USA > New Hampshire > Merrimack County > Northfield > History of Northfield, New Hampshire 1780-1905: In Two Parts with Many Biographical Sketches and. > Part 27
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THE TANAGERS. (Tanagridae.)
The only member of this family having a place here is the SCARLET TANAGER (Piranga erythromelas), which is to be found scatteringly as a summer resident of the woods; usually where there are oak trees. The male in spring and summer has a scarlet body and black wings and tail. During its summer moult in August the scarlet is replaced by olive-green, in which livery the bird departs for its winter home. The female is always olive-green, with dusky wings and tail. Length, 7 to 71/2 inches. Nest in trees.
THE SWALLOWS. (Hirundinidae.)
This family is so well known that no general description is necessary. The PURPLE MARTIN (Progne subis) is our largest species. Adult males are glossy bluish-black all over. Imma- ture males and females are duller steel-blue above, and more or less white below, streaked with dark gray. Length 7 inches or more; extent about 16. Nest in bird houses in colonies. The CLIFF or EAVES SWALLOW (Petrochelidon lunifrons) is easily distinguished from all other swallows by a large buff spot on its rump. Length 5 to 51/2 inches and extent about one foot. Nest of mud, bowl-shaped, with a hole in the side, plastered up be- neath the eaves of a barn or along the cross timbers of a shed, almost invariably in colonies, closely set, many in a row. The BARN SWALLOW (Chelidon erythrogastra) is characterized by a deeply-forked tail and a row of white spots across the tail near the end. The outer tail feathers are more than twice the length of those in the middle. Its back is steel-blue, under parts chest- nut, with a partial necklace of steel-blue across the breast. Length 6 to 7 inches. Extent about 13 inches. Nest on roof timbers of barn or shed; not in colonies. The WHITE-BELLIED or TREE SWALLOW (Iridoprocne bicolor) is lustrous steel-green above and pure white below. Length, about 6 inches; extent, 13. Nest in bird houses, a hollow tree or a hole in a building. Not
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gregarious. The BANK SWALLOW (Riparia riparia) is grayish brown above and white below, with a brown necklace across the chest. It is common only in the vicinity of sand banks suitable for drilling. It is highly gregarious. Length, 5 inches; extent, 101/2. Nest in a hole, drilled by the bird itself, in a sand bank.
THE WAXWINGS. (Ampelidae.)
The CHERRY BIRD or CEDAR WAXWING (Ampelis Cedrorum) is an ardent patron of cherry trees of all kinds when they are in fruit. Its salient points are a crested head, a strip of black from the bill backward around the eye, and a line of yellow across the tip of the tail. General coloration a rich purplish cinna- mon. Usually seen in flocks. Length 6 to 7 inches. Nest in trees, often in an apple tree.
THE SHRIKES. (Laniidae.)
The shrikes or butcher birds have bluish-gray backs, white underparts, black wings, with a large white spot and white edgings, a black tail with white tips of the feathers increasing outwardly, the outer one being mainly white, a black stripe on each side of the head, and the length of the tail about equal to the rest of the bird. The bill is hooked at the tip. The NORTH- ERN SHRIKE (Lanius borealis) comes in November and goes northward again in April. It is a solitary species usually seen on a fence or bare tree in fields or cleared pastures. Its breast is crossed by numerous fine wavy lines. It is not common. Length about 10 inches. The MIGRANT SHRIKE (Lanius ludo- vicianus migrans) is a scarce summer resident. It is not found here during the residence of the last species, from which it differs in being smaller, clearer white beneath and in having more black on the forehead. Length 8 to 9 inches. Nest in the scraggiest apple tree or thorn tree available. It has been found breeding here by G. IIenry Davis of Tilton.
THE VIREO FAMILY. (Vireonidae.)
The vireos are the builders of the dainty cup-shaped nests of birch bark that we see, after the leaves are fallen, attached to forked twigs by the roadside. These nests are attached at the rim and hang down between the supporting twigs. Vireos live among the foliage of trees and are sweet, voluble and persistent
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:
singers. They are clad in sober grays above and white or yellow beneath, and present none of the striking color contrasts so noticeable on many of the warblers. Their bills are slightly hooked at the tip. They sing as they hunt, between mouthfuls as it were, the day through, instead of devoting their entire energy and attention to song for an hour or so morning and evening. The RED-EYED VIREO (Vireo olivaceus) is a common species everywhere in hard-wood trees, both in the woods and ·orchards and shade trees throughout the summer. Its crown is ashy gray, other upper parts plain olive, under parts white, and sides tinged with yellow. A white line, bordered above by a narrow black line, runs from the nostril back over. each eye. Its iris is reddish brown, whence its name. Its wings are without bars. Length about 6 inches. The WARBLING VIREO (Vireo gil- vus) is less common than the last in most places, yet in the vil- lage shade trees it is the prevailing vireo. It resembles the red-eye, being plain olive above, including crown, and white be- neath. There is an inconspicuous white line over the eye but no black. The wings are without bars. Length about 5 inches. The BLUE-HEADED VIREO (Vireo solitarius) is a rather scarce summer resident, though common in migration. It comes by the last of April, and its intermittent singing among the leafless boughs is then very noticeable. The top and sides of the head are ashy-blue, in sharp contrast with a white line from the bill to and around the eye, and the white throat. The back is green- ish olive, the sides are pale yellow, and the under parts are white. There are two white bars on each wing. Length about 51/2 inches. The YELLOW-THROATED VIREO (Vireo flavifrons) is a scarce migrant. Its head and shoulders are yellowish olive, gradually turning to gray on the back and rump, the throat and breast are clear yellow and the belly is white. There are two bars of white on each wing. Length about 6 inches.
THE WARBLERS. (Minotiltidae.)
The warblers are a group of small arboreal birds, which are very active in searching among foliage of trees and shrubbery for insect prey, indifferent as vocalists, but, as a rule, with con- trasty color effects that are agreeable to the eye. They average smaller than the vireos and are more brightly colored. They are a large and rather confusing family of summer residents and
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HISTORY OF NORTHFIELD.
migrants. The males are more highly colored than the females, and are consequently more easily identified. It is often the case that females and young fall specimens are difficult to identify without adult males to compare them with. The grouping of this family as it appears below is based on the color of adult males in spring, which is the best season to study them. The first three are odd ones, not readily lending themselves to group- ing on a color basis. The PARULA WARBLER (Compsothlypis americana usnea) is a rather scarce summer resident usually . found in mixed timber containing more or less hemlocks. The male has its upper parts blue with a yellow area between its shoulders, and two white bars on each wing. Its throat is yel- low, bordered below by a collar of dusky and chestnut-brown; breast yellow; belly white. The female has a trace of the collar and is less sharply marked generally. Length, about 41/2 inches. Nest made of loops of long stringy moss (usnea) in trees.
The MYRTLE or YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (Dendroica coro- nata) is to be recognized at all seasons by an arrangement of yel- low spots not found on any other bird of this region. One of these spots is on its rump, one on its crown and one on each side of its breast. This species breeds sparingly on the summit of Bean Hill, and in October is abundant in orchards and pasture shrubbery. Length, about 53/4 inches. Nest usually in low spruces. The TENNESSEE WARBLER (Helminthophila peregrina) is a very rare migrant. The adult male has the entire under part grayish white, crown and back of neck ash gray; upper parts otherwise olive green; a stripe of white over the eye. The female in spring is similar except for a suffusion of olive green over the head and under parts. All fall specimens are usually entirely olive-green above and pale greenish yellow below and in the stripe over the eye. Length, about 434 inches.
The NASHVILLE WARBLER (Helminthophila ru- Under parts yel- bricapilla) is a common migrant, especially in low without dis- spring, and an occasional summer resident. The
tinct streaks. male has its entire under parts greenish yellow. Back olive-green. A patch of chestnut is in the middle of the crown; the sides and top of the head and neck are ash-gray; ring around the eye white; back, wings and tail olive-green. The female lacks the chestnut patch on the crown, otherwise she is
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BIRDS OF NORTHFIELD.
like the male. Length, about 41/2 inches. Nest on the ground. The WILSON WARBLER ( Wilsonia pusilla) is a scarce migrant, passing this region in May and August. Its entire under parts are clear yellow and entire upper parts bright olive-green, ex- cepting the crown of the male, which is black. Length, about 434 inches. The PINE WARBLER (Dendroica vigorsi) is one of the earlier warblers to appear in spring, often coming the first week in April. The adult male has under parts greenish yellow, except the belly, which is whitish. Its sides are faintly streaked with olive. Its upper parts are yellowish olive, except the wings and tail, which are dull olive gray, the wings having two bars of dingy white. Females vary from nearly as bright as males to dull olive gray all over. The song of this warbler is not dis- tinguishable from that of the chipping sparrow. It is frequently to be found in scattering pine trees. It is a scarce summer resi- dent. Length, 512 to 6 inches. Nest in trees. The MARYLAND YELLOW-THROAT (Geothlypis trichas) is a common summer resi- dent of briar patches, hazel bushes and similar tangles, being unlike the general run of warblers in preferring a lowly station. The male is easily made out by the black mask across his face, and his fussy note of alarm at the first glimpse of an intruder. The female lacks the black mask, but otherwise the sexes agree in having yellow throats and breasts, buff sides, white bellies and olive-green upper parts. The song of the male, we-chee- chee, we-chee-chee, is quite pleasing. Length, about 5 inches. Nest on the ground. The CONNECTICUT WARBLER (Oporornis agilis) is a scarce autumn migrant, rarely or never seen in spring. Its belly is always yellow. Fall specimens have the breast and throat olive-brown, and the upper parts entirely olive-green. Spring birds differ in having the breast olive and the head ashy above. A distinguishing character at all times is a white eye- ring. Length, 51/2 inches. The MOURNING WARBLER (Oporornis philadelphia) breeds in the White Mountains and is likely to . occur here in migration, though it is not actually known ever to have done so. The male is like that of the last species in size and general appearance, having the top of the head and back of the neck slate-gray, back olive-green and belly yellow, but its breast and throat feathers are black with gray tips, and there is no eye- ring. Females and young males have heads, throat and breast
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HISTORY OF NORTHFIELD.
paler and more or less yellowish. The lack of an eye-ring is sufficient to distinguish them from similar specimens of the last species.
Under parts yel- Two species have under parts yellow narrowly
low streaked streaked with chestnut or cinnamon. The YEL-
LOW WARBLER (Dendroica aestiva) is a common
with chestnut. summer resident near ponds and streams. Both sexes appear at a little distance to be yellow all over. The female has the chestnut streaks obscure and sometimes wanting all together. Length, nearly 5 inches. Nest in bushes or small trees. The YELLOW PALM WARBLER (Dendroica palmarum ky- pochrysea) is not uncommon as an early spring and late fall migrant. It is often seen on the ground and is noticeable on account of a habit of bobbing its tail. Its color characters, aside from those belonging to this group, are chestnut crown, yellow stripe over each eye, olive-brown back, and greenish yellow rump. Length, 51/4 inches.
In this group of three are the warblers having Under parts yel- the under parts yellow and more or less streaked low streaked with black. with heavy lines of black. It is to be noted that the extent of the streaked area varies in different species. In the CAPE MAY WARBLER (Dendroica tigrina), a very rare migrant, the black streaks are on the throat, breast and sides, but do not run together to form a collar of black across the breast. The male has a black crown and chestnut cheeks. The sides of his neck are clear yellow, a stripe over each eye is yellow in front and chestnut behind. The feathers of the back are black with yellowish green edges, and the rump is yellow. The female is olive above, yellowish on the rump throat and breast, whitish on the sides, and under parts finely streaked with dusky. Length, 5 to 51/4 inches. The MAGNOLIA WARBLER (Den- droica maculosa), a rather scarce migrant, has no black streaks on the throat, but on the breast they form a collar, and along the sides they are heavy. The male has a gray crown, a stripe of white running from the eye backward, sides of head black, rump yellow, and a white bar across the tail occupying about the middle third of it, the basal and terminal thirds being black. The female is much duller colored, but she may be identified with certainty by the same white bar across the tail that the male has.
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BIRDS OF NORTHFIELD.
Length, 434 to 5 inches. The CANADIAN WARBLER ( Wilsonia canadensis) has its black stripes confined to a "necklace" across the breast. Above it is uniformly gray except on the crown, where the feathers have black centers. Eye-ring and a spot on each side of the forehead yellow. Females have the neck- lace obscure, but otherwise they are like the males. This is a fairly common migrant and an occasional breeder. Length, 51/4 to 51/2 inches. Nest on the ground.
The male BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER (Dendro- Throat solid ica blackburniae) is our only warbler having an orange. orange throat without streaks. The belly is pale yellow; the sides are streaked with black; crown black with an orange streak over each eye, and an orange spot in the middle; back black narrowly streaked with whitish. The female has throat and line over each eye yellow, and back yel- lowish gray streaked with black. This species is not rare as & summer resident. Length, 514 to 51/2 inches. Nest in trees, fre- quently hemlocks.
The males of three species have the throat en- Throat solid black. tirely black. The male AMERICAN REDSTART (Setophaga ruticilla) has throat, breast and up- per parts black, sides and inner half of wings and inner half of tail orange. The female is olive above, whitish beneath and yellow where the male is orange. This species is a common summer resident. Length, 5 to 51/2 inches. Nest in trees. The BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER (Dendroica caerulescens) is a rather scarce migrant here, though it breeds on the Sanborn- ton mountains and possibly does so occasionally on Bean Hill. The male has the throat and sides of head and body black, the upper parts blue and the belly white. The bases of the outer wing feathers are white. The female is whitish below and olive above. The tiny white spot at the base of her outer wing feath- ers is diagnostic, as no other warbler found here has it. Length, about 5 inches. Nest in a low bush. The BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER (Dendroica virens) is a common summer resi- dent of pine woods. The male has the throat and sides of breast black; sides of head yellow, with a line of olive through the eye; upper parts olive-green. The female is similar but duller col- ored. Length, about 5 inches. Nest in trees, usually pines.
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HISTORY OF NORTHFIELD.
Two species occur in this category. Of these Under parts white sharply streaked with black. the BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER (Minotilta va- ria) is a very common species, usually in the larger trees, where it creeps about the trunks and larger branches. The male is streaked black and white in about equal proportions above and on the breast. The female is similar to the male,. but usually with less black streaks beneath. Length, about 51/4 inches. Nest on ground. The BLACK-POLL WARBLER (Dendroica striata) is one of the later warblers to appear in spring, usually passing here between the 20th of May and the 10th of June. In spring it is seen oftener in orchards than in the woods. Fall migrants frequent pastures with scattering trees and patches of gray birches .. Spring males have the under parts white with black streaks along the sides of the neck and body; crown entirely black; back streaked, black and gray; wings with two white bars. The spring female has the crown and back olive-green streaked with black; under parts tinged with greenish yellow; sides obscurely streaked with dusky. Fall specimens are quite different, the under parts being yellow- ish with obscure olive streaks; upper parts clear olive-green from . bill to tail, with dusky streaks down the back; wing-bars yellow- ish. Length, nearly 51% inches.
brown.
The two species here included are large aber- Under parts rant warblers, noticeably different from the aver- white or yellow- ish, sharply age warbler type. Both obtain their food from the ground, and have uniform brown backs. The streaked with OVENBIRD (Seiurus aurocapillus) is a common summer resident. Its song-we-che, we-che, we- che, we-che, we-che,-in forceful crescendo, is almost ear split- ting at close range. It walks instead of hopping. It has a wide stripe of orange-brown over the crown, flanked on each side by a line of black; otherwise, its upper parts are a golden greenish brown. The sexes are alike. Length, about 6 inches. Its nest is a roofed structure, whence its name, placed on the ground. The WATER-THRUSH (Seiurus noveboracensis) is a citizen of swamps and the margins of ponds and streams. Its most notice- able characteristic is its incessantly bobbing tail. Its under parts are yellowish white, streaked on the throat, breast and sides with dark brown. Its upper parts are dark olive-brown. Over each
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BIRDS OF NORTHFIELD.
eye extends a line of yellowish white. Length, about 534 inches. Nest on the ground.
The CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER (Dendroica
Sides chestnut ; pensylvanica) is a common summer resident, belly white or usually in scrub land and small woods of decid- buffy white. uous trees. The male has the throat, breast and belly white; sides chestnut; crown yellow; back streaked with black and pale yellow. The female is similar but duller. The BAY-BREASTED WARBLER (Dendroica castanea) is a scarce mi- grant. The spring male is to be distinguished from the last species at a glance by its throat, which is chestnut, confluent with the same color on its sides, and by its crown, which, also, is chestnut. Its back is gray streaked with black. The spring female is duller of color, but similar to the male. Young fall birds are only to be distinguished from young fall specimens of the black-poll warbler, already described, by a faint tinge of buff or pale chestnut on the sides.
THE PIPITS. (Motacillidae.)
· As but one species of this family is to be found here, the ques- tion of characters may be referred to the description of the AMERICAN PIPIT (Anthus pensilvanicus), which is but a mi- grant, most in evidence in the fall when corn is in the shock. Then it appears in flocks and is quite common in the harvested corn fields. It is less common in spring. Its most noticeable feature is an incessant jerking of the tail when it is alighted, and white outer tail feathers when on the wing. 'Above it is olive brown slightly streaked with dusky. A line over the eye, and the under parts are buffy. The hind claw is long and nearly straight, similar to that of the horned lark. The sexes are alike. Length, 61/4 to 7 inches.
THE MOCKINGBIRD FAMILY. (Mimidae.)
Although the true mockingbird does not occur here, it is repre- sented by two relatives, the catbird and brown thrasher, which abundantly attest the musical ability of the family. They are frequenters of thickets adjacent to grazing and tillage land, where insects, worms and berries are to be had, combined with a tangle to hide in. They all agree in having short, broad wings, and tails approximately as long as their bodies. The CATBIRD
20
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· HISTORY OF NORTHFIELD.
(Minus carolinensis) is slate colored, darker above, lighter be- neath, with crown, wings and tail black. Sexes alike. It is a common summer resident. Length, 81/2 to 9 inches. Nest in bushes. The BROWN THRASHER (Toxostoma rufus) is rusty brown above, and whitish spotted with dark brown on the breast and sides. Sexes alike. This species is a common summer resi- dent, nesting usually in thorny bushes, though occasionally on the ground. Length, about 11 inches.
THE WRENS. (Troglodytidae.)
The wrens are little snuff-brown birds, usually found about stone walls, brush heaps and similar lowly and obscure situa- tions. They are given to scolding, and not unfrequently cock their tails straight up in a very impudent fashion. The HOUSE WREN (Troglodytes aëdon) is a scarce summer resident, generally speak- ing, though a pair or two usually breed somewhere about the village each year. The sexes are alike, snuff brown above, paler brown beneath, becoming nearly white on the belly, everywhere indistinctly barred with wavy lines of dusky. Length, 434 to 51/4 inches. Nest in holes in trees and in nesting boxes. The WINTER WREN (Olbiorchilus hiemalis) is a scarce migrant, but probably an occasional summer resident in secluded swamps. This species is usually found in tangly places in the woods. It is colored much like the house wren, being deep brown above, darkest on the head and brightest on the rump and paler beneath. The sides and flanks are strongly barred with dusky and whitish. It is decidedly smaller than the house wren, being only about 4 inches long. Nest near the ground in crevices of stumps or fallen logs in swamps.
THE CREEPERS. (Certhiidae.)
The BROWN CREEPER (Certhia familiaris americana) is the little bird frequently seen in cold weather making its way by little hitches up the trunks of trees, examining every crevice for in- sects or their eggs. The creeper always begins at the bottom of a tree and works its way upward towards the top, from whence it flies diagonally downward to the butt of the next tree. Its back is dark brown streaked with whitish, becoming rusty brown on the rump. Its under parts are white. Its bill is slender and curved slightly downward, and its tail feathers are sharply
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BIRDS OF NORTHFIELD.
pointed, being used as a prop, after the manner of a woodpecker's tail. The creeper is mainly migrant, but it is likely to be found breeding now and then. Length, about 51/2 inches. Nest in a hole in a tree or behind a splinter of bark.
THE NUTHATCHES. (Sittidae.)
The nuthatches are queer little birds, often seen climbing about the trunks and larger branches of trees in winter. Unlike the creeper, they are as often scen moving with their heads downward as upward, and they can run around the under side of a large limb as easily as a fly. Both species breed here sparingly. The male WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH (Sitta carolinensis) has a grayish blue back, a black crown and white under parts. The female's crown is scarcely darker than her back, otherwise she is like the male. Length, 51/2 to 6 inches. The nest is in a hole drilled in the dead portion of a tree. The RED-BREASTED NUT- HATCHI (Sitta canadensis) is colored above quite similarly to the last species, but its under parts are reddish brown. It is smaller than the last species, being only 41/2 to 43/4 inches in length. It drills its own nest hole in decayed wood and daubs fresh pine pitch around the entrance.
THE CHICKADEES. (Paridae.)
The CHICKADEE (Parus atricapillus) is a well-known resident. The sexes are alike, the upper parts being gray, the crown and throat black, and the under parts white. Length, about 5 inches, of which the tail is about half. Nest in holes in decayed trees. It is a cheerful sight in midwinter to see a troop of these hardy little fellows making a circuit of the tree tops searching for their daily rations. In this season of scarcity they are always glad of bits of waste meat that may be put in the trees for them, and the farmer cannot find a surer income from charity of any sort than from what he may thus bestow on these hungry birds that annually save him dollars by their persistent warfare on insects. The IIUDSONIAN CHICKADEE (Parus hudsonicus) is a rare winter visitant from the White Mountains. It is not actually known to have occurred here, but as it has been found elsewhere in this county, and even so far south as Connecticut, it may reasonably be expected here. In size and appearance it is like the chicka- dee, but its back is pale olive-brown and its throat and crown are brown instead of black.
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