274 



Bird - Lore 



The birds appear in the woods along 

 Whatcom Creek about the middle of 

 November (November 14, 1914), and 

 depart in April (April 26, 1914; April 16, 

 1915). Although they are supposed to be 

 "resident in coniferous forests throughout 

 the state from sea-level to limit of trees," 

 I have never observed one here during 

 the summer months. 



Upon their arrival the birds are shy and 

 do not allow a very close approach; later, 

 however, especially if the ground is cov- 

 ered with snow, they can be frequently 

 found among the houses in the cit)^ some- 

 times even coming upon the steps if food is 

 placed there. 



In the woods the birds are usually found 

 upon the ground, searching for food among 

 the leaves. When one approaches they 

 rise quickly, uttering a short clut, and 

 fly into the nearest tree. Though their 

 size and shape are much like that of the 

 Robin, their position and manner when 

 perching are different. They assume a 

 stiff, leaning-forward attitude, the stripes 

 on the sides of the head exaggerating the 

 length of the bird. If the observer per- 

 sists in following them, they will always 

 keep a safe distance ahead. 



I have heard nothing that might be 

 called a true song from these birds, though 

 call-notes are numerous. Perhaps the 

 most common one which, strangely, is 

 heard most frequently on rainy days, is a 

 drawn-out ii. 



The winter of 1915-16 was an unusually 

 severe one for this part of the state, and 

 consequently a large number of the birds 

 were deprived of their customary amount 

 of food. As there were many birds in the 

 back yard, I placed some boards upon the 

 snow and covered them with bread crumbs. 

 A few minutes later a half-dozen birds 

 were there. One Varied Thrush, the 

 largest and most conspicuously colored, 

 immediately drove the others away and 

 took possession of the food. As this con- 

 tinued for some time and the others were 

 deriving no benefit from the food, I 

 divided the food and placed half of it 

 farther away. Now, when the birds 

 returned (for they had flown out of the 



yard when I approached) the fun began. 

 First one would dart down and seize a 

 piece of bread. At once, like a flash, and 

 with the feathers on his head raised in 

 anger, the tyrant would be after him. At 

 the same time, another which was waiting 

 for Just this opportunity, swooped down 

 on the other food-board. By the time the 

 Tfirush could get back the other would be 

 gone, and with it a piece of food. Thus 

 back and forth for nearly half an hour the 

 fight for possession continued, the others 

 always the victors, for invariably they 

 secured a crumb. Finally, he tired and 

 flew away, and the others, without fight- 

 ing, ate the food. Later some English 

 Sparrows arrived, but, as they did not 

 disturb the Thrushes they were not dis- 

 turbed themselves. — Harold Anderson, 

 Bellingham, Wash. 



The Western Meadowlark and Other 

 Birds near Edmonds, Wash. 



Usually each spring and autumn flocks 

 of Western Meadowlarks, ranging in 

 number from twenty to forty, come to our 

 farm called 'Fruitdale.' But neither last 

 spring nor at the present time (October, 

 1916) do I see more than one or two of 

 these birds at a time under the apple 

 trees or in the fields. I attribute the 

 reduction in their numbers to the heavy 

 snows which covered the ground in 

 January and February, 1915. 



During the snowy weather we set a 

 table in the rose-garden, only a few feet 

 from the house, and on top and beneath it 

 we scattered grain and apples. Daily, 

 for more than five weeks, we saw various 

 ones of the following birds (those named 

 first came in largest numbers) : Varied 

 Thrush, Red-shafted Flicker, Junco, Song 

 Sparrow, Towhee, Robin, and Chickadee. 

 Several times we saw Brewer's Blackbird, 

 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, House Finch, 

 California Quail, and Gambel's Sparrow. 

 One weak Meadowlark came now and 

 then. It stood about, apparently trying 

 to pick up the grains of wheat when undis- 

 turbed by Varied Thrushes or Flickers. 

 One day, in a grass-plot cleared of snow 



