February Fifteenth
The first bird to actually voice the approach of spring, is the jolly little chickadee. His spring song, "spring's-com-ing," sounds more like "phœbe" than does the note of the phœbe itself, for which it is often mistaken. It is a clear, plaintive whistle, easily imitated, and when answered, the songster can often be called within a few feet of one, where he will perch and repeat his song as long as he receives a reply.
Photograph by Silas Lottridge.
HIBERNATING WOODCHUCK.