IV 

 BIRD LIFE IN WINTER 



THE distribution of our birds over the country in 

 summer is like that of the people, quite uni- 

 form. Every wood and field has its quota, and no 

 place so barren but it has some bird to visit it. One 

 knows where to look for sparrows and thrushes and 

 bobolinks and warblers and flycatchers. But the 

 occupation of the country by our winter residents 

 is like the Indian occupation of the land. They are 

 found in little bands, a few here and there, with 

 large tracts quite untenanted. 



One may walk for hours through the winter woods 

 and not see or hear a bird. Then he may come 

 upon a troop of chickadees, with a nuthatch or two 

 in their wake, and maybe a downy woodpecker. 

 Birds not of a feather flock together at this inclement 

 season. The question of food is always an urgent 

 one. Evidently the nuthatch thinks there must be 

 food where the chickadees flit and call so cheerily, 

 and the woodpecker is probably drawn to the nut- 

 hatch for a similar reason. 



Together they make a pretty thorough search, — 

 fine, finer, finest. The chickadee explores the twigs 

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