Evening star., 1944-05-11
This and That
hdrleS E. TracetUeu.
"HOBAN ROAD.

1SoAIN ItOAD.
Dear Sir:
Due to the warm weather, we have
had a very early migration. Because of
this, some of the members of our bird
club (the Colony Hill Bird Club have
seen practically 80 species of birds this
year.
you may not believe me when I tell
you this, but have seen several cat
BIRDS during the latter part of February!
l am positive that have not mistaken
them for mockingbirds because I studied
these catbirds very closely and carefully.
"On April 26 my mother saw two
ruby-throated hummingbirds in our
back yard. She was standing about
feet away and was positive of her
Identification. (They were not hawk
moths)
"A few days ago another member of
our bird club reported having a male
rose breasted grosbeak at one of his
feeding stations. I also have seen sew
eral of these and there is no mistake in
Identification.
The warblerS are really beginning to
come in now. For some of our bird club
members have seen the following:
Louisiana water thrush, redstart, blue
gray gnatcatcher, black-and-white
warbler, mourning warbler, myrtle
warbler, Parula warbler, pine warbler
ana yellow palm warbler A few blue
headed vireos have been seen and sev-
eral red-eyed vireos have been hear.
Very truly yours, H. M"
WESTERN AVENUE.
Dear Sir:
I know you're interested in birds and
location of them.
I'VE saw water thrush in our creek
this week-the first we've ever seen
bohbing up and down
And last month we had falcon on
our chimney
The usual spring assortment is with
us, with many warblers passing through.
Sincerely, G. M. c."
The Louisiana water thrush usually
arrives April and remains until about
the middle of September It is fairly
common
But the mourning warbler is rare
one, and mostly is not seen until May Is,
at the earliest; but this season is ad-
vanced, and many warblers have come
through ahead of their usual time.
The mourning warbler is much like
the Connecticut warbler, which is seldom
seen here until late May, and then only
in deep woods. The mourning warbler
has shorter wings and tail, and no white
eye ring, as has the Connecticut warbler.
Alexander Wilson, the great ornitholo-
gist and artist, called this species the
Philadelphia warbler.
The mourning warbler is over inches
long, large for a warbler and has some
thing about him which resembles a
thrush
He wears sort of coWl and scarf of
blue-black or dark slate, and these are
the things which have given him the
name of mourning" for there is moth
ing sad in his song or manners
His song is loud and clear According
to the authorities, it may be put into
syllableS, as follows
Tee, te-o te-o, te-o, we-se."
The Maryland yellow throat is an
other fine warbler, one of which we saw
the other day in shrub in our own
yard.
The yelloW-throat has black mask
across his eyes. 1t is very small, lust
over inches long, and prefers
shrubbery.
This one, however left the shrub and
went into some ivy on the ground. where
1t seemed to be eating insects from the
under side Of leaves.
The Maryland yelloW-t throat must not
be confused with the yellow throated
warbler or with the yellow warbler. The
name Of Maryland yellow throat" is
given to the Northern yellow-throat in
the Middle Atlantic States. The birds
are practically indistinguishable.