Evening star., 1944-09-13
This and That
By Charles E. TraceDeH.
WALSH STREET

WALSH STREET.
Dear Sir:
I'VE have a large bowl. placed directly
on the ground beneath large and old
rose vine. and keep it filled with water
for the birds. Many species come to
drink here.
The other afternoon we had a new
one. So far, we have identified about
54 species, and if you can tell us what
this one was, 1t will make IS.
1T was small, olive-colored bird,
smaller than a sparrow, with a definite
a black mask, and the yellow had been
more intense. I would have thought it
the Maryland yellow-throat.
Nothing in our book is exactly like it.
with best wishes,
Sincerely yours, L. X. K"
This bird was either female or i'm
mature form OF the Maryland yellow
throat
First-year birds do not have the black
mask.
And, of course, the females never
have it.
This is one of the finest of our native
birds 1t occurs in all parts of the
country, and assumes many regional
colorations, or is different in size.
There are two variations hereabouts,
but they are very difficult to tell apart,
and it makes no difference anyway.
The yellow throat is seen mostly in
shrubbery or on the ground
Its movement Is quick. If at bird
bath, it will fly in and out almost be-
fore you can say General Patton"
1t has habit of peering at you from
bushes, its bright little eyes seeming to
take you in.
This is the bird which is supposed to
say "Witchery, witchery, witchery,
witchery." A true warbler, the song
bubbles with real emphasis, louder and
higher
The mask is the great characteristic.
1t gives the bird very waggish ap-
pearance.
Actually it is a curious little fellow.
said to come out to see what is going on
II you make some sort of squeaking
sound
1t is something less than S inches
long, and puts its nest almost on the
ground, but not quite, since it always
raises 1t on a small platform. From
three to five eggs are laid, but mostly
four.
The Maryland yellow-th throat is one
OF the birds imposed upon by the cow
bird. An excellent parent, it does not
detect the difference between the eggs
and matches out the large cowbird baby.
and feeds 1t to the exclusion of its own
young. Often the birds own babies are
either starved to death or smothered by
the cowbird baby.
we may see from this that deceit and
trlckery are a part Of nature, and that
often, alas, they are successful.
Two small birds not 50 easily taken in
by the parasites are the yellow warbler
and the chat. Both Of these throw out
the larger egg and sometimes build an
other nest over 1t.
But the innocent Maryland yellow
throat goes right ahead rearing the
vilainess' egg.
In various sections OF the country
1t is known as the olive -colored, yellow
throated wren, the yellow-throat, the
Western yellow throat, the Northern
yellow-throat, the black masked ground
warbler and simply as the ground war
bier.
The name of yellow -throated wren is
interesting, because the bird often does
make one mistake 1t for some sort of
wren.
AS for the name of ground warbler,
ornithologists think that is more appro-
priately applied to the oven bird and
the water thrushes.
The Maryland yellow-throat shares
with various species the possession of
flight song" as it is called, but In
his case 1t Is not very pretty and most
but Just q noise,