Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-01-17
a Cousin Of the Mookins Bird.


larger than the Mockingbird, and Is
brownish red above. heavily streakea
with black below. 1t is more retiring
.nd shv than the Mockingbird ana
&c hardly ever seen away from tnlck-
cts.
In Harris county the Brown Thrash-
err is only seen in winter atter ne
comes South from his summer hoine'
and after having raised ms FANNY
in the more Northern ana Eastern
sections Of the United states. II -
ospecially numerous along Bunaio
Ravou. near Houston, in the dense
thiekets and evergreen shrubs An
other locality where it appears TO DC
,,ora or less common during the WIN
,a. 10 In the thick underbrush OF the
woods near Spring Creek. IN the
northern part of Harris county.
They are usually noted for the nrst
time about the 2sth Of September anu
are with us continually through the
cold winter months until the last OF
Anril. when they all leave for their
more Northern summer homes. How
ever thew are not common until the
last of October.
walking through the pine woods along
Buffalo Bayou, will come TO some
brush covered ravine; climbing aoWh
through the brush into the raVine ne
hears a low chuck and stops 10 see
what il is. What is that long Drown
ish bird with the curved Dill! oee
him stink through the thick unoer-
bush. eyeing you over his shoulder
like a sneak thief. Why that's
Brown Thrasher.
On MANY occasions have been sit
ting on the sloping bank OF bunaio
Rayou. about four or five miles up
stream from Houston, watching small
uarblers in the underbrush, thlckets
and evergreen shrubs which NIL the
woods along our Harris county
streams. when would near d
scratching and scattering OF the
leaves off to one side. / would Won
dor what that was thrashing ABOUT
IN tho leaves and what 1t was doing
- for A stick thrown in the direction
or the noise would scare up a Brown
Thrasher.
Most of the Thrasher's 1000 IS Sc
cured on the ground among the leaves
in thickets and small ravines' anu
consists of insects and wild berries anu
fruits. About go per cent. OF the 1000
ia Injurious insects. while the remain
a.r consists of wild berries and fruits,
With very small percentage OIL
fruits and grains from cultiVateo
crops.
Beetles form one-half of the insect
food while grasshoppers and crickels
form a fifth, caterpillars and cutWorlhs
little less than fifth, ana bugs,
sniders and millipeds comprise mus
of the remainder. Wirm worms lice
ueeyils. rose beetles ana ng eater
o,so helm add to the Brown Ihrdsh
er's bill of fare.
s,nsIe stomach of the Brown
rbra sher examined by the Biological
c,,ryav contained black raspperries'
charr;es a cricket, ground beetle
and a May beetle.
In fall and winter. it feeds large
Nv on wild fruits, such as berries Oh
the dogwood, sumac and poison Wy
Numbers of boil weevils are ae-
stroyed by Brown Thrashers IN WIN
ter in Texas and in Harris county the
BROWN Thrashers feed on the berries
of the holly, myrtle holly ana oiach
haw. The latter, however, does not
form a very large part OF It's die'.
The Brown Thrasher breeds from
Canada and the Atlantic ocean south
to the Gulf States and West to the
foot of the Rocky Mountains. 1t
breeds sparingly in Arkansas, but In
Texas is only found in winter and
does not breed at all.
In southern Texas, south of San
Antonio and Houston, is very rare in
deed in winter, and has never been
found in the Rio Grande Valley. In
the Gulf Coast Country, Harris coun-
ty appears to be nearly as far South
as the bird goes in winter.
The nests are bulky structures. very
similar to nests of the Mockingbird,
but are placed in bushes, thickets and
on the ground, always well hidden.
In South Dakota nearly all Of the