Outdoor Visits  by Edith M. Patch

Some Birds Go South

"I should, thank you," said Nan. "What is a robin roost?"

"I will take you and Don to one next Saturday," said Uncle Tom.

When Saturday came, Don and Nan went to the farm with their uncle. They had a pleasant ride in the country on the way to the farm.

After supper, Uncle Tom said, "Now we will go to the woods."

So they went to the woods where the trees were thick. They stood under a big tree and were quiet.

There were robins in the trees. They were sitting on the branches.

There were robins behind them. There were robins in front of them. There were robins over their heads.

And, on all sides of them, there were robins in the air flying to the trees.

Don asked his uncle about them.

Uncle Tom said, "Robins often come to trees at night. They like to roost on the branches. They like to roost near other robins.

"When they can find a good place, many robins go there to rest at night. Such a place is called a robin roost.

"At first only the father robins come to the roost in summer. The young robins come when they are old enough. The mother robins come, too, when their eggs are all hatched and their babies are all grown.

"Now it is fall and most of the robins near here come to this roost, every night.

"They will go South before long. The next time you come to the farm there may be no robins here."

"Good-by, robins!" said Don. "I hope you will have a pleasant winter in the South."

"Good-by, robins!" said Nan. "Come back again next spring!"