5f) 



THE IOWA ORNITHOLOGIST. 



Brown Thrush and the Robin and 

 killing- the young-of the Catbird." 

 (Frank H. Shoemaker.; "This 

 trul}' handsome bird is a resident 

 in Boone County the year round — 

 nearly every day I see him at m}- 

 suburban home and a g-ay fellow 

 he is too -always saucy and noisy. 

 My home, a mile from the busi- 

 ness center, is an ideal one for a 

 lover of nature and is known to 

 my Naturalist friends as "Birds 

 Home" This beautiful place 

 covers two blocks. In the orchard 

 nest Robins, Orioles, Catbirds, 

 Blue Jays and Wrens. In the 

 vineyard among- the currant and 

 raspberry bushes, the Warblers 

 make their home, with here and 

 there a Catbird or Thrush, rarely 

 a Cuckoo, The maple g-rove is 

 alive with Grackles and their 

 bulky nests are everywhere. 

 Kingbirds and a single pair of 

 Turtle Doves have taken up their 

 abode near by. Here in a blasted 

 maple that was struck by light- 

 ning two 3'ears ago the Flicker 

 has made a home and raised a 

 nest full of hungry, noisy Flick- 

 ers. A small creek passes diag- 

 onally through the northern part 

 of Birds Home, the strip of land 

 on each side of the creak is dur- 

 ing- summer the protected home 

 of the Meadow Larks, Bartramian 

 Sandpiper, Horned Lark and 

 Dickcissel. Along the hedges 

 our favorite Bobwhitc finds a 

 suitable place to build its nest 

 and rear its young-. Ycmder in 

 that old fence post the Bluebird 



last year had its nest and four 

 tiny blue eg-g-s. The lawn is a 

 favorite place for Robins, Thrush- 

 es, Jays and during- some seasons 

 of the year vast numbers of 

 Flickers claim this a feeding 

 g-round. During- winter the 

 Blue Jays are the noisiest of the 

 feathered friends that remain 

 to brave the snow storms and 

 chilling- winds that sweep across 

 Birds Home. The Hairy and 

 Downy Woodpecker on fine daj^s 

 are plentiful in the grove busily 

 eng-ag-ed in g-etting- their multi- 

 farious food. Sparrows and 

 Juncos come and go. The Crows 

 in the morning- leave their winter 

 roost in the woods near by and 

 go to their feeding- g-rounds, re- 

 turning- in the evening-. It is 

 during- spring that the Blue Jays 

 g-ather here in numbers, then 

 their notes are many and various. 

 His saucy chay, c/iay, c/ury, must 

 be familiar to all who know him. 

 His other noies/>7i:'//A///y, pu<ilhilly, 

 and cJiillack^ chillack, are not 

 so well known. When a boy I 

 walked over a mile to discover 

 what bird it was that uttered the 

 above notes. I must sa}' I was 

 rather disappointed when I found 

 out that the notes came from 

 Master Jay, but there was conso- 

 lation in the thought that I was 

 not to be fooled ag-ain. In this 

 county during- the breeding- sea- 

 son the Blue Jay is partial to 

 orchards, to osage trees along- 

 quiet roadways; or lanes or will 



