Bird lore - Project Puffin

^otes from fitla anti ^tutip
Feeding Habits of the Downy
I first learned of the nature of the
swellings on the goldenrod stalks in
zoology class, during the latter part of
October, 1915. I had noticed them many
times when walking through fields and
swamps, but never had investigated them,
taking them merely as a matter of course.
November 27, 1915, I found a patch of
goldenrod stalks containing these galls.
I gathered a few of the larger ones, think-
ing that I would wait for the adult insects
to emerge in the following spring. When I
came to examine them more closely, later
on, I found that some of the galls had
irregular holes in them, very much
resembling holes cut with a thin-bladed
knife. These holes ranged from a sixteenth
to a cjuarter of an inch in diameter on the
outside, and got smaller, like a cone, as the
hole went toward the middle of the gall.
Being puzzled as to the cause of these
holes, I took them to my zoology teacher,
to get an explanation. She said that it was
probably caused by a bird of some kind,
but was not aware of its identity.
December 4, I again came across a
large patch of goldenrod stalks, many of
which bore galls. This time, upon finding
more galls containing these holes, I
decided to find out if possible what caused
them. Almost immediately I discovered
a bird perched upon the stem of a golden-
rod plant, drilling into the gall very
industriously. Upon closer examination,
it proved to be a Downy Woodpecker. I
saw a number of these little birds at work
and watched them for many minutes.
Finally I picked several of the galls that
the birds had attacked and cut themoiien.
They were all empty.
I walked around this field and counted
about ten of these birds. The patch cov-
ered nearly an acre of ground, and most of
the stalks had one or more galls. Nearly
half of the galls had been robbed of their
inhabitants, so I drew the conclusion that
(3 X3)
the Downy Woodpecker must cat' many
grubs each day. If this is the case, it is
of benefit to mankind and should not be
destroyed.— R. Elured Boschkrt, Syra-
cuse, N. Y.
Observations on Some W^inter Birds at
Sigourney, Iowa
The winter season being the bleakest of
the year, especially in the northern half of
the United States, it is quite important
during that time of year to cultivate the
friendship of the birds, the ever sprightly
and cheerful harbingers of a better time
to come.
As the struggle for the necessities of sub-
sistence is the great moving power of the
entire living world, this of course includes
the birds and it is especially true in the
wintertime. Therefore, a birds' lunch-
counter offers the best means of gaining
their confidence, friendship and cheering
presence, as well as their aid in ridding
orchards, gardens and shade trees of the
larvae and eggs of numerous harmful
insects, hidden in crevices and under the
bark of trees, awaiting the sjiringtimc to
begin their destructive work.
For several winters I have maintained
such a lunch-counter upon a shelf five feet
above the ground against a large shade
tree directly in front of, and some ten feet
from, the kitchen window. This shelf is
16 X 20 inches in size, with a border an
inch high, and hinged so it can be dropped
to facilitate cleaning.
Upon this shelf I keep a supply of black
walnuts thoroughly cracked, so there are
no large pieces either of shell or kernel.
If this precaution is not taken, the Jays
and Nuthatches will carry all the larger
pieces away and hide them. Birds like
walnuts or butternuts better than bread
crumbs or any other kind of nuts. Wal-
nuts are usually cheap and easily obtain-
able in the regions where deciduous
trees flourish. Directly above this shelf,