. Our winter birds, how to know and how to attract them . establish associations that makethem inexpressibly dear to us. Flicker and his mate go house-hunting early inApril, but the eggs are not laid for a month number five to nine, and like those of all .Wood-peckers, are spotless white. The young Flickers areborn naked and do not get their first suit of feathers, HOME BIRDS 65 which is much like that of their parents, until theyare a week or more old. They are noisy little chapsand if you tap the tree trunk or limb in which theyare living, they utter in chorus a loud buzzing pro-t
. Our winter birds, how to know and how to attract them . establish associations that makethem inexpressibly dear to us. Flicker and his mate go house-hunting early inApril, but the eggs are not laid for a month number five to nine, and like those of all .Wood-peckers, are spotless white. The young Flickers areborn naked and do not get their first suit of feathers, HOME BIRDS 65 which is much like that of their parents, until theyare a week or more old. They are noisy little chapsand if you tap the tree trunk or limb in which theyare living, they utter in chorus a loud buzzing pro-test. They climb to the nest-hole to receive theirfood, which the parents give them by a process knownas regurgitation. In this act the parent thrusts itsbill far down the throat of the young and brings upfrom the crop, or regurgitates, partly digested this fare the young grow so rapidly that theyleave the nest when they are about four weeks for some time they remain under their parentscare, learning the ways of their kind. SONG SPARROW. a little brown bird {Fig- 34) ATE in February, when in some sheltered, sun-warmed nook, I hear a Song Sparrow sing, I know that spring is near because a little bird has told me so. The ground may still be white with snow, the bare branches show no sign of life. Not even the pussy willows have crept out along each bough, nor have the frogs piped a single note. But there is the signal, Spring, Spring, Spring, sunny days are here. It is said in such a sweet, unpretentious voice and by such a modest, unassuming little bird, that one cannot at first believe Nature would send so great a message in such a simple way. When the Cranes trumpet it to the four winds and the Geese call it through the sky, we know it is true; but long before they have spread the news so that any one may hear, those whose ears are attuned to 66 HOME BIRDS 67 Natures voices, loud or low, have heard it from theSong Sparrow. Watch him as he sings the glad tidings
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