SONG—BIRDS. Robin
In early March the Robins come flocking from the South, and those seen before this time are usually the roving winter residents. At first they sing most freely at noon or late in the afternoon, when their notes mingle with the peeping of the marsh-frogs, but With milder weather the Robin becomes the bird of dawn, whose persistent, regular melody unites the whole chorus.
From this time until late July, at morning before twilight and at intervals all through the day, he sings, varying the accentuation of the melody, even while its range remains the same. At dawn he says, “ Cheerily, cheerily, cheer up, cheer up!” While one who sings every afternoon in the apple tree by my Window says plainly, “Do you think what you do, do you think what you do, do you thi-n-k ‘2 ”
Wilson Flagg, who is always unique if sometimes in- accurate, writes, “There is no bird that has fewer faults than the Robin, or would be more esteemed as a constant companion.” Passing over his habit of helping himself to the ripest cheek of cherry or strawberry, which is a trifling harm when compared with his good reputation as an insect destroyer, and which from a bird’s standpoint of course is not a. fault at all, —he has two radical defects that detract from the pleasure of his society. He is extremely and unnecessarily noisy in his cries of alarm when any one approaches his nest, not only in this way calling attention to its location, but setting the entire bird colony in an. uproar. His sharp, useless call, given vehemently, often Without cause, reminds one of the silly housewife who ran down the village street crying, “Fire! Fire!”——because the damper being closed, her stove smoked.
It is very aggravating to be thus interrupted while watch‘ ing the movements of some rare or shy bird. One day I had almost located a Hummingbird’s nest when a Robin cried, “ Quick! Quick!” and the Hummers took the hint.
His other fault is untidiness and general disorder in nest— huilding. If Robins build about the porch or in an arbour, they invariably make a litter and exercise little of the pre- caution, used by so many birds, in removing the excrements
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