14 
YB THE WAYSIDE 
The Goldfinch. 
The yellow bird, as the goldfinch is com¬ 
monly called, is a very confiding bird. In win¬ 
ter the male changes his black and yellow 
plumage to that of his mate. These birds are 
very late builders, the nesting season general¬ 
ly beginning about the middle of June. 
On cold January days, when we took our 
walks in the country, the goldfinch' would cheer 
up the landscape by his presence. The birds, 
which were clad in their winter plumage, were 
always busy, searching for the seeds of various 
weeds. Sometimes the twitter of the redpoll 
was mistaken for that of the goldfinch, which 
it closely resembles. The birds were present 
in large flocks throughout the winter. About 
the middle of April, I saw the first flock in 
their summer plumage. 
Last year l tried to attract the goldfinches 
✓ ^ 
by planting sunflowers, but I did not succeed. 
The only birds that came for the seeds were 
the chickadees. This year I have planted a 
larger patch and 1 hope to attract them next 
fall. 
William Schneider, 
Age 15. La Crosse, Wis. 
There was a robins nest by a cherry tree on 
the fence. It was built the lOthof April. The 
11th the robin laid an egg the 12th another 
the 13th another the 14th another. The 15th 
the robin started to hatch. She sat three weeks. 
The 6th of May there were four little robins. 
They were five days in their nest and then 
they flew away. There was a nest in the 
hedge, there were six eggs in the nest, the 
next day they were not there. In the same 
hedge there was another nest with three eggs 
the next day I looked again and they were 
gone. There was a blue birds nest in a post, 
the bird sat two weeks the next day I looked 
they were not there. There was a nest on the 
ground near school there were three white- 
spotted eggs in it the shells were on the ground 
I guess a snake ate them. There is a nest in 
a willow tree, there are four little blue birds. 
T think they will fly out pretty soon. Will 
you please tell me who takes the eggs? Peo¬ 
ple do not steal them. 
Age 13. .George Sippel. 
Tinley Park. 
Dear Wayside. 
I saw a blue birds nest. 1 put a tin kettle 
up in a tree. One day 1 looked in the nest 
and I saw a green egg. 
I looked three days after that day and five 
green eggs were there. 
And the bird is sitting on the nest now. 
One night when I came home I saw a cat 
trying to get to the nest. 
And I went to the tree and hit the cat. 
And one day a sparrow wanted to chase the 
blue bird out of the nest. 
But the blue bird would not go out. 
And the sparrow went away and I haven’t 
looked at the nest since. 
Your friend, 
Aged 10. Harriet Koehler 
Dear Wayside. 
I saw a goldfinch. He was sitting in the 
hedge. It is black and yellow. It is a little 
bird. I saw a blue bird’s nest; it was in a 
tree. There were six eggs in it. Then there 
was four. Then there was none. 
I saw a blue jay’s nest. It was high up in 
a tree. He is dark blue, and is a pretty bird. 
Your friend, 
Age 9 Joe Rich. 
The Spring Creek society near Durand has 
an interesting budget of letters for the ‘Way- 
side, two of which are published. The com¬ 
mittee writes they have a yell, the secretary 
wonders if this is used on the bird excursions. 
Dear Wayside. 
I am a member of the Spring Creek branch 
of the audubon society. This spring two lit¬ 
tle birds have built under the eaves of our 
barn; they are peewees. They are brown 
birds, and when it rains the birds do not get 
wet. The nest is made of mud and hay. I 
think there are eggs in the nest because the 
other day I found one little white egg on the 
ground; It was broken. I do not know how 
it was done. I love to see the birds and I 
will always protect the birds all I can. I 
love birds and always will. 
Carrie Stringer. 
Age 13. Durand, Wis. 
Dear Miss Marshall: 
We organized an Audubon society in the 
White School near Platteville a few weeks 
ago. 
Following are the officers: President, Celia 
Bevan; Yice president, James Fox; secretary 
Armaret Flail; treasurer, Libbie Edge. 
Our society is progressing nicely and we 
are all doing what we can to protect the birds. 
Armaret Hall. 
