For one reason or another we come to think of this or that bird as an
exquisite. This may be due to color pattern, form, carriage or song,
but whatever it be, the bird's presence adds color and beauty to all
our surroundings. It is not easy to tell why the chestnut-sided warbler
impresses me as an exquisite. His colors are not so bright, nor their
pattern in either the contrast or harmony that may be found with other
warblers, but there seems to be something about the bird that makes
the day brighter, the wearing field-work easier, and hours of fasting
forgotten when he flits into view. I have sometimes half suspected
that he was more than half conscious of my admiration from the manner
in which he displayed his pretty colors and trim form. But no doubt
this is base slander. The slightly opened wings, spread tail, and
quick movements give an alertness to the little fellow which adds to
his otherwise bright appearance. The females and fall birds lack the
distinct contrasts of color found in the male in his spring dress, but
they usually have some trace of the chestnut on the side of the body,
which, with the small size, will serve to distinguish them from all
others.
The tree-tops seem to possess few attractions for this warbler, but in
village parks he may often be found well up among the branches gleaning
from the buds and new leaves for insects and their eggs. In the woods
he gleans much nearer the ground, but I have never seen him upon the
ground searching among the fallen leaves. Many times he may be found
among the low underbrush, preferably not at the edge of the woods, but
usually a few rods in. He seems rather partial to damp woods, but may
often be found among the uplands as well, where insect life is abundant.
The song is uttered while feeding, the bird seldom arresting his search
for food, but turning his head this way and that scanning each leaf
and stem. It is often a less spirited song than that of many other
warblers, seeming to be a sort of soliloquizing accompaniment to the
pressing duties of sustaining life, but it is none the less a pleasing
song. There is a somewhat close resemblance to some phrases of the
yellow warbler's song in the rendering of the chestnut-side, but a
little attention and a discriminating ear will readily distinguish the
difference both in quality and in quantity. The song is more often
heard on the college campus here than in the woods, and there it sounds
something like this: "_Wee-chee wee-chee wee-chee-e-e-e_," with the
accent on the first syllable of each phrase. This, in common with other
warbler songs, cannot be well represented by a whistle, but rather
by hissing or whispering the syllables between the closed teeth. The
pitch is too high for my whistle. In the woods a common form of the
song is, "_te te te te wee chu_;" and occasionally, "_to wee to wee to
wee tee e-e-e_." In the woods the song seems to be far more spirited
than in the village, as well as being different. This difference may be
rather due to the fact that the first migrants are those that visit the
village, while the later ones are found in the woods. It is well known
that with many of the warblers the first singers, or at least the first
songs heard, are often different from the later ones.
In the vicinity of Oberlin, Ohio, this little warbler makes his
appearance about the fifth of May and does not leave for the north
until the last week of May. It can not be called common at any time,
some years not being seen at all, but may usually be found in the
shrubbery fringing woods, or in the shade trees in the village. None
have been found during the summer months, and it is doubtful if any
remain to nest. The winter is spent in the Bahamas and Mexico, and from
there southward. The species ranges north to Manitoba, Ontario, and
Newfoundland, and west to the plains, being a bird of eastern North
America. It breeds from New Jersey and Illinois northward. I once found
it breeding in central Iowa.
The nest resembles that of the yellow warbler, both in situation and
composition. It is usually placed in the fork of a bush or shrub from
two to eight or nine feet from the ground, made of the fibrous bark
of the milk-weed, or some other hempen material, grass and sometimes
leaves, lined with some sort of plant down and long hairs. The bark
fibers are wound about the bush twigs, securely lashing the nest into
the crotch. The four or five eggs are of a creamy-white color, with
a wreath of reddish and dark brown spots and dots around the larger
end, the spots becoming smaller and less numerous both ways from this
wreath. They average about .66 × .50 of an inch.
In the fall they are among the first warblers to appear, often being
seen early in August, and continuing in the region for several weeks.
At this time of year their bright colors are wanting, but they are the
same birds for all that, and may be readily recognized by their trim
form and animated carriage.