11. THE EAELY BIRDS. {Louis Agassiz Faertes.) 



FTEE, a long winter, many of us are too impatient for 

 spring to wait for the swelling of the buds, the open- 

 ing of the early flowers, and the springing of 

 the grass. Several weeks lie between the end 

 of winter and the truly genial spring days, and 

 during this interval we look for something to 

 herald the settled spring season. And the thing 

 which gives us that for which we are unconsciously looking, more 

 than all other signs, is the arrival of the birds. Who has not 

 warmed to the quavering call of the first bluebird, or been sud- 

 denly thrilled some early spring day with the sunny notes of the 

 song-sparrow ! 



In the southern part of this State, notably in the lower Hudson 

 Valley, several birds spend the winter which elsewhere we are accus- 

 tomed to see only after the winter has passed. Among these are 

 the bluebird, robin, song-sparrow, white-throated sparrow, meadow- 

 lark, and possibly purple-finch. But in most of the State we must 

 wait until the first or second week in March before we can be sure 

 of seeing any of them. It is a question which of the earlier birds 

 will first make its appearance, as these early migrants are much less 

 regular in their movements than those that come late in April and 

 in May, after the weather has become settled. Many a robin and 

 bluebird arrives during some early warm " spell," to find himself 

 suddenly surrounded by flying snow and blown about by cold winds. 

 But these and a few other hardy ones seem able to stand such rebuffs 

 with great equanimity, and the momentary shining of a fickle March 

 sun will often evoke some pent up song-sparrows' notes from the 

 slielter of a hedge or thicket. Robins, bluebirds, song-sparrows, 

 cowbirds, meadow-larks, phoebes, bronzed grackles, kingfishers and 

 doves may be looked upon as the vanguards of the hosts of migrat- 

 ing birds that come to us each year, and the first four or five may 

 be expected almost any time after the first week in March. If the 



winter has been late, these may not appear until the middle or even 



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