OUR RESIDENT BIRDS 



IN NORTHERN INDIANA 



All birds are interesting at all times, 

 but these winter days when the migra- 

 tory season has passed, the resident 

 birds become doubly so. Since the roses 

 have blomed, the wheatfields grown 

 green again, the cornfields gathered 

 into Indian wigwams, few insects dart- 

 ing about, and the witch-hazel the sole 

 flowering shrub, it is very pleasant to 

 have some friends of the bird world 

 still here. I am sure of a score or more 

 till the blue-birds sings "cherut" or the 

 robin carols "wake up," "wake up." 

 Oh, it is so cheering to have some of 

 them here always ! I am not sure but 

 I believe the resident birds are more 

 friendly in winter than in summer. I 

 do not mean what has aptly been termed 

 "cupboard love," the kind of friendship 

 that hunger forces on animals, but they 

 always seem less timid when we come 

 together in the woods or fields. 



Probably the best known as well as 

 the most conspicuous is the crow, the 

 much maligned, censured crow. Hap- 

 pily he needs no introduction. Surely 

 the most indifferent must know the 

 crow. He will not let himself be kept 

 in the background. No matter what 

 kind of weather, he is sure to be seen 

 somewhere. The sun cannot shine too 

 hot or the wind blow too cold to daunt 

 him. Even a rain or snow will not keep 

 him at home, unless it be a sudden 

 shower. He is an exceedingly interest- 

 ing bird about whose characteristics 

 volumes might be written. Last summer 

 one day I was close to the woods along 

 the side of an old fence when I noticed 

 a peculiar gawky, dull colored, under- 

 sized crow trying to balance on the fence. 

 Overhead two old ones were making a 

 great clamor, I suppose shouting direc- 

 tions. I was puzzled at first but w^hen 

 I walked up closer plainly saw what 

 had caused the commotion. It was a 

 young one, and the two overhead, the 

 parents, were trying to teach it to fly 

 and otherwise act under dangerous cir- 

 cumstances. I made a rush and it 



flew to the ground on the other side of 

 the fence. Over I clambered and went 

 for him again but he dodged me. The 

 third time I grabbed him when he 

 looked at me in a babyish manner and 

 opened his mouth. The explanation of 

 this was plain, he wanted something to 

 eat. When released, he flew to a bush 

 near by and quietly watched me. After 

 that, I saw him quite frequently and 

 caught him with little trouble. As the 

 season advanced he developed into a fine 

 bird and I hope is one of the large flock 

 that stays about here. In winter they 

 are more sociable, coming about where 

 the hogs are fed or where provender of 

 any kind can be found. There is a 

 large crow roost down the river and 

 regularly every morning and evening 

 as I tramped to my school, they would 

 pass overhead, generally two or three 

 together, extending as far as I could see 

 in either direction. Lowell, in the 

 "Vision of Sir Launfal" aptly describes 

 his appearance on a January morning 

 when he says: 



The crow from his shining feathers shed off 

 the cold sun. 



It is very interesting to w^atch the 

 birds drilling in the autumn. Some- 

 times there will be a most vociferous 

 cawing and flying about when suddenly 

 a strong voice rises above the others 

 and silence ensues. Movements of all 

 kinds, to right, to left, forward, back, 

 wheel, turn and in short all kinds of 

 evolutions are gone through with. When 

 winter comes they are generally seen in 

 small flocks of from two to a half a 

 dozen. They are a very shrewd and 

 wily bird and worthy of the most care- 

 ful study. 



The very atmosphere about the blue- 

 jay is charged with vim and vigor. He 

 gives a clear blast of his bugle and 

 stands attention^ No matter how fierce- 

 ly the wind blows or how the snow flies 

 he is about. When the wind does ruffle 

 his feathers he only braces himself anew 



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