134 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



get a good look at a warbler, or enough, 

 at least, to identify it ; and, again, we 

 may see a half dozen different ones 

 at close range. 



Equipped with field glasses, a little 

 bit of uncertainty, a big lot of hope, for 

 something not seen before, and a fair 

 amount of patience, we will first enter 

 Edgewood Park from Chapel Street, 

 and take the lower path. Along the 

 bank, in shrubs, or trees, we may see 

 the brown thrasher, the white-throated 

 sparrow, and perhaps some other spar- 

 rows, but not many warblers. 



As we come to the"Willow Path" 

 near Edgewood Avenue, we may hear 

 the familiar notes of warblers, and if 

 we are fortunate in timing our walk 

 at the hour when the small boys and 

 girls are in school, or some other happy 

 place, we may spend a good hour in 

 this secluded corner and watch the 

 black and white, the black-throated 

 green, the black-throated blue, the yel- 

 low warbler and the vireos. 



Then, again, we may go there and 

 plainly hear the tantalizing calls from 

 all sides, seemly, and not get a good 

 look at one bird. It all depends! In 

 such cases, we desperately climb the 

 sandy bank, and go on to Mix's Wood. 



Here, too, we will take the lower 

 path, and are almost sure to see, all 

 along by the water, the Maryland yel- 

 low-throat, with its distinguishing 

 black cheeks. We usually look for these 

 pretty little birds in the low places, 

 near the water; although I have seen 

 them in a high part of this wood, and 

 perched in a fairly good sized tree, 

 singing just as happily as ever. 



On the left hand, somewhere on the 

 bank, I once saw the hooded warbler ; 

 therefore I always look that way, hop- 

 ing to get a second chance at one. 



As we come out into the open part, 

 up in the shrubs and low bushes at the 

 left, which are slightly protected by the 

 bank,we are quite apt to see the blue- 

 winged, and the parula; also the Can- 

 adian warbler, with its pretty black- 

 beaded necklace. . 



About two weeks ago we wandered 

 through this path one cold, windy, gray 

 day, and not a sign of bird life ap- 

 peared. Just as we were leaving, in 

 despair, the trees and shrubs near us 

 suddenly seemed to be full of life, and 

 we were surprised to greet the black 



and white, the myrtle, and the yellow 

 palm ; evidently their first arrival. Al- 

 most at the same time, two or three 

 boys and a dog came from the swamp 

 near-by, and our birds vanished up the 

 hill. Of course, we followed, and on 

 the upper path, we were rewarded by 

 being surrounded by these same three 

 warblers, in quite large flocks. 



On this upper path, we also may see 

 the chestnut-sided the Blackburnian. 

 the bay-breasted, and the redstarts ; but 

 the redstarts are almost everywhere. 



Who that has ever looked for the 

 oven bird could tell where he is? We 

 hear the impertinent, "Teacher, Tea- 

 cher, Teacher," and look — up in the 

 trees, down on the ground, around, and 

 about, and everywhere ; perhaps we see 

 him, and perhaps we don't ; but quite 

 near, again we hear, "Teacher, Teacher, 

 Teacher;" and we knoiv he is there — 

 somewhere ! 



Now, we will go on out into the open 

 part, and on the "Oak Path" overlook- 

 ing the lower path, with its circular 

 patch of green grass bordered by the 

 trees and shrubs, the open marsh be- 

 yond, and then the Edgewood bank, 

 showing the many beautiful colors of 

 the oak, maple, beach, hemlock and 

 willow, we pause and rest, listening, 

 perhaps, to the song of the brown 

 thrasher perched on the very topmost 

 bough of a near-by tree. Then the call 

 of the grosbeaks attract our attention, 

 or the sight of the scarlet tanager, until 

 we hear the familiar notes of the war- 

 blers. Then we may see in the oak 

 trees, the myrtle, the magnolia, the 

 black-throated green, the blackpoll 

 and perhaps others. 



Warblers are active and restless little 

 birds, and we may see all these on our 

 walk, or may see only a very few, if any. 



We could go on 'to Mitchell's Hill 

 and perhaps see the myrtle, the yellow 

 palm, the black and white, the blue- 

 winged and others also. Then we could 

 go out to the Wopawaug River, and it 

 is possible to see and hear the black- 

 throated green, the black-throated blue, 

 and have them flying in large numbers 

 so close that you could almost put a 

 hand on one ; but these places are *ar- 

 ther away and we content ourselves 

 with the old familiar walk, at Edge- 

 wood and Mix's Wood. 



(Miss) M. M. Weed. 



