Bird Portraits
()
About this ebook
Any one who learns from such books as Mr. Seton-Thompson's how beset with perils is the life of every wild creature will take the greatest pains at all times, and especially in the nesting season, not only not to injure or persecute such defenseless little creatures as our song birds, but also to protect them in every way. Whoever seeks their acquaintance, in the spirit of friendship, will always be grateful for the interest and pleasure to be gained from such friends.
Of the twenty birds whose portraits are here presented, a majority are only summer residents in the Northern States; some visit us only in winter; a few spend the whole year near the same spot. The birds which are first described are those that are most closely associated with the return of spring; then follow those whose gay colors and bright songs give much of its charm to early summer; last come those that brave, even in the North, the tempests of winter.
R. H.
Read more from Ernest Thompson Seton
Wild Animals I Have Known: Illustrated Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWoodland Tales Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTwo Little Savages - Being the Adventures of Two Boys who Lived as Indians and What They Learned Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Bird Came Down the Walk - Selected Bird Poems of Emily Dickinson Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTrail of an Artist-Naturalist: The Autobiography of Ernest Thompson Seton Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsRolf in the Woods: The Adventures of a Boy Scout with Indian Quonab and Little Dog Skookum Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWoodcraft and Indian Lore: A Classic Guide from a Founding Father of the Boy Scouts of America Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Animal Tracks and Hunter Signs Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBannertail - The Story of a Gray Squirrel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Animal Heroes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Rolf in the Woods Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAnimal Heroes Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsArt Anatomy of Animals Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Trail of the Sandhill Stag Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMainly About Wolves Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWild Animals I Have Known Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMonarch, the Big Bear of Tallac Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Preacher of Cedar Mountain: A Tale of the Open Country Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Biography of a Silver-Fox; or, Domino Reynard of Goldur Town Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWild Animals at Home Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJohnny Bear, and Other Stories from Lives of the Hunted Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Preacher of Cedar Mountain: A Tale of the Open Country Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAnimal Heroes Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWild Animals at Home Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Bird Portraits
Related ebooks
Birds of the Pacific Northwest: How to Identify 25 of the Most Popular Backyard Birds Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLife Sketches Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThinking like a Parrot: Perspectives from the Wild Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBirds of Lake Merritt Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Artist's Field Guide to Yellowstone: A Natural History by Greater Yellowstone's Artists and Writers Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsStories in Tracks & Sign: Reading the Clues that Animals Leave Behind Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Through a Naturalist's Eyes: Exploring the Nature of New England Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Beekeeper Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Ruby-throated Hummingbird Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPainting the Landscape with Fire: Longleaf Pines and Fire Ecology Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Brittany: A Guide for Owners Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDo Trees Have Mothers? Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMore Than Birds: Adventurous Lives of North American Naturalists Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mateship with Birds Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Little Book of Planting Trees Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGrasses, Sedges, Rushes And Ferns Of The British Isles Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Nature of Yosemite: A Visual Journey Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCommunity Forestry in the United States: Learning from the Past, Crafting the Future Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Waste-Wise Gardener: Tips and Techniques to Save Time, Money, and Natural Resources While Creating the Garden of Your Dreams Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBirdology: 30 Activities and Observations for Exploring the World of Birds Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Growing Easy Elegance Roses in Your Garden and in Containers Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Californian's Guide to the Birds Among Us Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBirds and Their Young Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDesign With Microclimate: The Secret to Comfortable Outdoor Space Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMammals of Colorado, Second Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSierra Wildflowers: A Hiker's Guide Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to Enjoy Birds Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Joy of Birding: A Beginner's Guide Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Nature For You
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Silent Spring Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My Family and Other Animals Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Foraging for Survival: Edible Wild Plants of North America Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLucky Dog Lessons: From Renowned Expert Dog Trainer and Host of Lucky Dog: Reunions Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Solace of Open Spaces: Essays Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Forager's Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5SAS Survival Handbook, Third Edition: The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Anywhere Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fantastic Fungi: How Mushrooms Can Heal, Shift Consciousness, and Save the Planet Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Shelter: A Love Letter to Trees Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The God Delusion Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary of Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Beyond Coffee: A Sustainable Guide to Nootropics, Adaptogens, and Mushrooms Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Edible Wild Plants Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Complete Language of Flowers: A Definitive and Illustrated History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Well-Gardened Mind: The Restorative Power of Nature Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Floriography: An Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Corfu Trilogy: My Family and Other Animals; Birds, Beasts and Relatives; and The Garden of the Gods Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Heartbeat of Trees: Embracing Our Ancient Bond with Forests and Nature Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Hunt for the Skinwalker: Science Confronts the Unexplained at a Remote Ranch in Utah Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Under the Henfluence: Inside the World of Backyard Chickens and the People Who Love Them Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPractical Botany for Gardeners: Over 3,000 Botanical Terms Explained and Explored Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Forager's Handbook: A Seasonal Guide to Harvesting Wild, Edible & Medicinal Plants Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Scout's Guide to Wild Edibles: Learn How To Forage, Prepare & Eat 40 Wild Foods Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Related categories
Reviews for Bird Portraits
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Bird Portraits - Ernest Thompson Seton
Hoffmann
INTRODUCTION
This book is called Bird Portraits
because Mr. Seton-Thompson's pictures are always faithful and charming portraits of the birds which he draws. But since a bird's portrait, no matter how accurate, can show its subject in only one position, singing, feeding, flying, or sitting, a short account of some of the main events of the bird's life has been added to each picture.
Any one who learns from such books as Mr. Seton-Thompson's how beset with perils is the life of every wild creature will take the greatest pains at all times, and especially in the nesting season, not only not to injure or persecute such defenseless little creatures as our song birds, but also to protect them in every way. Whoever seeks their acquaintance, in the spirit of friendship, will always be grateful for the interest and pleasure to be gained from such friends.
Of the twenty birds whose portraits are here presented, a majority are only summer residents in the Northern States; some visit us only in winter; a few spend the whole year near the same spot. The birds which are first described are those that are most closely associated with the return of spring; then follow those whose gay colors and bright songs give much of its charm to early summer; last come those that brave, even in the North, the tempests of winter.
R. H.
BIRD PORTRAITS
THE SONG SPARROW
After a severe winter, while snow and ice still remind us of the past, the Song Sparrow, mounting to the top of some bush or small tree, repeats his cheerful tinkling song, helping,
as Thoreau says, to crack the ice
in the ponds. Few people are so unobservant as not to notice this bright strain, after the silence of winter. A peculiarity of the song is the amount of variation shown by different individuals and often by the same bird. At almost regular distances along the bushy roadside, or over the hedge-intersected fields, one will meet on the early spring mornings one Song Sparrow after another, each restricted to his part of the road or field. If one notices the songs of each, it is evident that, though the songs have the same general character, there are almost as many ways of beginning a strain as there are singers. Moreover, the same bird has been observed to alter his song in a short space of time to two or three different variations. Probably, if one's ear were acute enough, all birds of one species would be found to sing with slight differences, but few show in so marked a degree as the Song Sparrow the tendency to variation which characterizes a species.
In early April, the Song Sparrow builds a nest of grass, either on the ground beneath a tuft of grass, or under some brambles, or less frequently a few feet above the ground, in a bush or on the lower limbs of a tree. In the latter situation, twigs are of course necessary for the support of the structure. Here again the bird shows a tendency to vary in its habits. The eggs are from four to five in number, greenish white, thickly marked with shades of brown, lavender, or purple. Sometimes an egg is found in the nest much larger than the others; this has been laid by the lazy Cowbird. As the large egg receives most warmth and hatches first, the young Cowbird soon crowds out the rightful occupants of the nest, and the parent Song Sparrows will be seen later, working busily to feed a great homely youngster as large as themselves, who will afterwards go off to join a flock of his own kind. Probably every Cowbird has been reared at the expense of a brood of some small bird, Sparrow, Warbler, or Vireo.
In June, the young Song Sparrows are able to take care of