See him looking at the box in
which last year he had a nest! Probably he is planning repairs. How
happy he seems!
When we see gnats or small insects in the air we may expect the phoebe.
The phoebe belongs to the family of flycatchers. He spends his life in
man's service, catching the insects which are so troublesome.
When the first insects appear the phoebe comes to prevent them from
growing too numerous. You will know the phoebe by his note. "Pewit-
phoebe!" he calls, with a wag of his tail, as he sits on a fence or
bridge rail.
If the frost has left the ground, you may be sure that the woodcock has
come. The woodcock has a bill nearly three inches long. He sticks it
into the soft earth to hunt for the worms on which he lives. So you see
if the ground were hard the woodcock could not get his usual fare.
For the same reason the kingfisher waits until the ice has left the
ponds and streams. Then we can hear him sound his rattle-like voice and
watch him fishing. What a sure aim he has! See him hovering over the
water, waiting for some small fish to come near the surface! Then he
closes his wings and plunges downward like a dart. There is a splash,
and a second later he flies up with his prize.
Early in April the chippy comes.
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