4 Bird - Lore 



accustomed to his bravado, he sometimes has a hard time. His lirst procedure 

 is to swoop down at the offending birds as though he were a Hawk. FaiUng to 

 frighten them away, he ahghts nearby, with wings and tail spread and feathers 

 shaken out. The aforementioned black and white marks now become very 

 conspicuous and serve to make his increased size all the more impressive. 



SPRINGTIME SPARROWS. THE SONG AND WHITE-THROA I K I > 

 Birds and flowers are always closely associated, and the spring feeding-station offers the opiiortuiiity to 

 show this photographically. When the White-throats pass through central New York, the saxifrage is in 

 bloom and the hepaticas are past their prime. 



Pointing his long bill at the offenders, he sways from side to side, still further 

 augmenting his size and the effect of the marks, and advances toward them. 

 This usually produces the desired effect and the other birds leave, whereupon 

 he proceeds to carry off the food and hide it in crevices in the bark where it will 

 be most available to himself and least available to his competitors. Ordinarily, 

 the other birds leave before the Nuthatch comes into the field of the camera, 

 but the preceding photograph shows him in action when a Sparrow, either 

 more brave or more stubborn than the rest, has clung to his post by the food. 

 We might go on recounting the little incidents that occur at arm's length 

 and the observations that might be made at winter feeding-stations. When the 

 winter is over, we have usually become so attached to our regular pensioners 

 that we hate to see the snow melt for fear the birds will disappear. Some of 

 them will go, but if we keep up the supply of food, others will take their place's 

 and present still greater opportunities for the camera. Each spring new birds 

 discover one's gallery, so that there is a perpetual round of surprises. All of the 

 S])arr()w tribe will find it sooner or later if only the winter ration of grains is 



