bird neighbors-第28章

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rs　or　the　inquisitiveness　of　a　human　disturber　of　its　peace。　But　this　gregarious　habit　and　neighborly　visit　end　even　before　acquaintance　fairly　begins；　and　the　thrushes　are　off　for　their　nesting　grounds　in　the　pine　woods　of　New　England　or　Labrador　if　they　are　travelling　up　the　east　coast；　or　to　Alaska；　British　Columbia；　or　Manitoba　if　west　of　the　Mississippi。　There　they　stay　all　summer；　often　travelling　southward　with　the　sparrows　in　the　autumn；　as　in　the　spring。　

Why　they　should　prefer　coniferous　trees；　unless　to　utilize　the　needles　for　a　nest；　is　not　understood。　Low　trees　and　bushes　are　favorite　building　sites　with　them　as　with　others　of　the　family；　though　these　thrushes　disdain　a　mud　lining　to　their　nests。　Those　who　have　heard　the　olive…backed　thrush　singing　an　even…song　to　its　brooding　mate　compare　it　with　the　veery's；　but　it　has　a　break　in　it　and　is　less　simple　and　pleasing　than　the　latter's。


LOUISIANA　WATER　THRUSH　（Seiurus　motacilla）　Wood　Warbler　family

Length　　6　to　6。28　inches。　Just　a　trifle　smaller　than　the　　　English　sparrow。　Male　and　Female　　Grayish　olive…brown　upper　parts；　with　　　conspicuous　white　line　over　the　eye　and　reaching　almost　to　the　　　nape。　Underneath　white；　tinged　with　pale　buff。　Throat　and　line　　　through　the　middle；　plain。　Other　parts　streaked　with　very　dark　　　brown；　rather　faintly　on　the　breast；　giving　them　the　speckled　　　breast　of　the　thrushes。　Heavy；　dark　bill。　Range　　United　States；　westward　to　the　plains；　northward　to　　　southern　New　England。　Winters　in　the　tropics。　Migrations　　Late　April。　October。　Summer　resident。

This　bird；　that　so　delighted　Audubon　with　its　high…trilled　song　as　he　tramped　with　indefatigable　zeal　through　the　hammocks　of　the　Gulf　States；　seems　to　be　almost　the　counterpart　of　the　Northern　water　thrush；　just　as　the　loggerhead　is　the　Southern　counterpart　of　the　Northern　shrike。　Very　many　Eastern　birds　have　their　duplicates　in　Western　species；　as　we　all　know；　and　it　is　most　interesting　to　trace　the　slight　external　variations　that　different　climates　and　diet　have　produced　on　the　same　bird；　and　thus　differentiated　the　species。　In　winter　the　Northern　water　thrush　visits　the　cradle　of　its　kind；　the　swamps　of　Louisiana　and　Florida；　and；　no　doubt；　by　daily　contact　with　its　congeners　there；　keeps　close　to　their　cherished　traditions；　from　which　it　never　deviates　farther　than　Nature　compels；　though　it　penetrate　to　the　arctic　regions　during　its　summer　journeys。

With　a　more　southerly　range；　the　Louisiana　water　thrush　does　not　venture　beyond　the　White　Mountains　and　to　the　shores　of　the　Great　Lakes　in　summer；　but　even　at　the　North　the　same　woods　often　contain　both　birds；　and　there　is　opportunity　to　note　just　how　much　they　differ。　The　Southern　bird　is　slightly　the　larger；　possibly　an　inch；　it　is　more　gray；　and　it　lacks　a　few　of　the　streaks；　notably　on　the　throat；　that　plentifully　speckle　its　Northern　counterpart；　but　the　habits　of　both　of　these　birds　appear　to　be　identical。　Only　for　a　few　days　in　the　spring　or　autumn　migrations　do　they　pass　near　enough　to　our　homes　for　us　to　study　them；　and　then　we　must　ever　be　on　the　alert　to　steal　a　glance　at　them　through　the　opera…glasses；　for　birds　more　shy　than　they　do　not　visit　the　garden　shrubbery　at　any　season。　Only　let　them　suspect　they　are　being　stared　at；　and　they　are　under　cover　in　a　twinkling。

Where　mountain　streams　dash　through　tracts　of　mossy；　spongy　ground　that　is　carpeted　with　fern　and　moss；　and　overgrown　with　impenetrable　thickets　of　underbrush　and　tangles　of　creepers　　such　a　place　is　the　favorite　resort　of　both　the　water　thrushes。　With　a　rubber　boot　missing；　clothes　torn；　and　temper　by　no　means　unruffled；　you　finally　stand　over　the　Louisiana　thrush's　nest　in　the　roots　of　an　upturned　tree　immediately　over　the　water；　or　else　in　a　mossy　root…belaced　bank　above　a　purling　stream。　A　liquid…trilled　warble；　wild　and　sweet；　breaks　the　stillness；　and；　like　Audubon；　you　feel　amply　rewarded　for　your　pains　though　you　may　not　be　prepared　to　agree　with　him　in　thinking　the　song　the　equal　of　the　European　nightingale's。


NORTHERN　WATER　THRUSH　（Seiurus　noveboracensis）　Wood　Warbler　family

Called　also：　NEW　YORK　WATER　THRUSH；　AQUATIC　WOOD　WAGTAIL；　AQUATIC　　　THRUSH

Length　　5　to　6　inches。　A　trifle　smaller　than　the　English　　　sparrow。　Male　and　Female　　Uniform　olive　or　grayish　brown　above。　Pale　　　buff　line　over　the　eye。　Underneath；　white　tinged　with　sulphur　　　yellow；　and　streaked　like　a　thrush　with　very　dark　brown　arrow　　　headed　or　oblong　spots　that　are　also　seen　underneath　wings。　Range　　United　States；　westward　to　Rockies　and　northward　through　　　British　provinces。　Winters　from　Gulf　States　southward。　Migrations　　Late　April。　October。　Summer　resident。　

According　to　the　books　we　have　before　us；　a　warbler；　but　who；　to　look　at　his　speckled　throat　and　breast；　would　ever　take　him　for　anything　but　a　diminutive　thrush；　or；　studying　him　from　some　distance　through　the　opera…glasses　as　he　runs　in　and　out　of　the　little　waves　along　the　brook　or　river　shore；　would　not　name　him　a　baby　sandpiper？　The　rather　unsteady　motion　of　his　legs；　balancing　of　the　tail；　and　sudden　jerking　of　the　head　suggest　an　aquatic　bird　rather　than　a　bird　of　the　woods。　But　to　really　know　either　man　or　beast；　you　must　follow　him　to　his　home；　and　if　you　have　pluck　enough　to　brave　the　swamp　and　the　almost　impenetrable　tangle　of　undergrowth　where　the　water　thrush　chooses　to　nest；　there　〃In　the　swamp　in　secluded　recesses；　a　shy　and　hidden　bird　is　warbling　a　song；〃　and　this　warbled　song　that　Walt　Whitman　so　adored　gives　you　your　first　clue　to　the　proper　classification　of　the　bird。　It　has　nothing　in　common　with　the　serene；　hymn…like　voices　of　the　true　thrushes；　the　bird　has　no　flute…like　notes；　but　an　emphatic　smacking　or　chucking　kind　of　warble。　For　a　few　days　only　is　this　song　heard　about　the　gardens　and　roadsides　of　our　country　places。　Like　the　Louisiana　water　thrush；　this　bird　never　ventures　near　the　homes　of　men　after　the　spring　and　autumn　migrations；　but；　on　the　contrary；　goes　as　far　away　from　them　as　possible；　preferably　to　some　mountain　region；　beside　a　cool　and　dashing　brook；　where　a　party　of　adventurous　young　climbers　from　a　summer　hotel　or　the　lonely　trout　fisherman　may　startle　it　from　its　mossy　nest　on　the　ground。


FLICKER　（Colaptes　auratus）　Woodpecker　family

Called　also：　GOLDEN…WINGED　WOODPECKER；　CLAPE；　PIGEON　WOODPECKER；　　　YELLOWHAMMER；　HIGH　HOLE　OR　HIGH…HOLDER；　YARUP；　WAKE…UP；　　　YELLOW…SHAFTED　WOODPECKER

Length　　12　to　13　inches。　About　one…fourth　as　large　again　as　the　　　robin。　Male　and　Female　　Head　and　neck　bluish　gray；　with　a　red　crescent　　　across　back　of　neck　and　a　black　crescent　on　breast。　Male　has　　　black　cheek…patches；　that　are　wanting　in　female。　Golden　brown　　　shading　into　brownish…gray；　and　barred　with　black　above。　　　Underneath　whitish；　tinged　with　light　chocolate　and　thickly　　　spotted　with　black。　Wing　linings；　shafts　of　wing；　and　tail　　　quills　bright　yellow。　Above　tail　white；　conspicuous　when　the　　　bird　flies。　Range　　United　States；　east　of　Rockies；　Alaska　and　British　　　America；　south　of　Hudson　Bay。　Occasional　on　Pacific　slope。　Migrations　　Most　commonly　seen　from　April　to　October。　Usually　　　Resident。

If　we　were　to　follow　the　list　of　thirty…six　aliases　by　which　this　largest　and　commonest　of　our　woodpeckers　is　known　throughout　its　wide　range；　we　should　find　all　its　peculiarities　of　color；　flight；　noises；　and　habits　indicated　in　its　popular　names。　It　cannot　but　attract　attention　wherever　seen；　with　its　beautiful　plumage；　conspicuously　yellow　if　its　outstretched　wings　are　looked　at　from　below；　conspicuously　brown　and　white　if　seen　upon　the　ground。　At　a　distance　it　suggests　the　meadowlark。　Both　birds　wear　black；　crescent　breast　decorations；　and　the　flicker　also　has　the　habit　of　feeding　upon　the　ground；　especially　in　autumn；　a　characteristic　not　shared　by　its　relations。

Early　in　the　spring　this　bird　of　many　names　and　many　voices　makes　itself　known　by　a　long；　strong；　sonorous　call；　a　sort　of　proclamation　that　differs　from　its　song　proper；　which　Audubon。　calls　〃a　prolonged　jovial　laugh〃　（described　by　Mrs。　Wright　as　〃Wick；　wick；　wick；　wick！〃）　and　differs　also　from　its　rapidly　repeated；　mellow；　and　most　musical　cub；　cub；　cub；　cub；　cub；　uttered　during　the　nesting　season。

It