Mating: Every bird has certain courtship habits. Note these antics.
Nesting: Observe the choice of nesting site, the materials used in the nests, such as mud, grass, leaves, and so on. Notice the construction, the number and the color of the eggs; and the incubation period, or the length of time the eggs take to hatch; and above all things, do not in any way disturb any bird’s nest.
The Young: Watch and learn what food the young ones are given by the parents; how they are cared for; the time they remain in the nest; their cries, actions, first flights, and so on.
How to Find Birds:
(a)—When—The best times of day are early morning and late afternoon. Why is this true?
(b)—Where—A watered meadow with trees here and there attract birds. Learn this from observation.
(c)—How—Use common sense as to dress and general actions. Sit down and let the birds come to you.
Based on Dr. Frank M. Chapman’s “A Bird’s Biography,” p. 73—Bird Life, published by D. Appleton & Co., New York.
THE BLUEBIRD
In this locality some of the Bluebirds are with us all the year through. However, they are not so often seen in winter as in warmer summer months. The Starlings and the English Sparrows have driven them from many former nesting sites.
Food: The Bluebird eats many insects, including beetles, grasshoppers and different kinds of caterpillars. He also often feeds upon such fruits as cedar berries, wild cherries and those of other wild plants.
Bill: The bill of this bird is much like that of the Robin and the Thrushes. These birds are very closely related.