City Birds 



By ANNE HALL OAYLORD. Atlanta. Ga. 



IX LLAV'IXG Xew England's bird-haunts of roaxlside thicket and neglected 

 pastures, and ajming to Georgia, with its bright red clay soil, sparse 

 grass, and oak and pine groves that seem scanty and open beside the 

 northern woods, I felt I had left behind all chances of bird-study. I eyed 

 without hope the oak grove next to the home that was to be ours, for had they 

 not told me that there were not even Robins in Georgia, except as they passed 

 through and be>'ond to lovelier places? But newcomers have much to learn, 

 and before the }'ear was over I realized that my nev.' home was in the path of 

 the great spring and fall migrations, and that even such uncommon birds as 

 the Cape May Warbler did not despise my city woods. 



Our home is in the suburbs of the city of Atlanta, in a section opened within 

 the last ten years as a residential district. The homies here have ample grounds, 

 and among them small pieces of the original woods have been left. Such a 

 piece, lying next our home, I adopted as my ovm. The city clatters by its 

 front line, houses surround it, but within its small recess it is cool and quiet, 

 a safe retreat where Wofxi Thrush and Catbirds and Cardinals build unmo- 

 lested, where a Hooded \\ arbler has raised his famih', and where many a 

 migrant rests for an hour. This bit of woods measures 250 feet on the side- 

 walk and runs back to a depth of 400 feet. On its rear end it touches an open 

 piece of ground planted viith ornamental shrubber%'. The whole has, fortu- 

 nately, been neglected, so that honeysuckle, lacing together the brambles and 

 low bushes, has made there almost impenetrable thickets, while young oaks 

 and dogwoods ha%-e filled in the spaces between the fine high old oak trees, 

 alnuts, and tulij^. If a spring or tiny 'branch' had been in the midst of this 

 spot, no better city bird-home could have been found. But in ^ite of this 

 lack, I have seen here, within four miles of the city's shopping district, during 

 the last fifteen months, seventy-six varieties of birds. 



Of these, eleven have lived here the year round. I should Jiiie 10 unm: mat 

 the same individuals had remained during that time, becoming my permarieni 

 neighbors, but such is probably not the case, for the Thrashers that spent 

 Christmas with me very likely raised their iaauMes, in the foothills of north 

 Cj^jt^. vi'faile those w^M^e babies I have been watdiing this sunonaer will 

 .'.inter ck^e to the Gulf. Be that as it may, I have been able to see, akaost 

 e/er}- day in the year, the Brown Thrasher, Cardinal, Towhee, English Spar- 

 rov.-. Mockingbird, Flicker, Blue Jay, Tufted Titmouse, Carolina Wren. 

 Red-iieaded WoodpedkeTf and very often the Bluebird, who fi pallv. wh en 

 ;pririg had come, ranged her family of three for my inspefg^^^^^kwie W^ 

 oak limrj ckee to the house. 



Next to th^e faithful, well-loved birds come the thrfe wimter r^kl^its that 

 my woods have shdtered: one Hermit Thrush, wiio 1^ Tvnf¥io^mvlSp4& 

 dead leaves ahead oi me, showing not fear tmt a kmetsfil jBesentment in his 



