The Birds and Poets 13 



he less often announces his arrival at our back 

 door. He makes an occasional welcome visit to 

 our lawn, or to a neighboring shrub or tree, but for 

 the most part prefers the more open country, yet 

 not too far removed from man and his habitations. 



But the robin seems to love the intimate com- 

 panionship of man. He feeds in our home yards 

 and sings in our trees and shrubs. He often builds 

 his nest on a projecting timber of house or barn. 

 The attitude of the bird toward man is a sweet and 

 singular mixture of friendliness and timidity. 

 The natural instinct and art of all birds is to con- 

 ceal their nests, both as to position and material, 

 yet the love of the robin for man's society has so 

 far overcome his natural instinctive fear, that he 

 sometimes builds his nest on a window ledge or 

 over the door of our dwelling. Why should we 

 not return this affection, which on the part of the 

 bird represents a conquest over its fear for man? 



This year of which I write (1916), on April 

 first a pair of robins began bringing grass and mud 

 to the ledge of a south second-story window of my 

 suburban home, for the purpose of making a nest. 

 It need hardly be said that they were not disturbed. 



I considered the house worth an extra $1000 at 

 least, with this "addition." 



Joyce Kilmer suggests the added glory that 

 comes to 



"A tree that may in summer wear 

 A nest of robins in her hair." 



