USA > New Hampshire > Merrimack County > Northfield > History of Northfield, New Hampshire 1780-1905: In Two Parts with Many Biographical Sketches and. > Part 25
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The GOSHAWK (Accipiter atricapillus), a winter visitor as a, rule, though a possible breeder, is the largest and handsomest of the lot. The colors of both young and adults are decidedly lighter than those of the two following species. Its folded wing is more than a foot in length. Nest in trees. The COOPER HAWK (Accipiter cooperi) is a summer resident. Its folded wing is from 9 to 11 inches long, and its tail is rounded at the end. The SHARP-SHINNED HAWK (Accipiter velox) bears a close resem- blance to the last in color, but it is smaller, measuring from bend to tip of wing only 7 to. 81/2 inches. It is further distinguished
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HISTORY OF NORTHFIELD.
by having a square tail. It is a common migrant and an ocea- sional breeder. It is often called the pigeon hawk, but this term properly belongs to a member of the next group.
The hawks having a tooth on each cutting edge
UPPER MAN- of the upper mandible near the tip are the fal- cons. This tooth, of course, can only be made
DIBLE WITH AN ANGU-
L'AR TOOTH. out when the bird is in hand, but then it is evi- dent at once. They differ, further, from other hawks of their size in having long and acutely peinted wings. There are but three in this group and of these only one is com- mon. The SPARROW HAWK (Falco sparverius), our smallest hawk, is characterized by a prevailing color of cinnamon-brown above, and by two heavy stripes of black on each side of the face, both vertical, one in front of the eye and the other above the ear. It is a common migrant and an occasional breeder. It feeds mainly on insects. Its folded wing measures about 7 inches .. Nests in holes in trees. The PIGEON HAWK (Falco columbarius) is similar in size and coloring to a young sharp-shinned hawk, being ashy or sooty brown above and heavily streaked beneath, but its toothed bill distinguishes it at once in a close examination, and even at a distance its pointed wings and rapid flight serve to identify it to the practiced eye. It is a rare late spring and early fall migrant. Folded wing 7 to 8 inches. The DUCK HAWK (Falco peregrinus anatum) is a scarce summer resident in the mountainous portions of New Hampshire, and hence prob- ably occurs here as an occasional migrant. Adults are dark ashy gray above, whitish on the forehead and under parts, the lat- ter being barred with blackish, and conspicuously marked with black check areas. Young birds are sooty brown above and streaked beneath, In all stages the toothed bill and dimensions make the determination of a bird in the hand certain. Length of folded wing 13 to 14 inches.
THE OWL FAMILY. (Bubonidae.)
The owls differ from hawks in having their eyes directed for- ward, in their soft fluffy plumage, and in having their toes and legs feathered to the claws. We will review them in two groups: one having a tuft of feathers popularly called horns-on each side of the crown of the head; the other without them.
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BIRDS OF NORTHFIELD.
Of the horned owls, the GREAT HORNED OWL With boros. (Bubo virginianus) is the largest. Its length is about two feet and extent of wing four feet. Its eggs are often laid in old crows' nests, usually in March. This is the only owl ordinarily injurious. All the rest are worthy of protection, as the number of mice they annually destroy is simply enormous. The LONG-EARED OWL (Asio wilsonianus) is rare. Its horns are about an inch high when erect. The feathers of its belly are both streaked down the middle and barred across with dusky. Its length is 15 inches and extent of wings 3 feet. Nest in trees, pines or hemlocks preferred. The SHORT-EARED OWL (Asio accipitrinus) is a migrant, even rarer than the last, to which it is similar in size. Its horns are so short as to be easily over- looked, but they are evident when looked for. It is to be dis- tinguished from its long-eared relative by the difference in horns and by the absence of bars on its flanks and belly, the feathers being simply streaked. It is a marsh owl and usually spends the day in the meadows on the ground. The SCREECH OWL (Megascops asio) is the smallest of the horned group. It is one of the commoner species. For some unknown reason, some screech owls are reddish brown, while others are gray. In either case there is a mottling of black all over and an oblique bar of white on the shoulders. The presence of horns and the size of the bird, however, regardless of color, are sufficient for its iden- tification. Length, 10 inches or somewhat less; extent, about 20 inches. Nest in hollow tree. The ear tufts or horns of owls be- longing to this group may lie so flat on the head as to pass un- noticed unless the feathers are ruffed up, when they become ap- parent. This ruffing process, then, is essential when one has an owl in hand and wishes to ascertain its name.
Without horns.
The owls of this group, excepting possibly the snowy owl, show no horns by any sort of hand- ling. The SNOWY OWL (Nyctea nyctea), as its name implies, is white and not to be mistaken for any other spe- cies. It is a rare visitor in cold weather from the north. The only specimen known to have actually been taken in town was killed on Bean Hill in November, 1893, by Frank Robertson. This species prefers cleared land to the woods, resembling the short-eared owl in this respect. The snowy plumage of this owl is usually more or less spotted with dark brown. In size it equals
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HISTORY OF NORTHFIELD.
the great horned owl. Probably the commonest owl we have is the BARRED OWL (Syrnium varium), which is a resident, but more often seen in cold weather when there are visitors from farther north. It is ashy brown, barred with white above, and ashy gray, barred with white beneath. Length, about 18 inches; extent of wings, about 40 inches. Nest usually in hollow trees. The RICHARDSON OWL (Nyctala tengmalmi richardsoni) is a rare winter visitant. It is ash-brown, sparsely dotted with white, and has a yellow bill, which distinguishes it from the next, the only other small hornless owl in this region. Length, about 10 inches; extent, 21 to 23 inches. The SAW-WHET OWL (Nyctala acadica), a not uncommon species, is a tiny little fellow with a chocolate brown back, spotted with white, and under parts white, streaked with brown. Its bill is black. Length, not over 10 inches and extent about 17 inches. Nest in hollow trees. The HAWK OWL (Surnia ulula caparoch) is an uncommon winter visitor as a rule, though some years since a specimen was killed in Sanbornton in the breeding season. It is accustomed to hunt by daylight, and its contour is more slender than that of the other owls. It is dark brown, speckled with small spots of white above; and closely barred with brown and white beneath. This is our only owl having its outer tail feathers an inch and a half shorter than those in the middle. Length, about 16 inches; extent, about 32 inches.
THE KINGFISHER AND CUCKOOS. (Order, Coccyges.)
The members of this order belong mainly in the tropics. The species found here have well developed wings but weak legs. Though they fly well, most of their time is spent quietly perching in some favorite retreat. They never hunt for food on the ground, and never run about the trunks or branches of trees.
THE KINGFISHIER FAMILY. (Alcedinidae.)
The BELTED KINGFISHER (Ceryle alcyon), our sole representa- tive of the kingfisher family, feeds on fish which it catches in its bill by diving either from a perch over the water or from a momentary hovering flight above its quarry. Its feet are totally unfit for swimming, so it must rely upon its wings for progres- sion in water quite as much as it does in air. It is ashy blue above, and white beneath, with a bluish band across the chest.
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BIRDS OF NORTHFIELD.
The female has also a band of chestnut across the belly. The bill, which is strong and tapering like a heron's, is about two inches long. The head is adorned with a large crest. Length about one foot. Nest in a hole in a sand bank.
THE CUCKOO FAMILY. (Cuculidae.)
The cuckoos are named after their well-known cry. They and the woodpeckers are our only birds having two toes directed backward and two forward. The cuckoos aro brown above, white below, and have tails as long as their bodies. They frequent thickets and orchards, where they are especially useful as de- stroyers of hairy caterpillars. The BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO (Coccyzus erythrophthalmus) is the common species. Its bill is black and the under side of its tail is gray, with white tips. Its length is nearly a foot and its extent about 16 inches. Nest in small trees, usually pines. The YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO (Coccyzus americanus) . is a rather rare and probably irregular summer resident. The writer can vouch for but a single pair which he found in the Belmont meadows in June, 1897. It is like the last in size and general appearance, but all except the tip of its lower mandible is yellow and the three outer tail feathers are black beneath with white tips. Nest in trees.
THE WOODPECKERS. (Order, Pici.)
Woodpeckers have only two toes directed forward. They have stiff tails to serve as supports in climbing trees; and all but one of our species have long cylindrical tongues. They all drill holes in trees for their nests.
There are two species that are in a group by Three toes. themselves because they have only three toes on each foot, two in front and one behind. Both of these species have been taken in this vicinity, though, perhaps, not in this town. They are rare winter .visitors from farther north. The ARCTIC THREE-TOED WOODPECKER (Picoides arcticus) has its back entirely black. Its under parts are white, and its sides are black, barred with white. The crown of the male is yellow, that of the female being black like its back. Length 8 to 9 inches. The AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER (Picoides americanus) is like the last in size and color, except that down the middle of its back is a white area cross-barred with black lines.
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HISTORY OF NORTHFIELD.
All the other woodpeckers have two toes on Four toes. each foot directed backward. The largest is the PILEATED WOODPECKER (Ceophlosus pileatus al- bisticola), nearly the size of a crow, with a high red crest on its head and the inner half of its wings white. This is a resident species, but it has become so scarce than not more than one or two are to be seen in a year. Its length is more than 15 inches. The HAIRY WOODPECKER (Dryobates villosus) is a fairly common resi- dent. Its body is entirely white beneath and there is a white area down the back and many white spots on the wings, otherwise the upper parts are black. The male has a red bar across the back of its head. Its length is about 9 inches. The DOWNY WOODPECKER (Dryobates pubescens medianus) is a common resi- dent. In color it is practically like the last species, but it is de- cidedly smaller, being only 7 inches or less in length. The YEL- LOW-BELLIED WOODPECKER (Sphyrapicus varius) is a fairly com- mon migrant and an occasional summer resident. It is slightly smaller than the hairy woodpecker and is distinguished from all of our woodpeckers by a lemon-yellow suffusion on its belly. The adult male has a red throat, and both sexes have a red crown and a large black spot on the breast. This is our only wood- pecker that is not an unmixed benefit to the farmer. The RED- HEADED WOODPECKER (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) is a strag- gling visitor from the South or West. In size it resembles the hairy woodpecker. The inner half of its wings, the under side of its body and its rump are white. Its back is bluish black, and the head and neck of adults are crimson. The head and neck of young birds are a dull brownish gray, but they may be readily recognized by the white that covers the inner half of the wing as in the adult. The FLICKER, YELLOW HAMMER, WOOD-WALL, or whatever name it may happen to bear in the household (Co- laptes auratus luteus) is a curious example of a bird that has adopted a mode of living unlike the rest of its tribe. It gets its living from the ground, and rarely pecks trees except for a nest. A large white spot on its rump, a black crescent on its breast, quills that show golden yellow beneath, and a band of red on its nape are its prominent color characteristics. Males have a black stripe on each side the lower jaw. Brown is the prevailing color of this species. It is a common summer resident. Its length is about one foot.
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BIRDS OF NORTHFIELD.
. THE GOATSUCKER-SWIFT-HUMMINGBIRD GROUP. (Order, Macrochires.)
The members of this group are classed together on the strength of long, narrow wings and small, weak feet, so far as external characters are concerned.
THE GOATSUCKERS. (Caprimulgidae.)
These creatures of twilight and darkness have short, weak bills but enormous mouths suitable for catching flying insects. Their plumage is soft but otherwise they bear little resemblance to the owls which are the only other nocturnal family of birds that we have. The NIGHT-HAWK (Chordeiles virginianus) prefers cleared pasture land and sometimes ventures abroad by daylight. It is always to be recognized by the white spot near the middle of the outer half of each wing, which is readily seen as the bird flies. The male has a row of white spots across its tail near the end. Its length is about 9 inches and its extent 22 inches. It builds no nest, but lays its eggs upon the ground or a bare rock. The WHIPPOORWILL ( Antrostomus vociferus) resembles the night- hawk in size and general appearance, but it differs in being a bird of the woods, in having no white spot on its wings, in hav- ing a row of long, stiff bristles projecting out over the mouth, and in having its outer tail feathers broadly tipped with white. Its eggs are laid on the ground, without a nest, in the woods.
THE SWIFTS. (Micropodidae.)
The CHIMNEY SWIFT (Chaetura pelagica) is usually called the chimney swallow, but it is not a swallow at all. It never alights on a perch, being only able to hang to a wall. The tips of its long wings, when folded, reach far beyond the end of its tail, and each tail feather has a sharp spine at the end. In none of these features does the swift resemble the swallow. Further, it flies unlike a swallow and some of its internal structure is unlike that of a swallow,-in short, swifts and swallows are not even related. This species is nearly uniform sooty-black all over, though the under parts are paler than the upper. Its length is about 5 inches and extent about one foot. Its nest is glued by its saliva to the inside of a chimney.
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HISTORY OF NORTHFIELD.
HUMMINGBIRDS. (Trochilidae.)
Hummingbirds belong exclusively to the New World. There are about four hundred species, of which we have but one, the RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD (Trochilus colubris), the smallest and swiftest of our birds and the only one that can fly back- wards. The female has its tail white-tipped and lacks the ruby throat which is the male's chief ornament.
THE PERCHING BIRDS. (Order, Passeres.)
To this order belong most of our common small birds. They all have three toes in front and one behind, which are on the same level and fully functional as clasping organs.
THE FLYCATCHERS. (Tyrannidae.) ..
The flycatchers are a group of nervous, irritable small birds, accustomed to perch on fences, mullein stocks, dead branches of trees and other exposed objects, where they can watch for flying insects, which they pursue, capture and bring back to their sta- tion to batter and devour. They are all characterized by wide and rather shallow bills of medium length. The upper mandible is flanked on each side by a row of stiff bristles and slightly hooked at the tip. The better known members of the family characterize the whole lot. They rarely alight on the ground and never seek food by creeping or hopping about branches of trees. The KINGBIRD (Tyrannus tyrannus) was named in recog- nition of its fighting qualities, which are undaunted by anything in feathers from the eagle down. It nests in the scraggiest apple tree on the farm and it is the farmer's best ally against hawks and crows. Its upper parts are blackish gray, while its under parts and the tip of its tail are white. Its length is about 8 inches and extent about 141%. The GREAT-CRESTED FLY- CATCHER (Myiarchus crinitus) is a scarce summer resident of the taller hard-wood and mixed timber, where it nests in hollow trees. Its color characters are olive-brown above, ashy gray on throat and breast, pale yellow on the belly and chestnut-red on the inner webs of its tail feathers. Its length is nearly 9 inches and extent about 13. The PEWEE or PHOEBE (Sayornis phoebe) is the most familiar of the flycatchers, nesting in sheds, deserted houses or barn cellars, flirting its tail on the barn-yard fence
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BIRDS OF NORTHFIELD.
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and making cheery sounds all about the buildings. It usually rears two breeds of young each summer, to which it feeds thou- sands of harmful beetles. Its upper parts are pale clove-brown, darker on the head. The under parts are whitish in summer but tinged with yellow in the fall. Its entire bill is blackish. Its length is about 7 inches and extent about 111/2. The WOOD PEWEE (Contopus virens), also named from its song, which is pe-e-wee long drawled, is a fairly common summer resident, usually in the woods but occasionaly in orchards. It is smaller than the phoebe and darker above. It has two whitish bars on each wing, and its lower mandible is pale yellow. Its length is about 6 inches. Its nest is usually placed upon a horizontal branch and covered with lichens. The OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER (Nuttallornis borealis) is a scarce summer resident, affecting dead-topped trees, generally in swamps or near water. It is dark olive above, similar to the last, white on the throat, belly and flanks, and heavily shaded with olive on the sides. Its bill is black except the base of its lower mandible, which is pale. Length, 7 to 8 inches. Nest in high trees. The ALDER FLY- CATCHER (Empidonax traillii alnorum) is confined to the prox- imity of water. It summers sparingly along the river and pos- sibly elsewhere. It is olive-brown above, rather lighter than the wood pewee, and whitish below, with a shade of olive-gray across the breast. Its under mandible is pale. Its length is nearly 6 inches and extent about 9 inches. The YELLOW-BELLIED FLY- CATCHER (Empidonax flaviventris) is a scarce migrant. Its upper parts are olive-green, while its lower mandible, eye-rings, wing-bars and under parts are greenish yellow. Its size is like the last or slightly less. The LEAST FLYCATCHER (Empidonas minimus) is a fidgety denison of orchards, crying che-bec, che- bec with upward jerks of the head that threaten dislocation. It is the smallest of our flycatchers, as its name implies. It is olive- gray above, with eye-rings, wing-bars and under parts white. Length about 5 inches and extent about 8 inches. Nest usually in an upright crotch.
THE HORNED LARES. (Alaudidae.)
The horned larks are essentially ground birds, though their wings are large and they are capable of long sustained flight.
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HISTORY OF NORTHFIELD.
But one species is to be found here, the HORNED or SHORE LARK (Otocoris alpestris). It is a scarce visitor from the North, likely to appear any time between October and April. It feeds on the ground, chiefly on seeds of weeds, thus resembling a sparrow. Its conspicuous features are a large black spot on the breast, another running from the bill under the eye to the cheek, a yellow chin, and a hind claw nearly straight and as long as the toe that bears it. Its upper parts are pinkish brown, streaked with dusky. Its length is about 7 inches and extent about 13.
JAYS AND CROWS. (Corvidae.)
The BLUE JAY (Cyanocitta cristata), a resident throughout the year, is well known. Its high cap and blue coat, trimmed with white, combine to make the bird as striking to the eye as its voice is to the ear. Its length is about 12 inches and extent about 17. Its nest is usually placed in a thicket of small pines or hem- lochs. The CANADA JAY (Perisoreus Canadensis) has been re- ported from other parts of this county and is likely to appear here at intervals in cold weather. Its normal range is from the White Mountains northward. In size and proportions it is similar to the blue jay, from which, however, it differs decidedly in ap- pearance. It has no cap and is not blue, but smoky gray on the back, grayish white on the forehead and under parts, and very fluffy of feather, for withstanding any degree of cold. The CROW (Corvus brachyrhynchos) is a permanent resident, though few are to be found in winter. The RAVEN (Corvus corax prin- cipalis) is an extremely rare cold weather visitor anywhere in this state. One was killed several years ago in Canterbury. Ravens are black like crows, but much larger, measuring about 2 feet in length and 4 feet in extent.
THE TROUPIAL FAMILY. (Icteridae.)
This family, which includes the bobolink, blackbirds, meadow larks and orioles, is intermediate in some respects between the crows and sparrows.
The BOBOLINK (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) is a common summer resident of fields. The male in his livery of black and white is sometimes called the skunk blackbird. The female is yellowish brown, streaked with black on the back and flanks. During the
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summer moult in August the male assumes the dress of the fe- male. They winter in South America, where they moult again. This time the males resume their summer dress, in which they come to us about the middle of May. Males are about 71/2 inches long. Females are somewhat smaller. The nest is placed on the ground. The COWBIRD (Molothrus ater) is seen near the village more often than elsewhere in this town. It is a common species there during the summer. The female is notorious for laying her eggs in the nests of other birds, to be hatched and brought up by foster parents. The male has a shiny black body and a brown head. Its length is nearly 8 inches. The female is slightly smaller and of a grayish brown color throughout. The BRONZED GRACKLE (Quiscala quiscula aeneus) is the largest of our black- birds. The head of the male varies from deep green to purple, and the color of its body is shining bronze. Its length is about one foot. The female is duller in color and somewhat smaller. Both sexes have long tails and yellow eyes. This species breeds regularly in certain pine trees in the village. The PURPLE GRACKLE (Quiscala quiscula) is a geographical race of the last species that lives from southern Massachusetts to Georgia, east of the Alleghany Mountains. The only specimens known to have been seen in New Hampshire were taken by the writer in Northfield, September 13, 1902. This form differs from the bronzed grackle mainly in having the irridescent purple or green of the neck extending down over the shoulders either as solid color or as bars on a bronze ground. The RUSTY GRACKLE (Euphagus carolinus), named from the rusty aspect of its fall plumage, appears here in April and October. Spring birds are entirely black, but in fall the black is much obscured by rusty brown. This species also has light yellow eyes. 'The males are about 9 inches long, and the females slightly less. The RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD (Agelaius phoeniceus) is an abundant summer resident of cat-tail marshes. The males are notable for their scarlet shoulder patches that are strikingly set off by their otherwise uniformly black dress. The females are dusky streaked with white above, and white heavily streaked with dusky be- neath. In the hand they show traces of red on the bend of the wing. Males are 8 to 9 inches long and females about an inch shorter. The nest is built in a low bush or bunch of cat-tails,
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HISTORY OF NORTHFIELD.
usually in the middle of a pool. The BALTIMORE ORIOLE or GOLDEN ROBIN (Icterus galbula) makes its summer home in the elms of village and farmyard. Its brilliant color and curious hanging nest have brought it into general notice. The male has its head, neck and back black; rump, under parts and much of its tail, orange; wings, black, with two narrow bars of white. Its length is nearly 8 inches. The female is duller colored and smaller. The MEADOW LARK (Sturnella magna) is a summer resident of moist fields, but very irregular in its distribution. Its underparts are yellow, with a black V on the breast. The feathers of the back are black with brown tips and buff edges. It feeds on the ground, but often delivers its plaintive song from a fence or tree top. Length of male, about 101/2 inches. The female is about an inch shorter. Nest on the ground.
THE SPARROW FAMILY. (Frindillidae.)
The sparrow family is made up of small birds, having thick conical bills with which they crush the seeds that form the major portion of their food, to the end that they may swallow the kernel and reject the hull. The greater number feed from the ground and spend most of their lives there. These have larger feet and longer legs than those that live mainly in trees and never run in the grass or scratch among fallen leaves.
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