"
Whether the pippin and sweetbough bear or not, the "punctual birds" can
always be depended on. Indeed, there are few better places to study
ornithology than in the orchard. Besides its regular occupants, many
of the birds of the deeper forest find occasion to visit it during the
season. The cuckoo comes for the tent-caterpillar, the jay for frozen
apples, the ruffed grouse for buds, the crow foraging for birds' eggs,
the woodpecker and chickadees for their food, and the high-hole for
ants. The red-bird comes too, if only to see what a friendly covert
its branches form; and the wood-thrush now and then comes out of the
grove near by, and nests alongside of its cousin, the robin.
The smaller hawks know that this is a most likely spot for their prey;
and in spring the shy northern warblers may be studied as they pause to
feed on the fine insects amid its branches. The mice love to dwell
here also, and hither comes from the near woods the squirrel and the
rabbit. The latter will put his head through the boy's slipper-noose
any time for taste of the sweet apple, and the red squirrel and
chipmunk esteem its seeds a great rarity.
Pages:
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206