Evening star., 1944-09-25
This and That
By Charles Z. TrdceUel.
"RETHESnA Nd

Dear Sir:
i am not bird enthusiast, ordi-
narlly, but the other day l saw one in
my yard that quite fascinated me.
He had beautiful pink legs and
1eet, and put one foot out after the
other in regular walk.
Every now and then he would turn
around. in perfect waltz. He spent
much time by my garage, and came to
the lawn time after time.
Il managed to get within S feet of
him, but he would fly away when 1
came any closer.
Gould this bird be a Louisiana water
thrush? I have heard of that one, but
have never seen it.
Very truly, G.. H. c."
The bird was either a female oven
blrd, or young one
This is one Of the largest of the
"arolers, and is known widely as the
teacher bird, from the sounds it makes
In the immature forms, the stripe in
the center Of the head. between the
black stripes, is very pale. but in the
adult birds it is tawny, rusty, almost
red
The pale flesh color of the legs and
1eet is one Of the oven birds finest
charms. And the way it uses them
puts 1t in the small class of walking
birds. Walkers include the Startling
crow. lark, grackle, pipit and water
thrush.
PROBABLY our correspondents bird was
more olive on the back than the older
birds. Sometimes it is necessary to get
very close to the young birds before
the dark SplotcheS on the chest can
be seen.
1t Is no wonder that many persons
confuse the oven bird with the water
thrush. They are both walkers both
have the blotches on the chest and
both are the same length a bit over
inches.
The water thrush, however, has a per-
1ectly plain white line through the eve,
IL prefers place where there is water.
put will come to any suburban back ward
We have had no reports of it being seen
in typical city yards.
Both birds are warblers, and among
the largest of their kind. Both build on
the ground, and each nest is distinctive.
The oven bird builds a peculiar nest
SNAPPED like small oven, and that of
course, is what gives it the popular name
From three to six eggs are laid.
glossy white, with spots over the entire
surface
The Louisiana water thrush builds a
more normal type bird nest, but uses
leaves plastered with mud for the
outer layer The eggs are creamy in
color.
The popularity of this birds nesting
operations is that it constructs a door
mat OF leaves just outside. This mat
is about foot long. What its purpose
Is no one seems to know unless it
Satlsnes the birds sense of ornamental
1t Is well known that many birds, in
Guiding the thrushes, use bits of colored
paper and cord in their nests, solelv
Tor ornamental purposes. The f1ycatcher
which likes to wind in cast-off snake
skin uses it for purposes of intimidation,
some believe. This is disputed by other
observers, who assert that it would not
scare away anything
Waving the tail while walking is a pe-
cullarlty OF these two species This
motion is used by many other species.
but none gives such an odd bobbing
effect.
with the regular turning completely
around at intervals the oven bird makes
a fine addition to any yard where the
owners are enough interested to watch
closely to see clearly what nature dis
plays for their benefit. We suspect that
our correspondent is really bird en-
thusiast veritable fan" at heart, al
though he says he is not Certainly the
pink-footed oven bird is one to break
down the resistance Of anv 0ne IT ic
impossible to watch this beauty for long
without wanting to know who and
what he u.