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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (March 3, 1912)
10 OREGON J. ' 7. Tiivl" VNT'S of boy anU jiirl rrI i ciiti of .rr irn hTc t ri ir brl cMUttintAncea llratttJ to two faml !! .he ru&tn kDd that iourht I:tll' pta t rt j. t tur n k ! i h m pa rrow, I h trrt yam: a tf hi trtb. To thrra it 3Mr.rf nJ habits of th scy chkka 'rr. the chatty httl wrm with It eloq;rnt tall." the nwrrt-Totv"l miiwlark. the phy thrush and evrn th brisht-plurnai;P4t gronbrak, are a botk. Thrjr do not even koov thr Joy of th robin' rrturn as the rMM in t:.o Ilajt mn Mldle Wrl know it. for in Orrgon ha stays the Vintrr tirouith ar.d thrr is no wlM runhlni; to tbe wtnUow for th Klht of tbe flmt robin" ani no Impatlvnt ait ma for his "chrrr-up." whiti In many jvtionn of tne country mrn thm Wtntrr 1 to Taalsh anU with It bi-uk hut-tn lay. Throuich th co-oratlon of the Orf son Audubon horivty and the htate KuprlntnOent of Fubllc Inn t ruction thr Is atHiut to b lnausuratvtl In iirrcon a wuJepral cs mpulfrn for rstrmttic blr rtudy ar.l bird protec tion. The chiMrrn nf the atate am to bfcumf the blrd landlord. hJuperln trndent Arrman bavins: announced Ms lrctmon to require ererjr arhoolboy in the atnti of the intermediate grades to construct at least one bird house lunnc the year. The bird homea will b (Uced in public parka, private r-sl-u nee f rouiKli ami alonaj the hlch w a a. Thry will be rented "for a Impetus to this new architec tural venture will be KlTen In some lo calities tbrotiKn the offering of priios am) the holding of exhibits, where many of the handsomest and mwt am bitious house will be offered for Halo. t-it II. ly the exhibit of housca built y boya in the Portland manuil traln inK schools attracted much attention ind aroused no end of enthuMavm imonf the boys themselves, between whom there was keen rivalry ever both ilmlKn and execution. KasclnatiDK lit tle bunsralows executed In rustic strips of bark vied with quaint repllcaa of otd-worM thatched farm cottages: loc re bins stood aide by side with dainty Jittle homes wrought out In ilvery white birch-bark with bits of mo&a fc-rowlnj artistically on the sloping roofs. The collection represented much ingenuity and skillful workman, rhlp. and was the besrtnnina; of the tate-wlde plan t brlnpr school chil dren Into closer relationship with their bird neighbors. j Teaehera FailUfed Iw Cewrwe. I While the butUlinc of the bird bouses will. It i believed, fill the youn archi tects with an Increased sense of re- ' nponsibtlity toward the protection of f heir feathered friends, and enlarge their powers of observation and inter rut In bird life severally. It is but a Mitall part of the plan of study, which will l directed by the Oregon State Amlubon Society. Trie plan as adopted at the recent retting of the Audubon Society alms to civt systematic help to the teachers i bout tbe stati In the forming of Junior Aulubon societies, Th simple set of by-laws names the object of the or ganization to Iarn all thev can bout the will birds and try to protect Hem from bein wantonly killed." Vue dues are to he 15 cents a year the money partly to cover the cost of the rnnteI literature which will be sent to . .in class. j This liteiature wi'.l include a pam phlet on "The Common Birds of Ore- :.n. by William L. Klnley. president : -f the .oci-ty. and recognised as one ff the foremost authorities on bird ?ore In the country, and 11 other eiu-.-lional leaflet, all publlihed under the auspices of the National Associa tion of Audubon 8ocletlei. and wrli'en by well-known authorities, such as Ml bel Oig'wd Wrlitht. T. Utlbcrt I'ear- "n. II. A Ho4:.i. T. L. Klnley. etc. acainst him. for he does not live upon The list as announced in a recent re- cparrowa, but on grasshoppers. A care port of the society. Is as follows: Vom. ' fni study ha, been made of this bird's mon Birds of Oregon." "Winter Keed- food haiiits. and In tne stomachs of 1J0 ing ct Wild BlrdV Tutting l'p Hlrd sparrow hawks only one of them con f ouses." -The 80ns Sparrom." "The tatned the remains of a game bird, lie House Wren." "The Plus KirU." "The j almost exclusively Insectivorous, ex spotted Sandpiper." "The Tree Swal- j rept when Insect food la difficult to low." "The Kobln." "The Ceiar Wax- : obtain. He la the smallest of the fam wlng "The Hush-tit." and "The Biack-X I r of hawks, and la the most beautl lleaded Grosbeak." fully marked. His general color Is a Ail of tbe leaflets except the first j brticht red-brown on the back, with t&xaa coplaxa LcauUtui color pictures Jigiiicr brownish breast with black SCHOOL BOYS TO BUILD cm. . V of the birds and outlined ilrln whU.i may be tied by the pupils for roiortnir. In addition to the leaflets t.ic clAM will recrlie the maffazlne Tlrd-lxire" for a year. The children nil; be rnrouriRil to collect acated nta In the Kali to be placed In the st-lioo! collection and studied, observ- Ins the dlfferer.ee llff the flulnty nest of the hits of m ren with Its sort llnlnjr 01 nd hair and snake skin and ti:e tuarer mud-llned donlclle ot tl'e ronin. The Jnnior Audubons will be expected to hold at least one meet Inir a month, but It Is not !lkly that m class of ynune enthusiasts each with his on discoveries of bluebird s nest or robin's courtship wilt be satisfied with meeting- but once a month, partic ularly durlnir the Spring when tha b;M courttnB and housekeeping and funilly-reartnp offer such a fertile field for Invt-stlgatlottv. Keaaamlc Valae StoiM The protection offered tha birds la of creat economic value to the st.ite. the state blolOicl.it having- (lathered data to prove that many of the common birds of Orea-on, frequently looked upon as cherry thieves and mischief maKers, are the strongest allies of both horticultu rlst and agriculturist and deserve not alone protection but warm gratitude. "A bad reputation in the bird." said William Klnley. in speaking of the con demnation often made of birds by farm ers and orchardists. "Is as hard to lire down us it Is among men. A bird is often condemned on hearsay evidence. Take tha hawk. Among most people in the country there Is a deep-seated feeling against all hawks. They have seen a hawk swoop down and carry off a chicken and they believe they do nothing else except fly about and wait for the chance. The farmer who has seen his chickens go sailing off in the clutches of a hawk is mighty hard to persuade that a hawk Is good for anything except a professional chicken thief. And under the circumstances ne can't be blamed, for hawks are not easy to get acquainted with and it tikes an expert to tell the different kinds. But it Is well to understand something of the real economic value of hawks, for they are not all given to stealing chickens. 'Years ago. when the farmers of Pennsylvania saw hawks catching their chickens they concluded that all hawks and owls were dangerous to their poul try yard?. As a result a law was passed offering bounties for the bodies of these two species of birds. Before long the Department of Agriculture at Washington began to receive letters from farmers of Pennsylvania com plaining that field mice were destroy ing their crops to an unusual extent. A study of t!:e problem soon revealed the fact that the destruction of the birds of prey had destroyed the nat ural check upon the harmful rodents. In InterfcrinK with Natures balance the farmers had lost several million dollars' worth of grain. Both hawks and owls are Nature's check against the Itreat army of harmful rodents that inhabit our gardens and neiiia. J ne : hawk hunt br day and the owls are MPycially equipped to supplement their worit. nkvinir eyenlght that is keenest d'.inng the early hours of the night and morning, when moles, gophers and mice are more active."" irisw nmk Merltorfaaa. The sparrow hawk is. according to Mr. Klnley. one of the several unjustly maligned birds even his name being I : '-4 It? THE SUNDAY OREROXIAX. POIUXAT. Audubon Society and Public Schools Co-operate in Campaign rr r&tl' 1 pula. Tl:p top of It ij hP He builtii his neat In ft Another bird of xrritt eronomlc vluo In tho mendow lMrk. Its fox1 Is Almoiit entlrt'ly of wetl erdn. miiI when th iirain Is rlpenlnic snit being harvested the meadow lark, live almost entirely I on it rumilioprern. ctu kcis. neetici- ana i other Inserts. It also destroys larae numbers of cut worms, army worms and chinch bugs. It lias often been accused of tatlng wheat and other grains, but scientific Investigation has proved that grain is only a very small part of its diet, nearly three-fourths of Its food for the year. Including the Winter months, consisting of Insects. Fortu nately, our Oregon laws make it crime to kill this bird or destroy Its nest. While economically the meadow lark Is of the greatest importance In any agricultural community, from an esthetic standpoint no meadow Is com plete without this beautiful songster. In Oregon the lark stays with til throug!iout the year. In sunshirio, rain, snow, even In the dead of Winter, ho ran be heard calling In his own match less way that beautiful minor call to his mate as he whirrs over the barren field. Early In March or April, even before the other birds have returned, he has built his nest and with his quiet colored and faithful little wife reared a little family. ' The nests are built on the ground protected by "tufts of grass, some of them being completely arched over and covered by grass stems that make a sort of cave, from which the bird has a little beaten path to enter Its nest. When feeding young, the parent bird will light from 50 to 100 feet from the nest and make a careful survey of the field before she creeps through the grass to her young. Robla Relies ob Haasaa Friends. Of all the common birds, none la more beloved than the robin, nature's op timist. He Is the original exponent of cheer, and should be made an honorary member of the sunshine society. His very name suggests the approach of Spring, bursting apple blossoms, hope renewed. So confidently does he throw himself upon the protection of bis hu man friends, building near their houses, doing his family marketing on their lawns and teaching his fledglings the difficult art of flying under their very windows. It Is small wonder that he has established such friendly relation ship with mankind. And yet even he is branded as a cherry thief and In many of the Southern states is killed as game during the Winter season. In one of the educational leaflets is sued by the Audubon Society a raid upon a typical robin's roost down In Bedford County. Tennessee, is de scribed. The robins gathered year aft er year a thia same roost, congregat ing by the thousands. The cedar trees grew from five to thirty feet In height, and at night were literally loaded with robins. Hunting while they roosted was a favorite sport. A man would climb a cedar tree with a torch, while bis companions with poles and clubs would disturb the sleeping bnndreds on the adjacent trees. Bilnded bv the light, the suddenly awakened birds would fly to the torch- bearer, who. aa he seized each bird. would quickly pull off Its head and drop It Into a sack suspended from his shoulder. The capture of 100 or 400 birds was an ordinary night's work. Men and boys would come in wagons from all the adjoining counties and camp near the roost to kill robins. Many times 10 or more hunters with torches and clubs would be at work In a single j night For threo years tnis tremendous slaughter kept up." eaya Dr. P. p. Clax ton. of the University of Tennessee, "and then the survivors deserted the rooet-" This method was Identical to that used by hunters in the last cen tury In killing the wild pigeon which hole In a tree V. v rJ -. rfS -v ,. v'Jt 4 . 1 j-, Sl"'isW. e --- J JjPraf'Vs sL" . " today is practically an extinct bird In America. " Oaiy Few Cherries Stolen. Airs. Russell Sage is rendering finan cial aid to the National Association of Audubon Societies to secure the pass age of laws better calculated to pro tect the robin. The National associa tion holds that In every state In the Union the robin should be placed on the list of protected species and never be allowed to be killed as game. In Florida, robins may be killed at any time, and In the following Southern States the "open" season varies from one to six months: Louisiana, Mary land. Mississippi, North Carolina, Ten nessee. Virginia, In speaking of the complaints made locally ngainst the robin as a cherry eater. Mr. Finley says: "The earliest cherries are bothered most, while those that ripen later are not disturbed to any great extent, because of other fruits and berries that are ripe at this time. The severest complaints seem to come from places where there are Just a few cherry trees In the locality, ana to these - all the robins came for a feast. In places where the cherry trees are abundant the loss is so scat tering that It la not noticed to a great extent." Mr. Finley suggests tnat as the roL.ns prefer mulberries to cher ries, it would be an easy matter to plir a few Russian mulberry trees for the birds. In this way the more valuable fruit would be protected. One of the few birds against whose reputation no one can cast a stone is that darling of the fields, the blue bird W.th breast like the earth And back like tbe sky. Although he boards himself and his family about the farm and garden and consumes hundreds or green worms. caterpillars, grasshoppers and ants In day's time, he is not a menace to tne crops, and Is generally looaea upon with high favor by the farmer and town dweller alike. Mr. Finley points out that the bluebird is one ot tne birds that has taken remarkably to civilization, and that while formerly he built his nest In some hole In an old tree, he now prefers a birdhouse erected for him In the back yard or about the bam. or nailed to a crotch in an orchard tree. They not only pay rent with their beautiful song, but by ridding the trees of many harmful worms. If undisturbed, tne oiueoira 111 raise two or three broods in a ' season. Despite this fart, the blue birds do not Increase, and their careful protection is urged by all Audubon So cieties. Many birds die of disease or starve to death during the Winter, and many are killed by animals. la writing of tha bluebird Mabel Oa- MARCTI 3, 1912. HOUSES for Bird Study and Protection. -xr c& : ,iriiul;f, . - y . - ' ' " 7 ' C e- VIA. J6a i t u rood Wrleht savs: "As with many oth er species of migrant birds, the male Is the first to arrive; and he does not seem to be particularly interested in house hunting until the arrival or tne rernaie. when the courtshiD begins without de lay, and the delicate purling song with the refrain: 'Dear, dear, think of It. think of It,' and the low two-sylable answer of the female is heard In every orchard. The building of the nest Is not an Important function merely the gathering of a few wisps and straws, with some chance feathers for lining. It seems to be shared by both parents, as are the duties of hatching and feed ing the young. The eggs vary In num ber, six being the "maximum. "As parents the bluebirds axe tire less, both in supplying the nest with in sect food and attending to Its sanita tion; the wastage being taken away and dropped at a distance from the nest at almost unblievably short Intervals, proving the wonderful rapidity of di gestion ond the Immense amount of la bor required to supply the mill inside tbe little speckled throats with grist." Mrs. Wright points out that it is not easy to tempt bluebirds to an artificial feeding place such as the Junkos, chick adees. Jays, etc.. although in the Winter she has been able to coax them with dried currants and mill sweepings, the latter being scattered about the trees of their haunts. "Above all things," says Mrs. Wright, "the bluebird, though friendly and seeking the borderland be tween the wild and the tame, never be comes familiar, and never does he lose the half-remote individuality that Is one of bis great charms. Though he lives with us and gives no sign of pride of race or birth, he is not of us, as the song sparrow, chippy or even the easily alarmed robin. The poet's mantel en velops him even -as the apple blossoms throw a rosy mist about his doorway, and it is best so." There are six varieties of the blue bird familiar to the biologist, the West ern bluebird, familiar In Oregon, being of a deeper shade of blue with the fore back In part chestnut, while his Eastern brother is entirely blue as to back, wings and tall. Both the Eastern and Western bluebird have breast and sides of a rusty brown, that of the Western bird being a brighter chestnut. He ranges from Northern California to British Columbia and east to Nevada. ' Crow Is of Real Valne. Another bird with a beautiful coat but with a bad reputation as a robber and a murderer is the blue Jay. Ha has had a reputation for robbing nests and stealing nestlings for so long that a good many people think he does noth ing else but hunt up mischief. "It's mighty hard." says Mr. Finley. "to per suade some people that any good can come of a bluejty. Because of his repu- 7 a I I . 9Am fill 4 ft I ft J FOR SONG BIRDS m .Vr jay - he Is denied the protection under the 'ation here In Oregon for stealing fruit Oregon laws. Two bluejays are com mon residents in Western Oregon; the stellar Jay, consnlcuous for its long creBt and deep blue coat; the Califor nia Jay, which looks more like the bluejay of tue Eastern woods in color, the type James Whitcomb Riley de scribes: "In them sassy baseball clothes o his." Next to the blue jay In reputation Is the American crow, with a reputation as black as his coat. "To determine the economic status of this bird," said Mr. Finley, the Department of Agricul ture has examined nearly a thousand sLomacns 01 crows Killed in every month or the year all over the coun try. The bird has been charged with causing injury to the corn crop, steal- 1 lng fruit, robbing nests of poultry and eating young birds. On each count he was proven guilty. It was also shown that most of the corn eaten was waste corn and the part destroyed while growing was only 3 per cent of the to tal rood. The destruction of fruit and eggs was only trivial, while on the other hand, the amount of harmful In sects and mice eaten rendered the final verdict In favor of the crow, for it was proven beyond doubt that he is of more real economic value than harm." The Kingfisher is another bird in need of a champion, for many persons advocate his being shot, charging that ne destroys too many trout. Mr. Finley eciares mat along many 01 our streams he lives on fish that are of no value to man, and that in Oregon his favorite food is crawfish. Along some streams he lives on frogs, lizards and beetles. "The kingfisher." said Mr. Finley, "is not a social bird, and from an econ omic standpoint he may not compare favorably with some of our other birds, but he was here before man came and should he not have the right to live a secluded life along our waterways? I wouldn't want a field without a meadow lark, even if it did raise a good crop of hay. It would be a desolate patch of woods with no chickadees. It would be a barren orchard without a robin or chippy, even if it did bear apples. The river would be robbed of a part of Its interest if the kingfisher was not there. To my mind, the river can never be quite the same if the king fisher does not nest in the bank." Bashtlts Marveloaa Architects. By the time the Oregon Junior Audo bons are starting in on their work, the fascinating little bushtits will be coming- back to us from the South, where they stay nine months of the year. The bushtit is distinctly a West erner, so much so that he is unknown In the East. A little larger than a humming-bird but more fluffy in ap pearance, dressed in modest browns and grays and with- a tall as long as his body, he is easily distinguished. He is as easy to make friends with as a chickadee and possesses an un bounded confidence in mankind. Mr. Finley has made many intimate friend ships among the busntits, the young fledglings being so tame they will feed while perching on the hand. One of the accomplishments of this mite of a bird is his marvelous skill in nest-bulld-tng. In this he has no equal among the small birds. His nest Is a long gourd-shaped one from eight to ten inches in length, with a side entrance at the upper end. "Bushtits are great talkers." said Mr. Finley, "but I have never seen a flock stop for rest. Their appetites never seem satisfied. A flock forms a continual moving procession. A few always take tbe lead, bobbing along in a tippling fight from tree to tree. Others follow rapidly, and when they take possession of a bush it looks as if the whole thing had suddenly taken wings." Although so small the bushtit has , his economic value, as his food con sists of the plant lice or scale which do so much damage to Pacitic Coast fruit. Indeed, hunting for scale In sects is said to be the bushttt's life work, and according to good authori ties it would be difficult to find a small bird that is a more valuable asset to any farmer or fruit grower. Of all the tiny vocalists that come into close touch with the human fam ily none is more beloved than Jenny Wren. Her beautiful and persistent song Is one of the Summer's Joys and her departure in the Autumn after having reared from three to six broods is always a matter of regret. The House wrens are extremely sociable and take very quickly to nesting-boxes put up for them near the homes of their human friends. A house 4xx6 inches with a sloping roof to shed wa ter and an opening two inches from the bottom and not more than one Inch . in diameter, will meet the. family re requirements of Johnny and Jenny Wren and keep out the usurping Eng lish sparrow. Wren, Like to Return. "Above all things, the wren seems to esteem cosiness," says Mabel Osgood Wright in writing of these birds, "and If a nook or an apartment has too high a ceiling they immediately do away with the objectionable feature by raising the floor. Make your houses of the right size," she admonishes, "and not one, but a dozen. Think out the location and see that they are at least partly protected from the sun. Do not put the houses too close to gether, for Madame Wren is a bad neighbor and her temper is as quick as her flight. At the end of the sea son clear the old nests from the house. A wren can carry and lay unbeliev ably long twigs, but to undo the work is too great trial of patience." Once established in a locality, the wren clings to it, so the boys and girls who succeed thl3 year in coaxing wren neighbors may look forward with a good deal of certainty to their return next year. The black-headed grosbeak is an other Western bird a cousin of the rose-breasted grosbeak found In the East and Middle West. The Oregon grosbeak has a black head, a red brown breast brightening to a lemon yellow under the wings and below, a black tail and wings with two white wing bars. The female is dressed de murely in dark brown and buff. Tho song is the rollicking carol of the Western robin or Western tanager. Birds in general are very shy about singing when on the nest, in fact they are afraid to, but Mr. Finley says that many times he has found the gros beak mother singing a lullaby to her babies in the nest. The parents feed their nestlings on a diet of both fruit and insects, and although nature has given the grosbeak a large and power ful bill to crack seeds and kernels It seems not to be an inconvenience when feeding the babies. Mr. Finley tells of having once seen a father grosbeak distribute a whole mouthful of green measuring worms to his youngsters and the next time he came back from the garden, bringing one raspberry in his bill and coughing up three more, to be thrust clear into the wide-spread hungry beaks of the babes. The grosbeak family discipline is built upon equal suffrage lines. One day the father does all the marketing for the family, while the mother sits near by. the next day the mother hunta tbe food and feeds the family while the father bird sings in the tree tops and preens his feathers, hunting up only one mouthful of food to every six or seven brought by the mother. "I have watched a good many bird families." said Mr. Finley, "but I never saw the work, divided as it is in the grosbeak family. I have watched at some nests where the young are cared for almost entirely oy tne mother ana have Been others where those duties were taken up largely by the father. Many times I have seen both parents work side by side in rearing a family. but the grosbeaks seem to have a way of dividing duties equally, alternating days of rest and labor, that ia pecu liarly their own,"