Little Brothers of the Air

Part 1

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By Olive Thorne Miller.

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HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN & CO. BOSTON AND NEW YORK.

LITTLE BROTHERS OF THE AIR

OLIVE THORNE MILLER

BOSTON AND NEW YORK HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN AND COMPANY The Riverside Press, Cambridge 1893

Copyright, 1892, BY H.M. MILLER.

All rights reserved.

The Riverside Press, Cambridge, Mass., U.S.A. Electrotyped and Printed by H.O. Houghton & Company.

INTRODUCTORY.

Some of the chapters of this little book were written in 1888, on the shore of the Great South Bay, Long Island; others in the northern part of New York State, known to its residents as the "Black River Country," a year or two later. Part of them have been published in The Atlantic Monthly, Harper's Bazaar, The Independent and other papers.

The nomenclature in the Table of Contents is that adopted by the American Ornithological Society.

OLIVE THORNE MILLER.

CONTENTS.

ON THE GREAT SOUTH BAY.

PAGE

I. THE KINGBIRD'S NEST 1

Kingbird. Tyrannus tyrannus.

II. A CHRONICLE OF THREE LITTLE KINGS 19

Kingbird. Tyrannus tyrannus.

III. THE BABES IN THE WOOD 34

Flicker. Colaptes auratus.

IV. HOME LIFE OF THE REDSTART 48

American Redstart. Setophaga ruticilla.

V. WHEN NESTING IS OVER 61

Part 2

Thrasher. Harporhynchus rufus.

White-bellied Swallow. Tachycineta bicolor.

Wood Pewee. Contopus virens.

Bluebird. Sialia sialis.

VI. IN SEARCH OF THE BLUEJAY 76

Bluejay. Cyanocitta cristata.

VII. IN THE WOOD LOT 83

Bluejay. Cyanocitta cristata.

VIII. THE BLUEJAY BABY 89

Bluejay. Cyanocitta cristata.

IN THE BLACK RIVER COUNTRY.

IX. THAT WITCHING SONG 99

Wilson's Thrush. Turdus fuscescens.

X. THE VEERY MOTHER 107

Wilson's Thrush. Turdus fuscescens.

XI. THE TAWNY THRUSH'S BROOD 114

Wilson's Thrush. Turdus fuscescens.

XII. A MEADOW NEST 123

Wilson's Thrush. Turdus fuscescens.

XIII. A JUNE ROUND OF CALLS 130

Wood Pewee. Contopus virens.

Junco. Junco hyemalis.

Flicker. Colaptes auratus.

Redstart. Setophaga ruticilla.

Sapsucker. Sphyrapicus varius.

XIV. A BOBOLINK RHAPSODY 138

Bobolink. Dolichonyx oryzivorus.

XV. THE BOBOLINK'S NEST 146

Part 3

Bobolink. Dolichonyx oryzivorus.

XVI. THE TANAGER'S NEST 155

Scarlet Tanager. Piranga erythromelas.

XVII. THE WILES OF A WARBLER 163

Black-throated Blue. Dendroica coerulescens.

XVIII. A RAINY-DAY TRAMP 173

Oven-bird. Seiurus aurocapillus.

XIX. THE VAGARIES OF A WARBLER 180

Redstart. Setophaga ruticilla.

Chestnut-sided W. Dendroica pensylvanica.

XX. A CLEVER CUCKOO 190

Black-billed C. Coccyzus erythrophthalmus.

XXI. TWO LITTLE DRUMMERS 201

Sapsucker. Sphyrapicus varius.

Red-headed Woodpecker. Melanerpes erythrocephalus.

XXII. FROM MY WINDOW 221

Phoebe. Sayornis phoebe.

Robin. Merula migratoria.

Great-crested Fly-catcher. Myiarchus crinitus.

Purple Grackle. Quiscalus quiscula.

Downy Woodpecker. Dryobates pubescens.

Chestnut-sided Warbler. Dendroica pensylvanica.

Kingbird. Tyrannus tyrannus.

XXIII. THE COMICAL CROW BABY 236

Common Crow. Corvus americanus.

XXIV. A MIDSUMMER WOOING 244

American Goldfinch. Spinus tristis.

XXV. A PLUM-TREE ROMANCE 252

Part 4

American Goldfinch. Spinus tristis.

XXVI. SOLITARY THE THRUSH 259

Hermit Thrush. Turdus aonalaschkoe pallasii.

INDEX 269

ON THE GREAT SOUTH BAY.

Precious qualities of silence haunt Round these vast margins ministrant.

'T is here, 't is here, thou canst unhand thy heart And breathe it free, and breathe it free By rangy marsh, in lone sea-liberty.

SIDNEY LANIER.

LITTLE BROTHERS OF THE AIR.

THE KINGBIRD'S NEST.

To study a nest is to make an acquaintance. However familiar the bird, unless the student has watched its ways during the only domestic period of its life,--nesting time,--he has still something to learn. In fact, he has almost everything to learn, for into those few weeks is crowded a whole lifetime of emotions and experiences which fully bring out the individuality of the bird. Family life is a test of character, no less in the nest than in the house. Moreover, to a devotee of the science that some one has aptly called Ornithography, nothing is so attractive. What hopes it holds out! Who can guess what mysteries shall be disclosed, what interesting episodes of life shall be seen about that charmed spot?

To find a newly built nest is the first June work of the bird-student, and this year on the Great South Bay a particularly inviting one presented itself, on the top branch of a tall oak-tree near my "inn of rest." It was in plain sight from the veranda. The builder evidently cared nothing for concealment, and relied, with reason, upon its inaccessible position for safety. To be sure, as days went by and oak leaves grew, a fair screen for the little dwelling was not lacking; but summer breezes were kind, and often blew them aside, and, better still, from other points of view the nest was never hidden.

To whom, then, did the nest belong? I hoped to the kingbird, who at that moment sat demurely upon the picket fence below, apparently interested only in passing insects; and while I looked the question was answered by Madame Tyrannis herself, who came with the confidence of ownership, carrying a beakful of building material, and arranging it with great pains inside the structure. This was satisfactory, for I did not know the kingbird in domestic life.

For several days it seemed uncertain whether the kingbirds would ever really occupy the nest, so spasmodic was the work upon it. Now one of the pair came with a bit of something, placed it, tried its effect this way and that, and then disappeared; while for hours every day both might be seen about the place, hunting insects and taking their ease on the fence as if no thought of nesting ever stirred their wise little heads. The last addition to the domicile was curious: a soft white feather from the poultry yard, which was fastened up on the edge, and stood there floating in the breeze; a white banner of peace flung out to the world from her castle walls.

Peace from a kingbird? Direful tales are told of this bird: "he is pugnacious," says one writer; "he fights everybody," adds another; "he is a coward," remarks a third. Science has dubbed him tyrant (Tyrannis), and his character is supposed to be settled. But may there not be two sides to the story? We shall see. One kingbird, at least, shall be studied sympathetically; we shall try to enter his life, to judge him fairly, and shall above all

"bring not The fancies found in books, Leave author's eyes, and fetch our own."

Nearly two months that small dwelling on the oak was watched, day after day, early and late, in storm and in sunshine; now I know at least one family of kingbirds, and what I know I shall honestly tell, "nothing extenuating."

The house was built, the season was passing, yet housekeeping did not begin. The birds, indeed, appeared to have abandoned the tree, and days went by in which I could not see that either visited it. But the nest was not deserted, for all that; the curiosity and impertinence of the neighbors were simply amazing. (Perhaps the kingbird has some reason to be pugnacious!) No sooner was that tenement finished than, as promptly as if they had received cards to a house-warming, visitors began to come. First to show himself was an orchard oriole, who was in the habit of passing over the yard every day and stopping an hour or more in the neighborhood, while he scrambled over the trees, varying his lunches with a rich and graceful song. Arrived this morning in the kingbird tree, he began his usual hunt over the top branch, when suddenly his eye fell upon the kingbird cradle. He paused, cast a wary glance about, then dropped to a lower perch, his singing ended, his manner guilty. Nearer and nearer he drew, looking cautiously about and moving in perfect silence. Still the owner did not come, and at last the stranger stood upon the edge. What joy! He looked that mansion over from foundation to banner fluttering in the wind; he examined closely its construction; with head turned over one side, he criticised its general effect, and apparently did not think much of it; he gratified to the full his curiosity, and after about one minute's study flew to the next tree, and resumed his singing.

The next arrival was a pewee, whose own nest was nearly built, in a wild-cherry tree not far off. The fence under the oak was his usual perch, and it was plain that he made his first call with "malice aforethought;" for, disdaining the smallest pretense of interest in it, he flew directly to the nest, hovered beneath it, and pulled out some part of the building material that pleased his fancy,--nothing less than pure thievery.

Among the occasional visitors to the yard were two American goldfinches, or thistle-birds, in bright yellow and black plumage, both males. They also went to the new homestead in the oak, inspected it, chatted over it in their sweet tones, and then passed on. It began to look as though the nest were in the market for any one to choose, and the string of company was not yet ended.

Soon after the goldfinches had passed by, there alighted a gay Baltimore oriole, who, not content with looking at the new castle in the air, must needs try it. He actually stepped into the nest and settled down as if sitting. Who knows but he was experimenting to see if this simple, wide-open cradle wouldn't do as well for oriole babies as for kingbirds? Certainly it was a curious performance. It made an impression on him too, for the next day he came again; and this time he picked at it, and seemed to be changing its interior arrangement, but he carried nothing away when he flew. Even after sitting began, this oriole paid two more visits to the nest which so interested him. On the first occasion, the owner was at home, and gave him instant notice that the place was no longer on view. He retired, but, being no coward, and not choosing to submit to dictation, he came again. This time, a fly-up together, a clinch in the air, with loud and offensive remarks, cured him of further desire to call.

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