Several Bird Notes 



George B. Happ 

 Port Jervis, N. Y. 



Blossom time in the spring of the year was here. Pink, white, 

 and pink and white petaled blossoms with which each tree top 

 dotted here and there was rounded into billowy clouds of light and 

 color neath the clear blue sky, were massed above the broad grass 

 top covered lawn that stretched on dipping down to where it met 

 not the lower slope that we usually saw below, but a grayish blue 

 rolling surface of mist that quite filled the valley to the other side, 

 all soft toned, where now and then the slant of a house top glinted 

 •in the first early morning sunlight that had just appeared, now 

 touching the nearby tree tops until they were a splash of gay color 

 and casting blue shadows o'er their gray trunks and the grass 

 below, whose fresh greenness was now a solid glow. 



Ntunbers of the northward bound host of travelers of the Bird- 

 land Folk had been seen on previous days and we had hoped to see 

 many more this morning. And as we paused there was quite a 

 large songster in a nearer tree top, plump rosy breasted, darker 

 backed, that bubbled forth " cheerily-cheerily-cheer up-cheer -up," 

 and then with several long quick flaps, he had settled on the grass 

 tops a short distance away. 



We knew him well as almost everyone does, since with the first 

 toddling footsteps along the garden walk, chubby hands had pointed 

 at the friendly form that had run alongside and then quickly, 

 pertly, stopped head erect; American Robin. He was Robin 

 Redbreast of the story book books, a cousin in a way to a smaller 

 red-breasted Robin of England overseas, after whom some early 

 colonists to this country had named him. 



" Look look-look-look, " he called turning a little. 



"Good morning," we said, "We are looking. At least we're 

 trying to see most things hereabouts. And its very pleasant here 

 we think." 



"Good-morning," he replied nodding his head slightly in greet- 

 ing. Most everyone does like blossom time in May and they often 

 pause in passing." 



"Just as we are doing, perhaps," we answered. "But what did 

 you mean when you just said 'look-look?' " 



"Why we Robins mean different things at different times," he 

 said. "People that know some of the birds quite well sometimes 



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