. Annual report of the Commissioner of Agriculture ... Agriculture -- New York (State). 110 the latter part of the month, in wliich case one is busy keeping track of the arrivals, as the other birds have caught up then, and all come nearly at the same time. It is unnecessary to give detailed descriptions of robins, bluebirds and song-sparrows, as nearly everyone is familiar with them; but some of the other eai'ly comers may be more easily recognized if some field impressions of them be given. 7«- ?» * Almost any warm day in early March we may hear a thin, clear " tsssss " in a high p
. Annual report of the Commissioner of Agriculture ... Agriculture -- New York (State). 110 the latter part of the month, in wliich case one is busy keeping track of the arrivals, as the other birds have caught up then, and all come nearly at the same time. It is unnecessary to give detailed descriptions of robins, bluebirds and song-sparrows, as nearly everyone is familiar with them; but some of the other eai'ly comers may be more easily recognized if some field impressions of them be given. 7«- ?» * Almost any warm day in early March we may hear a thin, clear " tsssss " in a high piping key, and on looking up see from one to five black bii'ds, about the size of orioles, flying in a strange undu- lating manner — some up and some down, with the wings held close to their sides during the " drop" in their flight. They are cowbirds. The flock may swirl into the top of a tree and sit close ' / together. (Fig. 72.) If this happens within ^)^J eyeshot, stop and watch them for a moment. One or two of the males are almost certain to. Cowbirds. utter the ridiculous song of the species, which like that of their relatives, the grackles, is accompanied by the most grotesque of actions. The bird spreads its wings to their utmost, spreads and elevates the tail, stretches its neck upwards and forwards, and then, quivering and tottering, nearly falls forward off tlie perch. The only sound which accompanies this absurd action is a faint chuckling " clk-sfs'k" which is scarcely to be heard a hundred feet away. * * * With the cowbirds we may expect the arrival of the bronzed grackles, which resemble them much in flight, but are larger and come in far larger flocks,— sometimes ten, sometimes a hundred or more. Their arrival is known by the vigorous calls they utter while flying, a loud bass " ; When seen squabbling in the spruce trees or in the bare branches of the willows fringing the sti-eams, the males are likely to be giving their
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