234 Twelve Months With 



three species. Tree sparrows and juncos are often 

 seen together, goldfinches and redpolls frequently 

 associate with one another, and woodpeckers, 

 nuthatches and chickadees sometimes feed in com- 

 pany. Sufficient food supply is the common 

 anxiety of the birds in winter, and the flocking 

 of the birds seems to indicate that all are taking 

 advantage of the common search for food. A few 

 of our summer residents, like the robins, bluebirds 

 and cardinals, remain with us during the winter 

 in neighborhoods where suitable food is to be 

 found. If attractive feeding places are main- 

 tained, the first heavy snow will often bring one 

 of our hidden summer favorites "out of the every- 

 where into the here," as if he had suddenly fallen 

 from the clouds. 



One very cold morning in December, following 

 a heavy snow, a male robin was observed eating 

 the suet tied to a limb of my cherry tree. As the 

 temperature was below zero, he fluffed his feathers 

 and squatted down over his feet, and seemed very 

 cheerless and dispirited. I felt the sentiment 

 expressed by Mr. Burroughs in his stanza to the 

 winter bird: 



"O cheery bird of winter cold, 

 I bless thy every feather; 

 Thy voice brings back dear boyhood days, 

 When we were gay together." 



Thereafter during the winter the robin visited 

 my feeding box many times, and we were sure 



