FAMILY MOVES AT LONGMIRE
By Charles Landes, Nature Guide
The loud and prolonged scolding of a jay indicated that something
unusual was happening among the denizens of the woods. The Jay is
usually a noisy fellow but these vehement protests indicated that a very
personal insult had been placed upon him.
Almost simultaneously with the jay's protests there emerged from the
woods and cut upon the road a Douglas squirrel carrying some strange
object looking at a distance like a pine cone. But why should the jay
object to this very usual occupation of the squirrel? The Douglas
squirrel halted for a moment to get a better grip upon her load. Then
it was I noted that the load carried was a baby.
The squirrel held the tiny bundle of fur by a firm grip upon the skin
of its abdomen and the legs of the youngster were firmly clasped about
the head of its mother.
I followed her as she carried the baby into the forest a short
distance beyond the office. Here she left it in its new home, a broken
off and hollow snag. Then back to the woods beyond the road went the
mother squirrel for more of the family, oblivious to everything about
her, passing almost over my feet with her precious burden, until she had
removed in all five youngsters to their new home. Then with her task
completed the mother squirrel returned to the trees beyond the road and
by a variety of calls - one almost like the song of a bird expressed her
satisfaction that moving day as over. Mr. Jay retired in silence.
THE VARIED THRUSH
By Charles Landes, Nature Guide
The Varied Thrush, often called the swamp or Alaska Robin is the most
common bird of the heavily forested mountain trails. He bears
considerable resemblance to a young robin in size and marking. He has
distinctive blackish collar and wings conspicously varied by tawny
markings.
This bird lends a peculiar charm to the mountain trails. His song, a
clear, vibrant, long-drawn note with a melancholy strain about it that
is hard to describe but once heard is never forgotten is not his least
attraction. There is no sound of the woods more mysterious, that blends
better with soughing of pine and the distant roar of rushing torrents.
This single note is very befilling and elusive. It is given in in a
minor key and in an ascending scale, usually, but often is flatted and
without reasonance, at other times it reaches a high metallic pitch and
rings through the woods like the sound of a hammer on an anvil.
The Varied Thrush is a bird of the damp woods and high mountains. A
shy bird more often heard than seen, but very widely distributed
throughout the lower valleys of the park. It lives near the ground
where it seeks its food on the forest floor. This thrush like the robin
loves the rain and is a true " web-footer " Let the day be cloudy or
rainy and his voice joyously rings from all parts of the forest but if
the day be cloudy or rainy and his voice joyously rings from all parts
of the forest but if the day be sunny he remains mute or only at
intervals, and from the denser and darker forest zones, gives out his
song. The Varied Thrush retires to the lowlands when winter snow become
deep and so is often seen about our city parks in winter. They nest in
the trees of the forest, building the nest of moss, twigs and grass, on
a limb close to the body of the tree. The write found a nest along the
trail to Eagle Peak near Longmire recently.
