BIRD LIFE IN WINTER 



of one long walk, recently, in February, was seeing 

 one of these birds. As I followed a byroad, beside 

 a little creek in the edge of a wood, my eye caught a 

 glimpse of a small brown bird darting under a stone 

 bridge. I thought to myself no bird but a wren 

 would take refuge under so small a bridge as that. 

 I stepped down upon it and expected to see the bird 

 dart out at the upper end. As it did not appear, I 

 scrutinized the bank of the little run, covered with 

 logs and brush, a few rods farther up. 



Presently I saw the wren curtsying and gesticu- 

 lating beneath an old log. As I approached he disap- 

 peared beneath some loose stones in the bank, then 

 came out again and took another peep at me, then 

 fidgeted about for a moment and disappeared again, 

 running in and out of the holes and recesses and be- 

 neath the rubbish like a mouse or a chipmunk. The 

 winter wren may always be known by these squat- 

 ting, bobbing-out-and-in habits. 



As I sought a still closer view of him, he flitted 

 stealthily a few yards up the run and disappeared 

 beneath a small plank bridge near a house. 



I wondered what he could feed upon at such a 

 time. There was a light skim of snow upon the 

 ground, and the weather was cold. The wren, so far 

 as I know, is entirely an insect-feeder, and where can 

 he find insects in midwinter in our climate ? Probably 

 by searching under bridges, under brush heaps, in 

 holes and cavities in banks where the sun falls warm. 



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