The Burgess Bird Book for Children

I am out to get my breakfast, I will tell you about Cresty the Flycatcher and why he wants the cast-off clothes of some of the Snake family. Perhaps

en Forest, which was just beyond the Old Orchard. He just HAD to find out if there was anything new over there. Hardly had he reached it when he heard a plaintive voice crying, "Pee-wee! Pee-wee! Pee-wee!"

st. Almost at once he began to call his name in a rather sad, plaintive tone, "Pee-wee! Pee-wee! Pee-wee!" But he wasn't sad, as Peter well knew. It was his way of expressing how happy he felt. He was a little bigger than his cousin, Chebec, but looked very much like him. There was a little notch in the end of his tail. The upper ha

here early?"

his spring, so I hurried a little and came up with my cousi

quired politely, "why do

nd of the Green Forest. It is so quiet and restful that I love it. Mrs.

while, will you?" asked Peter as he prepared

ike," replied Pewee. "T

hey were forever catching all sorts of flying insects it suddenly struck him that they must be very useful little peopl

logs in the hope of finding a cast-off coat of Mr. Black Snake. It was such a funny thing for Cresty to ask for that Peter's curio

t this way and that way in that fussy way of hers, getting her breakf

y they want it, goodness knows! But they do want it and never can seem to settle down to housekeeping unless they have it. Perhaps they think it will scare robbers away. As for me, I should have a cold chill every time I got into my nest if I ha

e does Cresty bui

e rest of us sensible people,

ised as he felt. "Does Cres

Woodpecker hard at work on a new house this very minute. That's good. I like to see that. It means that next year there will be one more house for some one here in the Old Orchard. For myself I prefer old houses. I've noticed there are a number of my neighbors who feel the same way about it. There is something sett

d Bully the English Sparrow who uses th

rd, stupid!" sn

lish. "Of course," said he.

he Tree Swallo

med Peter. "I've noticed that he is very fond of th

he Chickadee sometimes uses an old house. Then again he and Mrs. Chickadee get fussy and make a house for themselves. Yellow Wing the flicker, who

dn't suppose THEY nested in h

ow Wing the Flicker suits either of them. Killy always uses one that is high up, and comes back to it year after year. Spooky isn't particular so long as the house

Peter, as a sudden

tail impatiently. "Well, w

t two homes?

ny. "What do you suppose I want of two

carrying sticks and straws into a hole in another tree? It seems to

on him. He's building that nest to take up his time and keep out of mischief. Besides, if he fills that hollow up nobody else will take it, and you know