bird neighbors-第14章

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ugh　he　owes　his　appellation　bee　martin　to　this　tradition。　One　or　two　ornithologists　declare　that　he　selects　only　the　drones　fur　his　diet；　which　would　give　him　credit　for　marvellous　sight　in　his　rapid　motion　through　the　air。　The　kingbird　is　preeminently　a　bird　of　the　garden　and　orchard。　The　nest　is　open；　though　deep；　and　not　carefully　concealed。　Eggs　are　nearly　round；　bluish　white　spotted　with　brown　and　lilac。　With　truly　royal　exclusiveness；　the　tyrant　favors　no　community　of　interest；　but　sits　in　regal　state　on　a　conspicuous　throne；　and　takes　his　grand　flights　alone　or　with　his　queen；　but　never　with　a　flock　of　his　kind。


WOOD　PEWEE　（Contopus　virens）　Flycatcher　family

Length　　6。50　inches。　A　trifle　larger　than　the　English　sparrow。　Male　　Dusky　brownish　olive　above；　darkest　on　head；　paler　on　　　throat；　lighter　still　underneath；　and　with　a　yellowish　tinge　on　　　the　dusky　gray　under　parts。　Dusky　wings　and　tail；　the　wing　　　coverts　tipped　with　soiled　white；　forming　two　indistinct　bars。　　　Whitish　eye…ring。　Wings　longer　than　tail。　Female　　Similar；　but　slightly　more　buff　underneath。　Range　　Eastern　North　America；　from　Florida　to　northern　British　　　provinces。　Winters　in　Central　America。　Migrations　　May。　October。　Common　summer　resident

The　wood　pewee；　like　the　olive…sided　flycatcher；　has　wings　decidedly　longer　than　its　tail；　and　it　is　by　no　means　a　simple　matter　for　the　novice　to　tell　these　birds　apart　or　separate　them　distinctly　in　the　mind　from　the　other　members　of　a　family　whose　coloring　and　habits　are　most　confusingly　similar。　This　dusky　haunter　of　tall　shady　trees　has　not　yet　learned　to　be　sociable　like　the　phoebe；　but　while　it　may　not　be　so　much　in　evidence　close　to　our　homes；　it　is　doubtless　just　as　common。　The　orchard　is　as　near　the　house　as　it　often　cares　to　come。　An　old　orchard；　where　modern　insecticides　are　unknown　and　neglect　allows　insects　to　riot　among　the　decayed　bark　and　fallen　fruit；　is　a　happy　hunting　ground　enough；　but　the　bird's　real　preferences　are　decidedly　for　high　tree…tops　in　the　woods；　where　no　sunshine　touches　the　feathers　on　his　dusky　coat。　It　is　one　of　the　few　shade…loving　birds。　In　deep　solitudes；　where　it　surely　retreats　by　nesting　time；　however　neighborly　it　may　be　during　the　migrations；　its　pensive；　pathetic　notes；　long　drawn　out；　seem　like　the　expression　of　some　hidden　sorrow。　Pe…a…wee；　pe…a…wee；　pewee…ah…peer　is　the　burden　of　its　plaintive　song；　a　sound　as　depressing　as　it　is　familiar　in　every　walk　through　the　woods；　and　the　bird's　most　prominent　characteristic。

To　see　the　bird　dashing　about　in　his　aerial　chase　for　insects；　no　one　would　accuse　him　of　melancholia。　He　keeps　an　eye　on　the　〃main　chance；〃　whatever　his　preying　grief　may　be；　and　never　allows　it　to　affect　his　appetite。　Returning　to　his　perch　after　a　successful　sally　in　pursuit　of　the　passing　fly；　he　repeats　his　〃sweetly　solemn　thought〃　over　and　over　again　all　day　long　and　every　day　throughout　the　summer。

The　wood　pewees　show　that　devotion　to　each　other　and　to　their　home；　characteristic　of　their　family。　Both　lovers　work　on　the　construction　of　the　flat　nest　that　is　saddled　on　some　mossy　or　lichen…covered　limb；　and　so　cleverly　do　they　cover　the　rounded　edge　with　bits　of　bark　and　lichen　that　sharp　eyes　only　can　detect　where　the　cradle　lies。　Creamy…white　eggs；　whose　larger　end　is　wreathed　with　brown　and　lilac　spots；　are　guarded　with　fierce　solicitude。

Trowbridge　has　celebrated　this　bird　in　a　beautiful　poem。


PHOEBE　（Sayornis　phoebe）　Flycatcher　family

Called　also：　DUSKY　FLYCATCHER；　BRIDGE　PEWEE；　WATER　PEWEE；　　　　＇EASTERN　PHOEBE；　AOU　1998＇

Length　　7　inches。　About　an　inch　longer　than　the　English　　　sparrow。　Male　and　Female　　Dusky　olive　　brown　above　darkest　on　head；　　　Which　is　slightly　crested。　Wings　and　tail　dusky；　the　outer　　　edges　of　some　tail　feathers　whitish。　Dingy　yellowish　white　　　underneath。　Bill　and　feet　black。　Range　　North　America；　from　Newfoundland　to　the　South　Atlantic　　　States；　and　westward　to　the　Rockies。　Winters　south　of　the　　　Carolinas；　into　Mexico；　Central　America；　and　the　West　Indies。　Migrations　　March。　October。　Common　summer　resident。

The　earliest　representative　of　the　flycatcher　family　to　come　out　of　the　tropics　where　insect　life　fairly　swarms　and　teems；　what　does　the　friendly　little　phoebe　find　to　attract　him　to　the　north　in　March　while　his　prospective　dinners　must　all　be　still　in　embryo？　He　looks　dejected；　it　is　true；　as　he　sits　solitary　and　silent　on　some　projecting　bare　limb　in　the　garden；　awaiting　the　coming　of　his　tardy　mate；　nevertheless；　the　date　of　his　return　will　not　vary　by　more　than　a　few　days　in　a　given　locality　year　after　year。　Why　birds　that　are　mated　for　life；　as　these　are　said　to　be；　and　such　devoted　lovers；　should　not　travel　together　on　their　journey　north；　is　another　of　the　many　mysteries　of　bird…life　awaiting　solution。　

The　reunited；　happy　couple　go　about　the　garden　and　outbuildings　like　domesticated　wrens；　investigating　the　crannies　on　piazzas；　where　people　may　be　coming　and　going；　and　boldly　entering　barn…lofts　to　find　a　suitable　site　for　the　nest　that　it　must　take　much　of　both　time　and　skill　to　build。

Pewit；　phoebe；　phoebe；　pewit；　phoebe；　they　contentedly　but　rather　monotonously　sing　as　they　investigate　all　the　sites　in　the　neighborhood。　Presently　a　location　is　chosen　under　a　beam　or　rafter；　and　the　work　of　collecting　moss　and　mud　for　the　foundation　and　hair　and　feathers　or　wool　to　line　the　exquisite　little　home　begins。　But　the　labor　is　done　cheerfully；　with　many　a　sally　in　midair　either　to　let　off　superfluous　high　spirits　or　to　catch　a　morsel　on　the　wing；　and　with　many　a　vivacious　outburst　of　what　by　courtesy　only　we　may　name　a　song。

When　not　domesticated；　as　these　birds　are　rapidly　becoming；　the　phoebes　dearly　love　a　cool；　wet　woodland　retreat。　Here　they　hunt　and　bathe；　here　they　also　build　in　a　rocky　bank　or　ledge　of　rocks　or　underneath　a　bridge；　but　always　with　clever　adaptation　of　their　nest　to　its　surroundings；　out　of　which　it　seems　a　natural　growth。　It　is　one　of　the　most　finished；　beautiful　nests　ever　found。

A　pair　of　phoebes　become　attached　to　a　spot　where　they　have　once　nested；　they　never　stray　far　from　it；　and　return　to　it　regularly；　though　they　may　not　again　occupy　the　old　nest。　This　is　because　it　soon　becomes　infested　with　lice　from　the　hen's　feathers　used　in　lining　it；　for　which　reason　too　close　relationship　with　this　friendly　bird…neighbor　is　discouraged　by　thrifty　housekeepers。　When　the　baby　birds　have　come　out　from　the　four　or　six　little　white　eggs；　their　helpless　bodies　are　mercilessly　attacked　by　parasites；　and　are　often　so　enfeebled　that　half　the　brood　die。　The　next　season　another　nest　will　be　built　near　the　first；　the　following　summer　still　another；　until　it　would　appear　that　a　colony　of　birds　had　made　their　homes　in　the　place。

Throughout　the　long　summer　　for　as　the　phoebe　is　the　first　flycatcher　to　come；　so　it　is　the　last　to　go　　the　bird　is　a　tireless　hunter　of　insects；　which　it　catches　on　the　wing　with　a　sharp　click　of　its　beak　like　the　other　members　of　its　dexterous　family。

Say's　Phoebe　（Sayornis　saya）　is　the　Western　representative　of　the　Eastern　species；　which　it　resembles　in　coloring　and　many　of　its　habits。　It　is　the　bird　of　the　open　plains；　a　tireless　hunter　in　midair　sallies　from　an　isolated　perch；　and　has　the　same　vibrating　motion　of　the　tail　that　the　Eastern　phoebe　indulges　in　when　excited。　This　bird　differs　chiefly　in　its　lighter　coloring；　but　not　in　habits；　from　the　black　pewee　of　the　Pacific　slope。


GREAT…CRESTED　FLYCATCHER　（Myiarchus　crinitus）　Flycatcher　family

Called　also：　CRESTED　FLYCATCHER；　＇GREAT　CRESTED　FLYCATCHER；　AOU　　　1998＇

Length　　8。50　to　9　inches。　A　little　smaller　than　the　robin。　Male　and　female　　　Feathers　of　the　head　pointed　and　erect。　Upper　　　parts　dark　grayish…olive；　inclining　to　rusty　brown　on　wings　and　　　tail。　Wing　coverts　crossed　with　two　irregular　bars　of　yellowish　　　white。　Throat　gray；　shading　into　sulphur…yellow　underneath；　　　that　also　extends　under　the　wings。　Inner　vane　of　several　tail　　　quills　rusty　red。　Bristles　at　base　of　bill。　Range　　From　Mexico；　Central　America；　and　West　Indies　northward　　　to　southern　Canada　and　westward　to　the　plains。　Most　common　in　　　Mississippi　basin；　common　also　in　eastern　United　States；　so