242 NATURE SKETCHES IX TEMPERATE AMERICA 



BiRDTiME Reflections 



^ ! ARLY one morning, as the 

 sun was just breaking 

 through the heavy atmos- 

 ])hcre, I observed a family of 

 >\\;illo\vs on the eastern slope of 

 a l)arn roof. Some were engaged 

 ill j)reening their feathers; others 

 ^\(•|•e cither lifting or spreading 

 tlicir wings to catch the rays of 

 the sun. I had watched the 

 iraring of this brood of birds 

 in tiie barn, and had seen the 

 i/rhut of the young birds into the 

 outer world. But now I was 

 treated to a most unex])ected sur- 

 '■^^^^■^^^^"^ prise. As I stood viewing the birds 



^ /: from the road.side, the male head of 



the family poured out his musical sulxlued warble. This .song 

 was repeated at frecjuent intervals, nearly always ending in 

 a pleasing low chatter. During the.se expressions of sweet 

 cadences all the other birds seemed to enjoy the music. I 

 have always cherished the memory of that morning's obser- 

 vations, for it was my first experience hearing the barn swal- 

 low's .song. Before this time I had never considered this 

 bird in the light of a .songster. 



The Baltimore orioles are not often seen in July; having 

 reared their l)rood earlier in the sea.son, they now keep slyly 

 hidden in the .shadow of the foliage of the trees. A beautiful 

 exam])le of one of their nests hung pendent from one of the 

 upper branches of a tall pear tree. On August sixth I had 



