THRUSH COUSINS 



The Bluebird is usually the first thrush to arrive, fol- 

 lowed soon, or even accompanied, by the Robin. The 

 next to come is the hardy Hermit Thrush during the 

 first half of April. We find it searching for larvae among 

 the dead leaves in the woods, and sometimes I have 

 met it when Ned and I were gathering the first blossoms 

 of the ever-w^elcome trailing arbutus. Early in spring, 

 it is also late in fall, and it appears mostly as a migrant, 

 though I have found it as far south as Connecticut in 

 the breeding season in high mountainous wooded 

 regions. The Wood Thrush comes rather late in 

 April, followed by the Veery in early May, and both of 

 these beautiful species remain with us to breed. About 

 the middle of May the Olive-backed and Alice's 

 Thrushes usually appear, in the height of the w^arbler 

 migration, soon to pass us by for the silent northern 

 spruce forests. 



The Bluebird is the first of the group to go to nesting. 

 Early in April they begin to build in the bird-box, or 

 the hollow limb or woodpecker's hole in the orchard, 

 by the roadside, or in swamp or pasture. By the tenth 

 of the month some pairs have their five pale blue eggs. 

 Ordinarily they raise at least two broods, and it is 

 August before all of them are through with these 

 household cares. Then they gather into flocks and 

 have a good easy time here till they leave us in Novem- 

 ber. It is pleasant to have them nest on our premises, 

 and it is w^ell worth while to put up boxes for their use. 

 The surest form of architecture to attract them is a 



247 



