224 Twelve Months With 



birds are few in January, as compared with the 

 bewildering hordes that come up from the south 

 in the springtime, and it may therefore be less 

 difficult to identify them. It is also true, of course, 

 that the woods are bare, and the birds cannot 

 hide away in dense foliage, as they do in summer; 

 but these facts by no means prove that January is 

 a good time to begin the study of birds. 



Though the woods are bare, the winter birds 

 are not always easy to find, for they are generally 

 quiet and retiring. They often occupy holes in 

 trees, abandoned nests and other places of protec- 

 tion during extremely cold or stormy weather, 

 venturing forth only for the purpose of feeding. 

 They usually wander aimlessly about in flocks. 

 Their habits are irregular, and their movements 

 erratic and uncertain. Here today, they may be 

 gone tomorrow. Again, the January coats of some 

 of our birds are dull and quite unlike their well- 

 marked summer plumage, and the spring change 

 to another dress would confuse the student. 



The greatest objection, however, to commencing 

 bird study in January is that it is a winter month, 

 and the spirit has not yet awakened to the inspira- 

 tion which comes with the birds and flowers of 

 spring. Enthusiasm is even more important in 

 nature study than in other pursuits, and to the 

 beginner the winter landscape is sometimes 

 dispiriting. But when 



