Bird lore - Project Puffin

2?trb=1Lore
A BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE
DEVOTED TO THE STUDY AND PROTECTION OF BIRDS
Official Organ cf The Audubon SociETits
Vol XVIII September— October, 1916 No. 5
FOR
Cardinals Through the Year
By MRS. ROBERT G STEELE, Melmore Ohio
many years the Cardinals have been about our place, coming for
food in winter and sometimes staying for part of the summer to nest.
They remained throughout the year 1914, giving a good opportunity to
study them at close range.
About thirty feet from the house—overlooked by the south windows of
the living-rooms— is a boundary of trees, shrubbery and flowers, dividing
the yard from a bit of pasture that runs back into open fields—the home of
Bobolinks, Larks, and sometimes Quail.
Along this fence-row are small cherry trees, a decaying old pear tree, some
small cedars, barberry bushes, upright honeysuckle, with its bright berries in
midsummer, and wild roses—their seed-vessels remaining far into winter; all
these, with vines and thorns, make a tangle attractive to birds.
Baths in summer and food all through the year bring many feathered
visitors. No day is without its bird interest; however, that is another story
with this same stage setting.
For some time before the new year, a pair of Cardinals had been about the
place daily. The notebook says* "On New Year's Eve, a Screech Owl drove the
male from his regular roost, in porch vines, to the window-sill, taking him down
into the snow before being driven off.
"A drop of blood on his head was the only sign of injury. The following
morning, five Cardinals were feeding where only two had fed before, so we
believe he survived his adventure."
The pair continued to come as soon as light in the morning, for food,
remaining about during the day, and, after a time, one or the other, never
together, to roost in the porch vines. There was always much 'talk' over
going to roost and before leaving in the morning, usually keeping up until
the mate came to the feed-board.
Deep snow and severe weather brought others during the middle of the