Norwich bulletin., 1912-02-17
THE tanned NUrHATcHEs.
An Experience With Old and Young
5irds-How the Presence Of Hawk
Affects Them.-Their Habits. Etc.


My most interesting experiences
with the birds during the past summer
was with the baby nuthatches. Lady"
the female Of the pair of tame nut
matches, was not seen at the window
after April oath until May oath. Nut
tie continued to come during her alb
sence, and sometimes ate from my
hand, which he had not usually done
in summer Soon after her return,
Lady began to come to the window
daily and conVersed with Nuttie in
low and, to me, unfamiliar notes.
On the goth of June 1 heard a SINH
lar note when in the yard, and soon
noticed a female baby nuthatch, two or
three feet from the ground on a pear
tree. ] stood within six feet and
watched as it walked up and down and
examined the cracks and knotholes,
from which 1t occasionally picked a
tiny bite. Twice it caught an ant, but
threw it away, evidently not liking
anything so spicy. Once 1t found lit
tie worm, which it raped against the
tree two or three times, as the adults
do when they wish to kill caterpil-
lar. After it ate the worm it was SO
delighted that it ran around in an ex-
cited, fussy way, and hunted for more.
When / stepped nearer it walked up
the tree and few away.
The next day but one saw two on
the pear tree. A day later one came
on the L roof, near the second story
window, to which the adults came for
food Nuttie was eating at the win
dow and finally gave it one bite. Two
days later l saw three. One Of these
chung to the window sash and anoth-
er lighted on the food tray, fastened
to the window sill. The next day / no
ticed male baby picking up crumbs,
but it did not succeed in getting many
bites far enough back in its mouth to
swallow. Twice 1t tried to put food
in small hole in the perch, where the
adults put hard things, which they
wish to break up; not succeeding it
tried a cavity in the corner Of the food
tray, and finally put some in a crack
between the shingles.
Just enc week from the day that
saw the first one, a male baby ate 81
bites, at one time, from my hand,
which l held on the window sill, and
either that or the other one ate from
my hand two other times the same
day. 1t showed no fear and even step
ped on my fingers a little. A female
soon learned to eat from my hand, but
was not so fearless as the two males,
We named them from a story in the
st. Nicholas, tom, Dick, and Harriet.
A few days later, when four were to
be seen. / exclaimed "Another!" AS the
new one was a female, the exclama-
ton was soon shortened to Ann" a
rather inappropriate name for a fluffy
baby bird. For some days we had sus-
pected that there were four, but had
never seen two females together, sc
were not sure, as they looked so much
alike. In the male the crown and nape
are shining black. in the female the
black is yelled with blush like the
'Sbloom' on a grape. In color the ba-
| bies were like the adults and were al
| most as large, yet it was easy TO tel
them apart, as the young ones were Sc
| innocent and babyish looking.
When an adult nuthatch sees hswL
| it Immediately becomes motionless; in
whatever position it happens to be
| One day l noticed either Tom or Dick
! suddenly stop with a bit Of food part
\ ly in its bill and remain perfectly still
| as did the young cowbird, the foster
| baby Of the song sparrow, who stood
| upright on the ridge Of the l., unit
! after a large hawk disappeared. Tom
my would sit on the window sill anC
| watch with great interest while
| raised the screen and held out food
| then would come at once and eat
He evidently had a choice in the kinds
/ of food, for I noticed him drop a piece
/ of bread, which he had picked up anC
take a bit of nut from my hand. b!
the end Of June, the babies had learned
/ to eat 50 we'll, that the adults seldom
gave them anything. Although tn
| little females at times still fluttereC
their wings. which was their way o
begging for food, when the old birds
! appeared. The adults, which were
! very fearless during the first part o
! the babies stay, now became less tame
| while the little ones became more
/ tame ana trustful every day.
The windcw screen was covered witt
the thread netting instead of wire anC
1 this was used by the babies as play
ground. They would walk up ant
| down and across like flies, at times
carrying on an animated conversation