SOME JANUARY BIRDS 



of song sparrows and other succulent tit- 

 bits made the sharp-shinned hawk will- 

 ing to winter where he had summered. 



All these birds which are wintering as 

 far north as they dare seem to come out 

 and cheer up in the April-like days, but 

 in those which are distinctly January 

 you may tramp the woods for days and 

 not see one of them. The flicker is a 

 rather common bird with us the winter 

 through. In a warm January rain you 

 will often surprise him wandering about 

 in the thawed fields, looking for iced 

 crickets and half concealed grubs and 

 chrysalids among the stubble. Let the 

 snow come deep and the wind blow out 

 of the north and the flicker vanishes from 

 the landscape. It is as if he had gone 

 into a hole and pulled his thirty-six nick- 

 names in after him, so completely has 

 the flicker disappeared. He is a strong- 



