THE OSPREY. 



An Illustrated IVTagazine of Poptilar Orriitlnology. 



Pdhlistjed IVIor)tl)ly. 



VOLUMK l\' 



JANUARY, 1900. 



NUMBKK 5. 



Original Articles. 



BIRDS (3F THE ROAD. 

 By Pail Baktsch, Washing-ton. 



Sometime ago there was an announcement in 

 the OSPKKV, that I would contriljute a series of 

 articles on the birds of the Roa^l. I selected this 

 subject for a nuniber of reasons. 



Every one travels more or less on the road 

 and many of us are devotees of the silent iron 

 steed, which bears us lig-htU' o er the way. If I 

 succeed in shortening the wtary toil of some of 

 iny fellowmen as they plod to and from their 

 daily work, by directing their at- 

 tention to the manj' pleasures and 

 surprises which good Mother 

 Nature has ever in store for the 

 watch-ful eye; if I succeed in turn 

 ing- the attention of the wheelman 

 to the many voices which are 

 always atune with their surround- 

 ing and greet him from field and 

 lane, from hill and dale, from the 

 timber to the water}^ waste; if I 

 succeed in directing the weary 

 one, fatigued by sheer lack of 

 aught to do, to nature; if I suc- 

 ceed in imparting the tenth of 

 pleasure which I feel as I travel 

 along some highwaj-, or foot-path 

 where e v'erj- leaf and blade and 

 ilower greets me alike with the 

 birdo and all nature, I shall be 

 happ^' and feel that I have accom- 

 plished what I have set out to do. 



1. Midwinter. 



We have been favored with a 

 most remarkable period of good 

 weather this season and the lovers 

 of nature have had ample oppor- 

 tunity' to indulge in outdoor 

 pastime. Many, too, have taken 

 advantage of and enjoyed the 

 balmy days of early December, 

 which were more like the debut of 

 gentle spring than the chilly 

 grasp of the icy king. 



December 17 was an ideal 

 springday which tempted or drew 

 every one forth from his four walls 

 to the open air and sunshine. We 

 visited Congress Heights on this 

 which, though teaming with bird-life, seems 

 ever to have been neglected in connection with 



the District of Columbia avifauna. Here we 

 have quite an area of timber land, extending 

 from Nicholas avenue to the B. & O. Railroad. 

 This area is traversed by a number of roads and 

 foot paths, ever inviting to the pedestrian or the 

 man with the silent steed. 



As we cross Randall Park our ear catches the 

 rattling sound of a Red-head who has here 



Red-headed Woodpecker. Melanerpes erythrocephalus. 

 (From Bulletin T of Division of Economic Biology D. A.) 



day — a place 



taken up his winter quarters. He casts a sly 

 glance at us from behind a limb and leaves for 

 a neighboring tree as we approach. He seems 



