Bird lore - Project Puffin

at their feet, and paddled off to her. Still
another call brought the third obedient
child, and then the fourth, and last, went
to her. The part that was most surprising
to the girls was the fact that not one bird
was to be seen till the mother called a
different note, and especially, that they
all went one at a time. Not one chick
started out of the grass till the one ahead
had swum across, and the mother had
called again I^Alice Sage Allyn, Middle-
town, Conn.
—
Occurrence of Starlings in Dorchester
County, Md.
The Starlings first made their appearance
in this locality (southern Maryland),
so far as I am aware, on February 14, 1916.
A large flock of at leaet seventy-five in-
dividuals were noted and again observed
the two following days, the 15th and i6th.
The 14th was without question the coldest
day of the winter, the ground being
covered with snow, which was drifting in
huge banks before a heavy northeast gale.
Under these tempestuous conditions the
Starlings were observed to feed in close
flocks in the few wind-swept places of the
fields. After feeding they would alight
on the roof of the outbuildings or a
sheltered tree and there enjoy the sunshine
out of the biting blast. Ralph W.
Jackson, R. F. D. No. i, Cambridge, Md.
Can the Starling Rule Birdland ?
Concerning the English Starling I have
learned enough to distress the lover of wild
birds. This imported prodigy seemed to
have singled out my father's land as the
first spot in the neighborhood on which to
establish itself. Two pairs came about
five years ago and built in maple hollows
near the stables. Incidentally, let me say
with anything but sorrow, that to do this
they drove out two rowdy families of
English Sparrows.
There was a tall butlonball tree on the
hill nearby in which there were eleven
holes drilled by Flickers and two others
caused by limb-decay. In these lived
Notes from Field and Study 175
Flickers, Wrens, Sparrows, and Sparrow
Hawks in happy disregard of each other
until the Starlings found them out, and for
the following year joyfully took two of the
best sites. There were then, by actual
count, two pairs of Starlings, four pairs of
Flickers, one pair of Sparrow Hawks, and
two pairs of English Sparrows nesting in
that fine old tree, several Flickers having
apparently already been driven away. The
next year there were at least five pairs of
Starlings while the Flickers had dwindled
to two pairs. For the last two years there
have been only sharp Starling heads stick-
ing out of those holes bored with such
exertion by the fine Flicker tribe, and in-
stead of grubs, cherries are borne in in-
creasing numbers to the nestlings.
Not only there, but in all the old trees
about the buildings, holes have been
taken over by this bird-pest who has now
entirely eliminated from the orchard
Bluebirds and Crested Flycatchers. His
very presence seems also to discourage
most other varieties of birds, for the place
is now fast becoming one where the Crow,
the Crackle, the Starling, and the English
Sparrow alone enliven the scenery.
what songsters they are
And
That the Flicker suffers most is shown
by the way he has attempted to adopt
inadequate bird-houses to his nesting
needs. Two pairs enlarged the entrance-
holes in empty Bluebird boxes only to
find something unsatisfactory in each.
Another tried hard to bore into a workbox
placed on a telephone-pole near the
house, and one in his zeal came down the
chimney in my bedroom.
I have found the Starling very difficult
to trap but comparatively easy to shoot.
However, the more I have shot the more
have come; so I see little relief ahead and
can only feel grave fear that the Starling
will soon rule all settled districts in this
state.
Pa.
—
!
Joseph W. Lippincott, Belhayres,
A Singing Blue Jay
Though the Blue Jay has the reputation
of being "both a mimic and a ventrilo-
quist," I personally have never before