Painted

1910

Published

1929

Volume

12

Plate

766

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Bluebird

Sialia sialis sialis

DESCRIPTION

I stood beside my father, watching the first December snowflakes falling. Juncos were feeding on crumbs I had scattered and a BLUEBIRD appeared. He lit on a barrel edge then dropped within.

"Cover the barrel with your coat and maybe you can catch him."

The window was a story above ground. Bird and barrel were out of sight while I was descending the stairs. Carefully opening the lower door I rushed out and threw the coat over, then peeked in. I looked up at the window — father was laughing. I looked up into the pear tree — the Bluebird was expressing amusement in gentle notes of derision. My failure was fortunate for the bird. Had I caught him, sparrows would have been his cage fellows in an aviary about two feet square. Fate could hand no ruffer deal than that to any song bird!

Inscrutable Providence may "watch the sparrows' fall" but takes a special interest in the decimation of these singularly lovable birds and the manner of this destruction is very simple: in the warm south the Bluebirds are well fed and happy. This wont do, says "Inscrutable"; altogether too contented. I'll just whisper in their ears that Spring has come in the hills of home and when I get 'em there —

So the wanderlust message is given to their little minds but storm warnings withheld — a lovely trick, quite in keeping with the god of fact. They start and in their travels pause at many a home to flute that inexpressibly sweet haunting song we all remember, until presently five of the wanderers reach this valley in the Taconic Hills. They were very friendly when on the sumac almost within hand touch, where I sat and smoked in the comfortable March sun.

"Wish you fellows would hire these apartments I've erected for your special convenience."

They looked the bark mansions over. A pair would take turns inspecting the premises, then adjourn to the grape arbor slats to talk things over in a very intimate conversational way.

"But, my dear, the location is very convenient. We can do our shopping at the door — no carfares and the rent is not excessive."

"One thousand bugs a month not excessive! What are you thinking of? We could get apartments in Tudor City for that!"

"But think of the noise —"

"Here," I butted in. "Take it for 500 bugs!"

I think they had decided to do so. They staid anyway. I picked their starved bodies from my porch three days later, after two days of snow and sleet.

Our reaction to such tragedy is a reflex of the kind of mind we have. Those who believe all happenings are for the best, bow the head but I do not belong to that school. A Power which takes special delight in inflicting suffering and death on the most beautiful and harmless of its children, gets neither bowed head nor bent knee. The deal is particularly atrocious because if this ruling Force is omnipotent It could so easily have ordered things otherwise. Herbivorous life goes on without destroying sentient things. Reproduction limited and food insensate. Simple as that.

BREEDING

NEST in natural cavities of trees and woodpeckers' old holes. More often in bird boxes wherever offered. Decayed hollows in old fence rails are a favorite location. Built of weed stalks, dead leaves and bark strips lined with fine grasses.

EGGS, 4 to 7, plain pale bluish green.

RANGE

Eastern North America. Breeds in Canadian and Lower Austral zones from about latitude 53 south to southern Texas, Gulf coast and southern Florida; casually west to base of Rocky mountains in Montana, Wyoming and Colorado. Winters mainly south of Ohio valley and Middle States.

bluebird
cactus-wren-bryant-cactus-wren-san-lucas-cactus-wren
Cactus Wren, Bryant Cactus Wren, San Lucas Cactus Wren
713-713a-713b
rock-wren-san-nicolas-rock-wren-guadalupe-rock-wren
Rock Wren, San Nicolas Rock Wren, Guadalupe Rock Wren
715-715a-715b
white-throated-wren-canyon-wren-dotted-canyon-wren
White-Throated Wren, Canyon Wren, Dotted Canyon Wren
717-717a-717b
carolina-wren-florida-wren-lomita-wren
Carolina Wren, Florida Wren, Lomita Wren
718-718a-718b
bewick-wren-vigor-wren-baird-wren
Bewick Wren, Vigor Wren, Baird Wren
719-719a-719b
san-clemente-wren-guadalupe-wren
San Clemente Wren, Guadalupe Wren
719.1-720
texas-wren-san-diego-wren-seattle-wren
Texas Wren, San Diego Wren, Seattle Wren
719c-719d-719e
house-wren-western-house-wren
House Wren, Western House Wren
721-721a
winter-wren-western-winter-wren-kadiak-winter-wren
Winter Wren, Western Winter Wren, Kadiak Winter Wren
722-722a-722b
alaska-wren-aleutain-wren
Alaska Wren, Aleutian Wren
723-723.1
short-billed-marsh-wren
Short-Billed Marsh Wren
724
long-billed-marsh-wren-tule-wren
Long-Billed Marsh Wren, Tule Wren
725-725a
worthington-marsh-wren-western-marsh-wren-prairie-marsh-wren-marian-marsh-wren
Worthington Marsh Wren, Western Marsh Wren, Prairie Marsh Wren, Marian Marsh Wren
725b-725c-725d-725e
brown-creeper-mexican-creeper
Brown Creeper, Mexican Creeper
726-726a
rocky-mountain-creeper-california-creepeer-sierra-creeper
Rocky Mountain Creeper, California Creeper, Sierra Creeper
726b-726c-726d
white-breasted-nuthatch-slender-billed-nuthatch-florida-white-breasted-nuthatch
White-Breasted Nuthatch, Slender-Billed Nuthatch, Florida White-Breasted Nuthatch
727-727a-727b
rocky-mountain-nuthatch-san-lucas-nuthatch
Rocky Mountain Nuthatch, San Lucas Nuthatch
727c-727d
red-breasted-nuthatch
Red-Breasted Nuthatch
728
brown-headed-nuthatch
Brown-Headed Nuthatch
729
pygmy-nuthatch-white-naped-nuthatch
Pygmy Nuthatch, White-Naped Nuthatch
730-730a
tufted-titmouse
Tufted Titmouse
731
black-crested-titmouse-sennett-titmouse
Black-Crested Titmouse, Sennett Titmouse
732-732a
plain-titmouse-gray-titmouse-ashy-titmouse
Plain Titmouse, Gray Titmouse, Ashy Titmouse
733-733a-733b
bridled-titmouse
Bridled Titmouse
734
chickadee-long-tailed-chickadee
Chickadee, Long-Tailed Chickadee
735-735a
oregon-chickadee-yukon-chickadee
Oregon Chickadee, Yukon Chickadee
735b-735c
carolina-chickadee-plumbeous-chickadee-florida-chickadee
Carolina Chickadee, Plumbeous Chickadee, Florida Chickadee
736-736a-736b
mexican-chickadee
Mexican Chickadee
737
mountain-chickadee-bailey-mountain-chickadee
Mountain Chickadee, Bailey Mountain Chickadee
738-738a
alaska-chickadee
Alaska Chickadee
739
hudsonian-chickadee-acadian-chickadee
Hudsonian Chickadee, Acadian Chickadee
740-740a
chestnut-backed-chickadee-california-chickadee-barlow-chickadee
Chestnut-Backed Chickadee, California Chickadee, Barlow Chickadee
741-741a-741b
bushtit-california-bushtit-grinda-bushtit
Bushtit, California Bushtit, Grinda Bushtit
743-743a-743b
lead-colored-bushtit-lloyds-bushtit
Lead Colored Bushtit, Lloyd Bushtit
744–745
verdin-cape-verdin
Verdin, Cape Verdin
746-746a
wrentit-pallid-wrentit
Wrentit, Pallid Wrentit
747-747a
coast-wrentit-ruddy-wrentit
Coast Wrentit, Ruddy Wrentit
747b-747c
golden-crowned-kinglet
Golden-Crowned Kinglet
748
western-goden-crowned-kinglet
Western Golden-Crowned Kinglet
748a
ruby-crowned-kinglet
Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
749
sitka-kinglet
Sitka Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
749a
dusky-kinglet
Dusky Ruby-Crowned Kinglet
749b
blue-gray-gnatcatcher-western-gnatcatcher
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Western Gnatcatcher
751-751a
plumbeous-gnatcatcher-black-tailed-gnatcatcher
Plumbeous Gnatcatcher, Black-Tailed Gnatcatcher
752-753
townsends-solitaire
Townsend’s Solitaire
754
wood-thrush
Wood Thrush
755
veery
Veery
756
willow-thrush
Willow Thrush
756a
gray-cheeked-thrush-bicknells-thrush
Gray-Cheeked Thrush, Bicknell’s Thrush
757-757a
russet-backed-thrush
Russet-Backed Thrush
758
olive-backed-thrush
Olive-Backed Thrush
758a
alaska-hermit-thrush
Alaska Hermit Thrush
759
audubons-hermit-thrush
Audubon’s Hermit Thrush
759a
hermit-thrush
Hermit Thrush
759b
dwarf-hermit-thrush-monterey-hermit-thrush-sierra-hermit-thrush
Dwarf Hermit Thrush, Monterey Hermit Thrush, Sierra Hermit Thrush
759c-759d-759e
robin
Robin
761
western-robin-southern-robin
Western Robin, Southern Robin
761a-761b
san-lucas-robin
San Lucas Robin
762
varied-thrush
Varied Thrush
763
northern-varied-thrush
Northern Varied Thrush
763a
wheatear-greenland-wheatear
Wheatear, Greenland Wheatear
765-765a
bluebird
Bluebird
766
azure-bluebird
Azure Bluebird
766a
western-bluebird
Western Bluebird
767
chestnut-backed-bluebird
Chestnut-Backed Bluebird
767a
san-pedro-bluebird
San Pedro Bluebird
767b
mountain-bluebird
Mountain Bluebird
768

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