All on a misty afternoon
When Winter mimicked Spring,
I heard a silly little bird
A-practising to sing.
He tilted on a naked thorn
And teased his trembling throat;
Now piping high, now fluting low,
To try each liquid note.
I staid awhile and heard with glee
His sweet untimely tune.
"The Spring's not here, you foolish dear!
You're far — oh, far too soon!
'Tis only February now,
My stars, you'd think 'twas June!"
He scanned me with a beady eye;
I thought he fain would say:
"This is a tiny piece of Spring
That chanced to go astray.
A herald that the joyous days
Are sweetly drawing near;
'Tis time to sing the old songs o'er
To wake the woodland's ear."
A pleasant thot — that poet — bird,
That tiny, minstrel thing
Adrift upon the wintry wind,
And practising for Spring.
—Garesche
Southeastern United States. Breeds in Carolinian and Lower Austral zone from central Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania (sparingly) and New Jersey, south to southeastern Louisiana, Gulf coast and northern Florida.
Western part of lower Mississippi valley. Breeds in Lower Austral zone from northern Oklahoma to Refugio and Kendall counties, Texas; east to northwestern Louisiana.
NESTS and eggs of Carolina Chickadee, and above subspecies, similar to Chickadee.
East central Florida. Students should be sure to ask names of birds noted in this vicinity as Carolina is likely to drop in any time. Being called by the wrong name annoys Chickadees.
A 50–70-foot tree, distributed from Canada to Texas, thru central and western United States.