bird neighbors-第37节

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is　〃rare　bit　of　bird　melody。〃　〃Mounting　by　easy　flight　to　the　top　of　the　tallest　tree；〃　says　the　author　of　〃Wake…Robin；〃　〃the　ovenbird　launches　into　the　air　with　a　sort　of　suspended；　hovering　flight；　like　certain　of　the　finches；　and　bursts　into　a　perfect　ecstasy　of　song　　clear；　ringing；　copious；　rivalling　the　goldfinch's　in　vivacity　and　the　linnet's　in　melody。〃


WORM…EATING　WARBLER　（Helmintherus　vermivorus）　Wood　Warbler　family

Length　　5。50　inches。　Less　than　an　inch　shorter　than　the　English　　　sparrow。　Male　and　Female　　Greenish　olive　above。　Head　yellowish　brown；　　　With　two　black　stripes　through　crown　to　the　nape；　also　black　　　Lines　from　the　eyes　to　neck。　Under　parts　buffy　and　white。　Range　　Eastern　parts　of　United　States。　Nests　as　far　north　as　　　southern　Illinois　and　southern　Connecticut。　Winters　in　the　Gulf　　　States　and　southward。　Migrations　　May。　September。　Summer　resident。

In　the　Delaware　Valley　and　along　the　same　parallel；　this　inconspicuous　warbler　is　abundant；　but　north　of　New　Jersey　it　is　rare　enough　to　give　an　excitement　to　the　day　on　which　you　discover　it。　No　doubt　it　is　commoner　than　we　suppose；　for　its　coloring　blends　so　admirably　with　its　habitats　that　it　is　probably　very　often　overlooked。　Its　call…note；　a　common　chirp；　has　nothing　distinguishing　about　it；　and　all　ornithologists　confess　to　having　been　often　misled　by　its　song　into　thinking　it　came　from　the　chipping　sparrow。　It　closely　resembles　that　of　the　pine　warbler　also。　If　it　were　as　nervously　active　as　most　warblers；　we　should　more　often　discover　it；　but　it　is　quite　as　deliberate　as　a　vireo；　and　in　the　painstaking　way　in　which　it　often　circles　around　a　tree　while　searching　for　spiders　and　other　insects　that　infest　the　trunks；　it　reminds　us　of　the　brown　creeper。　Sunny　slopes　and　hillsides　covered　with　thick　undergrowth　are　its　preferred　foraging　and　nesting　haunts。　It　is　often　seen　hopping　directly　on　the　dry　ground；　where　it　places　its　nest；　and　it　never　mounts　far　above　it。　The　well…drained；　sunny　situation　for　the　home　is　chosen　with　the　wisdom　of　a　sanitary　expert。


ACADIAN　FLYCATCHER　（Empidonax　virescens）　Flycatcher　family

Called　also：　SMALL　GREEN…CRESTED　FLYCATCHER；　SMALL　PEWEE

Length　　5。75　to　6　inches。　A　trifle　smaller　than　the　English　　　sparrow。　Male　　Dull　olive　above。　Two　conspicuous　yellowish　wing…bars。　　　Throat　white；　shading　into　pale　yellow　on　breast。　Light　gray　　　or　white　underneath。　Upper　part　of　bill　black；　lower　mandible　　　flesh…color。　White　eye…ring。　Female　　Greener　above　and　more　yellow　below。　Range　　From　Canada　to　Mexico；　Central　America；　and　West　Indies。　　　Most　common　in　south　temperate　latitudes。　Winters　in　southerly　　　limit　of　range。　Migrations　　April。　September。　Summer　resident。

When　all　our　northern　landscape　takes　on　the　exquisite；　soft　green；　gray；　and　yellow　tints　of　early　spring；　this　little　flycatcher；　in　perfect　color…harmony　with　the　woods　it　darts　among；　comes　out　of　the　south。　It　might　be　a　leaf　that　is　being　blown　about；　touched　by　the　sunshine　filtering　through　the　trees；　and　partly　shaded　by　the　young　foliage　casting　its　first　shadows。

Woodlands；　through　which　small　streams　meander　lazily；　inviting　swarms　of　insects　to　their　boggy　shores；　make　ideal　hunting　grounds　for　the　Acadian　flycatcher。　It　chooses　a　low　rather　than　a　high；　conspicuous　perch；　that　other　members　of　its　family　invariably　select；　and　from　such　a　lookout　it　may　be　seen　launching　into　the　air　after　the　passing　gnat　　darting　downward；　then　suddenly　mounting　upward　in　its　aerial　hunt；　the　vigorous　clicks　of　the　beak　as　it　closes　over　its　tiny　victims　testifying　to　the　bird's　unerring　aim　and　its　hearty　appetite。

While　perching；　a　constant　tail…twitching　is　kept　up；　and　a　faint；　fretful　〃Tshee…kee；　tshee…kee〃　escapes　the　bird　when　inactively　waiting　for　a　dinner　to　heave　in　sight。

In　the　Middle　Atlantic　States　its　peeping　sound　and　the　clicking　of　its　particolored　bill　are　infrequently　heard　in　the　village　streets　in　the　autumn；　when　the　shy　and　solitary　birds　are　enticed　from　the　deep　woods　by　a　prospect　of　a　more　plentiful　diet　of　insects；　attracted　by　the　fruit　in　orchards　and　gardens。　

Never　far　from　the　ground；　on　two　or　more　parallel　branches；　the　shallow；　unsubstantial　nest　is　laid。　Some　one　has　cleverly　described　it　as　〃a　tuft　of　hay　caught　by　the　limb　from　a　load　driven　under　it；〃　but　this　description　omits　all　mention　of　the　quantities　of　blossoms　that　must　be　gathered　to　line　the　cradle　for　the　tiny；　cream　white　eggs　spotted　with　brown。


YELLOW…BELLIED　FLYCATCHER　（Empidonax　flaviventris）　Flycatcher　　　family

Length　　5　to　5。6　inches。　About　an　inch　smaller　than　the　English　　　sparrow。　Male　　Rather　dark；　but　true　olive…green　above。　Throat　and　　　breast　yellowish　olive；　shading　into　pale　yellow　underneath；　　　including　wing　linings　and　under　tail　coverts。　Wings　have　　　yellowish　bars。　Whitish　ring　around　eye。　Upper　part　of　bill　　　black；　under　part　whitish　or　flesh…colored。　Female　　Smaller；　with　brighter　yellow　under　parts　and　more　　　decidedly　yellow　wing…bars。　Range　　North　America；　from　Labrador　to　Panama；　and　westward　　　from　the　Atlantic　to　the　plains。　Winters　in　Central　America。　Migrations　　May。　September。　Summer　resident。　More　commonly　a　　　migrant　only。

This　is　the　most　yellow　of　the　small　flycatchers　and　the　only　Eastern　species　with　a　yellow　instead　of　a　white　throat。　Without　hearing　its　call…note；　〃pse…ek…pse…ek；〃　which　it　abruptly　sneezes　rather　than　utters；　it　is　quite　impossible；　as　it　darts　among　the　trees；　to　tell　it　from　the　Acadian　flycatcher；　with　which　even　Audubon　confounded　it。　Both　these　little　birds　choose　the　same　sort　of　retreats　　well…timbered　woods　near　a　stream　that　attracts　myriads　of　insects　to　its　spongy　shores　　and　both　are　rather　shy　and　solitary。　The　yellow…bellied　species　has　a　far　more　northerly　range；　however；　than　its　Southern　relative　or　even　the　small　green…crested　flycatcher。　It　is　rare　in　the　Middle　States；　not　common　even　in　New　England；　except　in　the　migrations；　but　from　the　Canada　border　northward　its　soft；　plaintive　whistle；　which　is　its　love…song；　may　be　heard　in　every　forest　where　it　nests。　All　the　flycatchers　seem　to　make　a　noise　with　so　much　struggle；　such　convulsive　jerkings　of　head　and　tail；　and　flutterings　of　the　wings　that；　considering　the　scanty　success　of　their　musical　attempts；　it　is　surprising　they　try　to　lift　their　voices　at　all　when　the　effort　almost　literally　lifts　them　off　their　feet。

While　this　little　flycatcher　is　no　less　erratic　than　its　Acadian　cousin；　its　nest　is　never　slovenly。　One　couple　had　their　home　in　a　wild…grape　bower　in　Pennsylvania；　a　Virginia　creeper　in　New　Jersey　supported　another　cradle　that　was　fully　twenty　feet　above　the　ground；　but　in　Labrador；　where　the　bird　has　its　chosen　breeding　grounds；　the　bulky　nest　is　said　to　be　invariably　placed　either　in　the　moss　by　the　brookside　or　in　some　old　stump；　should　the　locality　be　too　swampy。


BLACK…THROATED　GREEN　WARBLER　（Dendroica　virens）　Wood　Warbler　　　family

Length　　5　inches。　Over　an　inch　smaller　than　the　English　　　sparrow。　Male　　Back　and　crown　of　head　bright　yellowish　olive…green。　　　Forehead；　band　over　eye；　cheeks；　and　sides　of　neck　rich　yellow。　　　Throat；　upper　breast；　and　stripe　along　sides　black。　Underneath　　　yellowish　white。　Wings　and　tail　brownish　olive；　the　former　with　　　two　white　bars；　the　latter　with　much　white　in　outer　quills。　In　　　autumn；　plumage　resembling　the　female's。　Female　　Similar；　chin　yellowish；　throat　and　breast　dusky；　the　　　black　being　mixed　with　yellowish。　Range　　Eastern　North　America；　from　Hudson　Bay　to　Central　　　America　and　Mexico。　Nests　north　of　Illinois　and　New　York。　　　Winters　in　tropics。　Migrations　　May。　October。　Common　summer　resident　north　of　New　　　Jersey。

There　can　be　little　difficulty　in　naming　a　bird　so　brilliantly　and　distinctly　marked　as　this　green；　gold；　and　black　warbler；　that　lifts　up　a　few　pure；　sweet；　tender　notes；　loud　enough　to　attract　attention　when　he　visits　the　garden。　〃See…see；　see…saw；〃　he　sings；　but　there　is　a　tone　of　anxiety　betrayed　in　the　simple；　sylvan　strain　that　always　seems　as　if　the　bird　needed　reassuring；　possibly　due　to　the　rising　inflection；　like　an　interrogative；　of　the　last　notes。

However　abundant　about　our　homes　during　the　migrations；　this　warbler；　true　to　the　family　instinct；　retreats　to　the　woods　to　nest　　not　always　so　far　away　as　Canada；　the　nesting　ground　of　most　warblers；　for　in　many　Northern　States　the　bird　is　commonly　found　throughout　the　summer。　Doubtless　it　prefers　tall　evergreen　trees　for　its　mossy；　grassy　nest；　but　it　is　not　always　particular；　so　that　the　tree　be　a　tall　one　with　a　convenient　fork　in　an　upper　branch。

Early　in　September　increased　numbers　emerge　from　the　woods；　the　plumage　of　the　male　being　less　brilliant　than　when　we　saw　it　last；　as　if　the　family　cares　of　the　summer　had　proved　too　taxing。　For　nearly　a　month　longer　they　hunt　incessantly；　with　much　flitting　about　the　leaves　and　twigs　at　the　ends　of　branches　in　the　shrubbery　and　evergreens；　for　the　tiny　insects　that　the　warblers　must　devour　by　the　million　during　their　all　too　brief　visit。



BIRDS　CONSPICUOUSLY　YELLOW　AND　ORANGE

　　Yellow…throated　Vireo　　　American　Goldfinch　　　　Evening　Grosbeak　　　Blue…winged　Warbler　　　Canadian　Warbler　　　Hooded　Warbler　　　Ke