登陆注册
14719500000030

第30章

The bluebird is not always a migrant, except in the more northern portions of the country. Some representatives there are always with us, but the great majority winter south and drop out of the spring procession on its way northward, the males a little ahead of their mates, which show housewifely instincts immediately after their arrival. A pair of these rather undemonstrative matter-of-fact lovers go about looking for some deserted woodpecker's hole in the orchard, peering into cavities in the fence-rails, or into the bird-houses that, once set up in the old-fashioned gardens for their special benefit, are now appropriated too often by the ubiquitous sparrow. Wrens they can readily dispossess of an attractive tenement, and do. With a temper as heavenly as the color of their feathers, the bluebird's sense of justice is not always so adorable. But sparrows unnerve them into cowardice. The comparatively infrequent nesting of the bluebirds about our homes at the present time is one of the most deplorable results of unrestricted sparrow immigration. Formerly they were the commonest of bird neighbors.

Nest-building is not a favorite occupation with the bluebirds, that are conspicuously domestic none the less. Two, and even three, broods in a season fully occupy their time. As in most cases, the mother-bird does more than her share of the work. The male looks with wondering admiration at the housewifely activity, applauds her with song, feeds her as she sits brooding over the nestful of pale greenish-blue eggs, but his adoration of her virtues does not lead him into emulation.

"Shifting his light load of song, From post to post along the cheerless fence,"Lowell observed that he carried his duties quite as lightly.

When the young birds first emerge from the shell they are almost black; they come into their splendid heritage of color by degrees, lest their young heads might be turned. It is only as they spread their tiny wings for their first flight from the nest that we can see a few blue feathers.

With the first cool days of autumn the bluebirds collect in flocks, often associating with orioles and kingbirds in sheltered, sunny places where insects are still plentiful. Their steady, undulating flight now becomes erratic as they take food on the wing -- a habit that they may have learned by association with the kingbirds, for they have also adopted the habit of perching upon some conspicuous lookout and then suddenly launching out into the air for a passing fly and returning to their perch. Long after their associates have gone southward, they linger like the last leaves on the tree.

It is indeed "good-bye to summer" when the bluebirds withdraw their touch of brightness from the dreary November landscape.

The bluebirds from Canada and the northern portions of New England and New York migrate into Virginia and the Carolinas, the birds from the Middle States move down into the Gulf States to pass the winter. It was there that countless numbers were cut off by the severe winter of 1894-95, which was so severe in that section.

INDIGO BUNTING (Passerina cyanea) Finch family Called also: INDIGO BIRDLength -- 5 to 6 inches. Smaller than the English sparrow, or the size of a canary.

Male -- In certain lights rich blue, deepest on head. In another light the blue feathers show verdigris tints. Wings, tail, and lower back with brownish wash, most prominent in autumn plumage. Quills of wings and tail deep blue, margined with light.

Female -- Plain sienna-brown above. Yellowish on breast and shading to white underneath, and indistinctly streaked. Wings and tail darkest, sometimes with slight tinge of blue in outer webs and on shoulders.

Range -- North America, from Hudson Bay to Panama. Most common in eastern part of United States. Winters in Central America and Mexico.

Migrations -- May. September. Summer resident.

The "glowing indigo" of this tropical-looking visitor that so delighted Thoreau in the Walden woods, often seems only the more intense by comparison with the blue sky, against which it stands out in relief as the bird perches singing in a tree-top. What has this gaily dressed, dapper little cavalier in common with his dingy sparrow cousins that haunt the ground and delight in dust-baths, leaving their feathers no whit more dingy than they were before, and in temper, as in plumage, suggesting more of earth than of heaven?

Apparently he has nothing, and yet the small brown bird in the roadside thicket, which you have misnamed a sparrow, not noticing the glint of blue in her shoulders and tail, is his mate. Besides the structural resemblances, which are, of course, the only ones considered by ornithologists in classifying birds, the indigo buntings have several sparrowlike traits. They feed upon the ground, mainly upon seeds of grasses and herbs, with a few insects interspersed to give relish to the grain; they build grassy nests in low bushes or tall, rank grass; and their flight is short and labored. Borders of woods, roadside thickets, and even garden shrubbery, with open pasture lots for foraging grounds near by, are favorite haunts of these birds, that return again and again to some preferred spot. But however close to our homes they build theirs, our presence never ceases to be regarded by them with anything but suspicion, not to say alarm. Their metallic cheep, cheep, warns you to keep away from the little blue-white eggs, hidden away securely in the bushes;and the nervous tail twitchings and jerkings are pathetic to see. Happily for the safety of their nest, the brooding mother has no tell-tale feathers to attract the eye. Dense foliage no more conceals the male bird's brilliant coat than it can the tanager's or oriole's.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 生产与运营管理:制造业和服务业(第三版)

    生产与运营管理:制造业和服务业(第三版)

    密切结合我国实际,系统地阐述了生产运作管理的基本概念、基本理论和方法,将生产运作管理丰富的内容从系统设计、运行、维护和改进的视角组织起来,体系合理、结构完整。
  • 半世浮尘

    半世浮尘

    转眼已漂浮半世。回忆以前的点点滴滴,感觉自身就是一粒浮尘。菩提本无树,明镜亦非台,本来无一物,何处惹尘埃。我好像明白这偈语了!
  • 禽兽也修仙

    禽兽也修仙

    这是一个以武为尊,用实力证明一切的世界。且看李天弃一个人与兽人结合所生的神罚之子,如何翻云覆雨。主角修炼功法等级制度:武者,武师,武灵,武王,武皇,武宗,武尊,武圣,武帝,武霸、魔武者。QQ群159398887
  • 谁在半夜乱弹琴

    谁在半夜乱弹琴

    【锦书轩】让你爱上文字的香气。【幽幽千城】编辑旗下出品初识那年,赵靓(jing;各位看文文的亲们,我决不是说大家不认识这个字哈!只是因为是多音字,所以才小做解释哦!)渊16岁,苏子墨19岁。一个是调皮的初三学生,一个是被保送的高校优等生。那一天因为学业而无心睡眠的赵靓渊听到了对面窗户里传来的凌乱的琴音,透过窗户和月光看到了一个拥有完美轮廓的少年。因为父母闹离婚而心烦意乱,对着钢琴发泄的苏子墨无意中看到了对面窗户里那张模糊的脸。于是故事发生了。他们总在黑夜里透过窗户凝视对方,他们在小黑板上写着稚嫩的字体去了解对方。年轻的心,选择用最直接的方法告白,用最热烈的方式拥抱,也用最彻底的姿态分开。5年光阴,他们在没有彼此的世界里挣扎,终于明白,原来没有爱情,也能活的很好,只是,再也不提爱。当对面的灯光再次点亮,当凌乱的琴音再次传来,故事的弦还能不能续?“有达芬奇,有米开朗琪罗又怎样?我只知道,那里没有赵靓渊……”“子墨,犹言在耳,你还敢爱我吗?”顺便宣传下墨墨的新文,《爱你,在你来的时光》:http://novel.hongxiu.com/a/361858/终于终于出来!希望大家继续支持墨墨!哦也!谢谢大家~
  • 傲视七宇

    傲视七宇

    不知已历经了几道轮回,记忆深处还是有你磨灭不掉的烙印,前世的一切,已变成了遗憾,今生让我为你承诺,不再让你天涯孤鸟飞!(原谅不定更。)
  • 世界上最伟大的销售圣经

    世界上最伟大的销售圣经

    本书介绍了成为伟大销售员的六个步骤,包括搞懂销售这玩意儿、玩转销售、搞定销售对象绝对是一门艺术、具备大师级销售员的品质和精神、细节决定成败、学习先做个杂家最终才能成为专家。
  • 我的三个月的初恋

    我的三个月的初恋

    同志群体一直是弱势群体,在中国尤为明显。本人通过一个在校大学生的第一次初恋,反映了同志之间的爱的各种因素,矛盾。物质问题,异地,家庭观念,社会的歧视,以及同志情的不可保障等等方面,来反映同志的不容易。
  • 异世全真

    异世全真

    全真道统异世扬威,对抗巫术,参杂爱恨情仇。
  • 焚天帝君

    焚天帝君

    焚天灭劫,逆天改命,我要这世界活,任谁也毁不掉,我要这世界死,任谁也保不住;武道极致,不过焚天,天道极致,不过帝君;灭天之炎,不曾有过,救世之火,不曾有悔
  • 现代魔法闯异界

    现代魔法闯异界

    即将退休的老白正在考虑自己退休之后先来个旅游,却不想命运弄人,阴错阳差之下来到了自己小儿子口中的异界!看着眼前这个未知且神奇的世界,老白这个即将退休的中学教师会怎样开启自己的人生新纪元?