Salt Lake Tribune | 1906-10-02 | Page 3 | Fall Nest Building

FALL NEST BUILDING ' H Do Birds Sometimes Make Mistakes in Fino Autumn Weather? Wc arc apt to think that birds build jH only in spring or in summer, because I iH that is their "natural" season and be- 'j causo their ancestors did so. But jH havo you never thought that perhaps tho heat or tho mildness of the weather ; IH may have a direct influence, and may actually invite them to build? Hero is a littlo incident which I saw last year, and which seems to point in that dircc- Tho 24th of September was spring- M like in temperature; a fine rain was ;' H falling, and I was afield, watching a i; host of small migrants, chiefly myrtle warblers and sparrows, but especially interested in the movements of some young goldfinches that were learning to IH feed on thistle. About a cavity in an old tree were four bluebirds hovering , nnd warbling. Looking moro closely I ;; jH noticed that each pair seemed trying . to get possession of tho hollow, as V. I have seen them fighting for a nesting jH placo in spring. But to my astonish- jH mont ono malo had a straw in his bill. llo wont into tho hollow, tarried for awhile, and returned without the straw. . Then the female went in and stayed .,:; for several minutes. Tho birds wcro. Ji'j so much interested that I went to with- y ' in a few yards of them before they - left. In the hollow was the foundation IH of a nest. A bird called tho pino siskin, which ' . I caught oi.io day, and which roamed V about thu house, found an old vireo's I nest and at once took possession, pulling ' W and picking curiously at the loose fibres jj1, as if to arrange them to a siskin's taste. I havo also seen a pair of waxwings ' gather nesting material when it seemed. j too Into in tho season even for them. , . k Perhaps further study of tho birds in ' ,f. tho fino autumn woathor will show that !m thoy are often led to robuild useless ji nests. It would bo interesting to know I! how far they may sometimes, carry those untimely efforts. St. Nicholas. j jH