The Red-winged Blackbirds 



Taken in Inyo County 



Photo by the Author 



a treetop, we may be sure that they are 

 mustering for the northern journey. 

 What a world of jubilation there is in 

 their voluble whistlings and chirpings 

 and gurglings, a wild medley of con- 

 quest which will strike terror to the 

 faltering heart of that northern winter. 

 A sudden hush falls upon the company 

 as the birdman draws near the tree 

 in which they are swarming; but a 

 dusky maiden pouts, "Who cares?" and 

 they all fall to again, hammer and 

 tongs, timbrel, pipes, and hautboy. 

 Brewer's Blackbirds and Cowbirds oc- 

 casionally make common cause with the 

 Redwings in the northern migrations, 

 but it is always the last-named who 

 preponderate, and it is they who are 

 most vivacious, most resplendent, and 

 most nearly musical. The Redwing's 

 mellow kongqueree or occasional tipsy 

 whoop-er-way-up is the life of the party. 



Our more prosaic resident birds will yield more gradually to the 

 seductions of springtime. Native Sons require to be shown wherein one 

 day is better than another for the undertaking of that most important 

 business of life, nesting. As a consequence, southerly ranging Redwings 

 take small advantage, if any, of their earlier chances. 



Once upon a time the bird-man was sitting, Turk-fashion, on a great 

 mossy log which ran far out into the rustling depths of a northern swamp. 

 The April sun flooded the scene with warm light, and made one blink like 

 a blissful, drowsy frog, while the marsh sent up a grateful incense of 

 curling vapor. A pocket lunch of bread and cheese was the ostensible 

 occasion of this noontide bliss, but victuals had small charms beside those 

 of the sputtering Tule Wrens, who played hide-and-seek among the 

 stems, or the dun Coots, who sowed their pulque pulque pulque notes 

 along the reedy depths. 



Upon this scene of marshy content burst a vision of Phoenicean 

 splendor, Caurinus I., the military satrap of Paludia, the authentic 

 generalissimo of Blackbirds. He was a well-aged bird, and as is the 

 proper way with feathered folk, resplendent in proportion to his years. 

 His epaulets seemed a half larger again than others, and their scarlet was 

 of the brightest hue, contrasting with a black mantle which fairly shone. 



A NEVADA REDWING 



IIQ 



