want to spend your holidays and your vacations where you can see birds4 ,before you realize it you will be one of those happiest of individuals1 a nature lover1 as all true bird lovers are4 ,it cannot be otherwise1 because the birds will draw you out to nature at all times1 and make you see her in all her moods4 ,then some day1 when everybody loves birds1 perhaps they will no longer hide their nests1 and may even fly to us1 instead of away from us4 ,illustration3 ,,maybe ,,they ,,will ,,fly ,,to ,,us1 ,,instead ,,of ,,away ,,from ,,us ,illustration3 ,,the ,,birdies' ,,policeman ,,glossary apartment1 room1 living quarters4 ,audubon1 ,john ,james ,audubon1 noted student of bird life4 authority1 one who has commanding knowledge of a subject4 berating1 scolding4 ,berlepsch1 family name of a nobleman who was noted for his kindness to birds4 bewildered1 confused4 birdling1 a baby bird4 blending1 mixing4 bluster1 play the bully4 bungalow1 a one-story house4 chickfeed1 a mixture of cracked grain4 clamber1 climb awkwardly4 commotion1 disturbance4 conjecture1 guess1 suppose4 convenient1 suitable1 handy4 cornice1 the fancy topmost part of a wall1 usually overhanging4 courageous1 full of courage1 brave4 craw1 the crop2 part of a bird's throat through which his food passes4 crouching1 lying flat or very close to the ground4 delving1 making holes by digging2 working hard4 demonstration1 a show4 distinguished1 notable1 unusually fine4 distressed1 troubled4 entice1 coax1 persuade4 evidently1 plainly1 clearly4 fetch1 go and bring back4 fledge1 7a bird7 to reach the age when its feathers are grown1 so that it can fly2 to care for a bird until it reaches that age4 fledgling1 young bird1 just out of the nest4 forage1 seek for food4 frantic1 wild with fear or alarm1 or even with joy4 genial1 friendly1 kindly4 gingerly1 cautiously1 carefully4 goal1 the place one is going to4 guttural1 throaty1 hoarse4 hepatica1 a spring flower1 also called liverwort4 inflection1 change in the pitch of the voice4 insanitary1 unhealthful4 inspect1 examine1 look into4 intruder1 a meddler1 outsider1 stranger4 larv1 caterpillars1 grubs4 lore1 knowledge4 mandible1 a jaw1 upper or lower1 especially of a beak or bill4 manicure stick1 a small smooth stick of orange wood1 used in caring for the finger nails4 matins1 morning songs4 menace1 danger4 minor tone1 low1 soft1 sad tone4 minstrel1 a traveling musician4 monopolize1 to own1 to possess alone4 monotonous1 tiresome4 morsel1 a mouthful1 a bit of food4 ,neufchtel1 a city in ,switzerland famed for the manufacture of cheeses4 nimble1 active4 notional1 full of notions1 whimsical1 8cranky40 obedient1 willing to obey1 dutiful4 odious1 disagreeable1 unpopular1 offensive4 opportunity1 chance4 ornithology1 the scientific study of birds4 pastime1 amusement1 play4 pergola1 garden house4 persecution1 pursuit with the object of punishing or hurting4 pilfering1 thieving4 pleading1 begging4 plumage1 feathers4 preen1 smooth down feathers with the beak4 premises1 piece of land belonging to somebody4 primitive1 old-fashioned4 prospect1 view1 outlook1 scene4 provisions1 food4 rasping1 harsh1 grating4 ravine1 small valley made by running water4 relent1 yield1 give in1 forgive4 revenge1 return of evil for evil4 revive1 bring back to life4 rippling1 moving up and down or back and forth1 like water4 rung1 step 7of a ladder74 sanctuary1 refuge1 shelter1 place of protection4 serene1 quiet1 calm4 sibilant1 high1 piercing1 hissing notes4 soot1 a fine black powder left by smoke on the inside of chimneys4 stealthily1 secretly4 subdued1 overcome1 quieted4 subsist1 live on4 suet1 beef fat4 syringa bush1 an ornamental shrub with very sweet white blossoms4 tapering1 narrowing to a point4 temporary1 for a short time4 tenants1 dwellers1 occupants4 tethered1 tied1 leashed1 hitched to a post or weight4 tinker1 work at anything in an unskilled way4 tin-sheathed1 enclosed in tin sheeting4 tolerate1 put up with1 endure4 transfer1 remove4 trellis1 lattice work for vines to grow on4 trilling1 quavering 7said of singing74 underbrush1 small trees and bushes growing under large trees in a wood4 ventilation1 letting in fresh air4 venture1 risk1 attempt4 vespers1 evening songs4 vigilant1 watchful4 vise1 clamp4 winsome1 charming1 pleasing4 yodeling1 warbling1 singing with frequent changes from high to low and low to high4 ,,directions ,,for ,,making ,,bird ,,houses ,the figures given below are based on lumber1 except the backs of wren and bluebird houses and the base and roof of martin house1 which should be thick4 ,back ,sides ,front ,floor ,roof ,entrance ,air ,hole ,bluebird #daj #eg #de #de #eh #a dia4 dia4 in house and #g #dh in middle peak of gable front gable ,wren #dad #eg #dg #cd #gh #a dia4 dia4 in house and #ab sloping #e above each peak floor ,for picture of bluebird house1 see inside back cover2 for picture of wren house1 see page #ci4 ,the sides of both houses are nailed to the edges of the back in such a way as to let the back project below1 about one inch4 ,in the bluebird house1 the upper edges of the sides should be beveled to fit the slope of the roof4 ,the front of this house is hinged upon a one-inch brad driven in1 on each side1 a half-inch above the lower corner4 ,to enable the front to swing downward1 as shown on page #aaf1 the floor must be fastened in place three-fourths of an inch above the lower edge of the sides4 ,before nailing on the roof1 see that the front swings easily4 ,bore half-inch holes in the projecting back below and above1 for wire to run through to strap the house in place4 ,add a perch of doweling a half inch below the entrance4 ,see figure on inside back cover4 ,the wren house is also provided with a swinging front1 hinged like that of the bluebird house1 but with the brads placed one inch from the upper corners so that it opens up instead of down4 ,this is shown on page #aaf4 ,the upper part of the back of wren house is planed flush with the sloping sides1 and the roof is planed flush with the back4 ,the air holes on each side will also serve for wire to run through4 ,other holes for this purpose should be bored in the projecting back at the bottom4 ,again see figure on page #aaf4 ,add a perch of doweling a half inch below the entrance4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,finished ,,martin ,,house ,illustration3 ,,raising ,,the ,,martin ,,house ,the holes in the backs should be about an inch apart on the surface and should be bored at an angle1 so as to lead the wire snugly around the trunk4 ,when the houses are put up for use1 the front of each is securely closed by means of a screw eye on the side1 which can be easily removed for the purpose of cleaning4 ,bluebird and wren houses should be in shade or part shade1 about ten feet above ground1 and mounted so that the upper part tilts slightly forward4 ,base ,box for ,rooms ,entrances ,pole #b ,posts lower story ,martin #cjcj #gbjbj #ffg #b dia4 #dfaf #dfaa house #a above floor ,in the center of the base a hole #df is cut to fit the pole upon which the house is to be mounted4 ,two cleats are nailed underneath the base1 crosswise of the boards and plumb with either side of the #df hole4 ,the box for the lower story is partitioned into nine compartments1 each #f square and #g high4 ,this gives eight outside rooms and a central space through which the pole may go4 ,in order to provide ventilation near the ceiling1 make the partitions only #f high4 ,they need not be nailed1 but may be dovetailed1 like partitions in an egg box4 ,to make the house so it can be easily opened1 for cleaning or to rout the ,english sparrows1 fasten the box for lower story in the center of the base by means of screw eyes and hooks1 two on a side4 ,the projecting part of the base will form a #e-wide porch all around1 a convenience which martins greatly enjoy4 ,the ceiling is allowed to project #b at the front and back to form porches for the upper rooms4 ,add a gable ample enough to afford at each end a room #f wide and #g high4 ,in the upper end of the partition between these two rooms1 cut a hole #b in diameter4 ,the reason for this is stated on page #hh1 paragraph #b4 ,the slanting roof should project #b all around4 ,finish it with a flat top as shown in the first cut on page #abh4 ,add posts #aad on which to staple wire or doweling as perches for the martins4 ,fasten these little posts to the flat roof by screws from beneath1 before nailing it to the house4 ,now fit the pole to the central space and screw it securely to the cleats under the base1 and the pole with the house on it is ready to be set up4 ,the martin house should be at least fifty feet away from a tree or building1 and fifteen feet above ground4 ,to mount the martin house so it can be easily let down to be cleaned or to rout the ,english sparrows1 place the two posts four inches apart and have them at least six feet high4 ,set the pole holding the martin house between them and secure it with two bolts about four feet apart1 the lower bolt being #a feet from the ground4 ,to lower the house1 remove the lower bolt and tilt the pole1 as shown in the second cut on page #abh4 ,the posts should be creosoted and sunk five feet in cement4 ,this cut shows a block and tackle being used to tilt the pole4 ,a further precaution against having the house crash to the ground would be a shears made of rough two by four scantling1 which can be obtained in twelve-foot lengths4 ,in making the shears1 bolt the scantlings two feet from the top with an ordinary half-inch carriage bolt1 and tie the bottoms so the legs will not spread too much4 ,,index ,b ,bird ,calls3 ,baltimore ,oriole1 #gc4 ,bluebird1 #bi1 #cb1 #cd1 #ce1 #ef4 ,bluejay1 #eb4 ,bob ,white1 #ii4 ,brown ,thrasher1 #ge4 ,cardinal1 #ajd-ajg1 #aji4 ,cedar ,waxwing1 #id4 ,chickadee1 #af4 ,chimney ,swift1 #ei1 #fd1 #ff1 #fg1 #aaj4 ,crested ,flycatcher1 #if4 ,downy ,woodpecker1 #ab4 ,flicker1 #dh-ej4 ,goldfinch1 #ef1 #gf1 #gg4 ,junco1 #ii4 ,killdeer1 #eb4 ,meadowlark1 #ed4 ,nuthatch1 #ad4 ,pewee1 #ih4 ,phbe1 #ig1 #ih4 ,purple ,martin1 #hj1 #hd1 #he1 #hi4 ,redheaded ,woodpecker1 #gc4 ,song ,sparrow1 #ed1 #aai4 ,wood ,thrush1 #ej4 ,wren1 #d1 #h1 #ch1 #da4 ,blackbird1 #ge4 ,bluebird1 #ah-bj1 #bd-ce1 #de1 #df1 #ed-ef1 #aaj1 #aab-aae1 #aai4 ,bluejay1 #ag1 #eb1 #ii1 #ajj1 #aaj4 ,bob ,white1 #ih1 #ii1 #aaj4 ,boy1 ,the1 #ah1 #ai1 #ch1 #dd-fa1 #fg1 #ij1 #ib-aja1 #aag4 ,bunny 7,see ,rabbit74 ,c ,canary1 ,wild 7,see ,goldfinch74 ,cardinal1 #ajb-aaj4 ,cat1 #i1 #aj1 #bc-bf1 #cb1 #dj1 #da1 #de1 #eg1 #fi1 #gj1 #ii1 #ajf4 ,chickadee1 #af1 #ag1 #bj1 #df1 #eb1 #ef1 #ajc1 #aaa4 ,d ,dog1 #ba1 #bb1 #aja4 ,e ,eggs1 #h1 #ch1 #dg1 #ee1 #fj1 #hb1 #ajg4 ,f ,flicker1 #dg-ej1 #aaa4 ,flycatcher1 ,crested1 #id-if1 #aaj4 ,food for ,birds1 #b1 #c1 #e-h1 #ab-ag1 #bc1 #bd1 #cc1 #cd1 #dg1 #eb1 #eh1 #fj1 #fd-fg1 #gc-ge1 #hc1 #ij1 #ib1 #ic1 #ii-ajd1 #ajg1 #ajh1 #aae-aai4 ,foodhouses1 #ic1 #id1 #ii1 #ajj1 #aae-aai4 ,g ,goldfinch1 #ef1 #gc1 #ge-gg1 #aaj4 ,h ,hawk1 #he1 #hf1 #ij4 ,hawk1 ,marsh1 #dh4 ,helps in ,bird ,study1 #aa1 #gb1 #aai1 #abj4 ,j ,junco1 #ii1 #ajc1 #aaa4 ,k ,killdeer1 #dg1 #eb1 #ec1 #aaj4 ,kitty 7,see ,cat74 ,m ,martin1 ,purple1 #df1 #dg1 #eh1 #gh-ia1 #aaj4 ,meadowlark1 #ed1 #aaj4 ,n ,nest and ,nestings3 ,baltimore ,oriole1 #gc4 ,bluebird1 #cj-cb1 #ce1 #ch1 #de1 #ed-ef4 ,bluejay1 #eb4 ,brown ,thrasher1 #gd1 #ge4 ,cardinal1 #ajf1 #ajg1 #aji4 ,cedar ,waxwing1 #id1 #if1 #ig4 ,chimney ,swift1 #ei1 #fa-fc4 ,flicker1 #dh4 ,goldfinch1 #ef1 #ge1 #gf4 ,killdeer1 #ec1 #ed4 ,phbe1 #ig4 ,purple ,martin1 #gh1 #hb4 ,redheaded ,woodpecker1 #gc4 ,robin1 #c1 #h1 #i1 #fh1 #fi4 ,wood ,thrush1 #ej1 #ea4 ,wren1 #c-e1 #h1 #cf-dc1 #de4 ,nesthouses1 #ag-bj1 #bd-bf1 #bi-ca1 #aaa-aae1 #aag1 #aah4 ,berlepsch house1 #id-if4 ,bluebird1 #ah1 #ai1 #be-bg1 #bi-cb1 #ce1 #df1 #aab-aae4 ,chickadee1 #df4 ,crested ,flycatcher1 #id-if4 ,purple ,martin1 #df1 #gh-ia4 ,woodpecker1 #df4 ,wren1 #c-e1 #ah-bj1 #bf1 #bi1 #cf-dc1 #de1 #df1 #aab1 #aad1 #aae4 ,nest ,shelter1 #aag4 ,nuthatch1 #ad-af1 #ajc1 #aaa4 ,o ,oriole1 #eh1 #gb1 #gc1 #aaj1 #aab4 ,p ,pewee1 #ih1 #ii1 #aaj4 ,phbe1 #ig1 #ih1 #aaj1 #aag4 ,pigeon1 #b4 ,protection1 #aj1 #ae1 #bc-bg1 #cj1 #cb1 #ch1 #de1 #dh1 #ef1 #fi-ga1 #aag4 ,r ,rabbit1 #ba-bc1 #aja4 ,robin1 #b1 #c1 #h-aa1 #dg1 #eh1 #fh-ga1 #aaj1 #aag4 ,s ,sparrow1 ,english1 #b1 #be-bg1 #cb1 #ce1 #cg1 #ch1 #dj1 #de1 #ed1 #ef1 #gi-hb1 #hd1 #hf1 #hh1 #aae1 #aaf4 ,sparrow1 ,song1 #ed1 #ib1 #ic1 #aaj1 #aai4 ,squirrel1 ,gray1 #be4 ,squirrel1 ,red1 #ae1 #bd-bg1 #de1 #fi1 #aah4 ,swallow 7,see ,swift and ,purple ,martin74 ,swift1 ,chimney1 #ei-fg1 #aaj4 ,t ,thrasher1 ,brown1 #eh1 #gc-ge1 #aaj4 ,thrush1 ,wood1 #dg1 #ej1 #ea1 #aaj4 ,w ,waxwing1 ,cedar1 #id1 #if1 #ig1 #aaj4 ,woodpecker1 #b1 #aa-ad1 #ag1 #bj1 #df1 #eb1 #aai4 ,woodpecker1 ,downy1 #aa-ad1 #bc1 #aaa4 ,woodpecker1 ,golden-winged 7,see ,flicker74 ,woodpecker1 ,hairy1 #ab1 #aaa4 ,woodpecker1 ,redheaded1 #eh1 #gc1 #gd1 #aaj4 ,wren1 #c-h1 #aa1 #ah-bj1 #bd1 #bf1 #bi1 #cc1 #cf-dc1 #de1 #aaj1 #aab1 #aad1 #aae4 ,,footnotes #a;,dr ,francis ,h4 ,herrick1 author of 8,the ,home ,life of ,wild ,birds40 #b;,a still better plan for lowering a martin house is described on page #abg4 #c,these dimensions have been accepted and approved not only by my own bluebird neighbors1 but by a bluebird pair reported in ,bird ,lore for ,july-,august1 #aiaf1 as having nested in a cemetery1 in an earthen jar that lay upon its side on a grave4 ,the report goes3 8,the jar measured five inches across the bottom and about seven inches in length40 ,there it is3 five by seven6 #d;,chas4 ,r4 ,wallace of ,delaware1 ,ohio1 in ,bird ,lore1 ,march-,april1 #aiae1 p4 #abh4 ,illustration3 ,endpaper ,illustration3 ,endpaper ,transcriber's ,notes --,silently corrected a few typos4 --,retained publication information from the printed edition3 this e,book is public-domain in the country of publication4 --,in the text versions only1 text in italics is delimited by underscores4