Birds of Allegany Park 255 



nesting sites. For this reason I have grouped the birds in the 

 following chapters according to such favorite haunts. The observer 

 will soon notice that certain birds are almost invariably associated, 

 or always in a certain distinct environment, so that if one describes 

 the place where a bird was found, that often forms a good clue to 

 later identification. The best-known birds are those living about 

 orchards, meadows or buildings, in the vicinity of man. They are 

 less shy than other birds, and more easily observed. The beginner 

 may start with these first, and as he gradually develops an intimate 

 acquaintance with them he will enlarge the circle of his wanderings 

 to the upland thickets, the stream valleys, and finally to the forest. 

 In the thick tops of the forest trees observation is more difficult. 

 The bird often hides itself most tantalizingly behind a screen of 

 dense foliage. The rarer warblers flit incessantly, giving but brief 

 glimpses of their brilliant colors. When the student finally has 

 come to know not only the common birds of orchard and meadow, 

 but also those rarer gems of the forest, he has developed a skill and 

 enthusiasm in bird study that will lead him joyously to the wildest 

 haunts in all weathers. 



BIRDS OF ORCHARDS AND SHADE TREES 



Many birds that live in or about trees prefer those that stand alone 

 with open country about them, rather than trees in a forest. For 

 this reason certain birds occur mainly in orchards or in and about 

 scattered shade trees along roadsides. Most of these will be looked 

 for in vain in forests, for the trees are too close together and the 

 cover too dense for their liking. 



Apple orchards (figure 74) are common in the Park, and about 

 farms and along roadsides many large shade trees have been either 

 planted or left from the original forest. Sugar maples (Acer sac- 

 charum) are the commonest shade trees, but there are also elms 

 (Ulmus americana), red and silver maples (Acer rubrum and A. 

 saccharinum), white and red oaks (Quercus alba and Q. rubra), 

 butternuts (Juglans cinerea), basswoods (Tilia americana), shag- 

 bark and pignut hickories (Hicoria ovata and H. glabra), Norway 

 and black spruces (Picea cxcclsa and P. mariana), and scattered 

 individuals of other species. 



About these scattered trees the vegetation is mainly that of the 

 meadows and open fields, though some grasses or plants that grow 

 well in the shade, such as orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata) , are 

 in greater abundance than others. 



In addition to the birds here listed as living in such localities the 

 following species may also be found in summer in orchards or about 

 shade trees : Mourning Dove, Sparrow Hawk, Ruby-throated Hum- 

 mingbird, Phoebe, Blue Jay, Crow, Starling, English Sparrow, 

 Red-eyed Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo, Redstart, House Wren, 

 White-breasted Nuthatch and Chickadee. 



