Evening star., 1945-10-11
This and That
By Charles z. Tracetpell.

Half an ounce Of beauty and power
lay dead in hand.
Beauty exceeding that of rainbows-
Power to fly from Canada to South
America
1t was a black -throated blue warbler
whose heart finally had given out as
it few in to the feeding station.
Dead though it was, it was more
wonderful than an atomic bomb, and
a great deal more sensible.
Several weeks ago, along with some
two or three hundred of its comrades,
including perhaps dozen other tribes
OF warblers, this bird had left the pine
forests of the North.
Flying at night, about 1000 feet high,
the birds passed over New England, and
struck the cooler weather which sud-
denly had descended upon Maryland
and vicinity.
How the warblers loved the laurel!
They would hop from limb to limb,
cleaning up insects as they went.
No phase of insect life escaped them.
They ate the egg, they ate the larva,
they ate the mature insect.
Out of that flock, probably half q
dozen will die before the birds get to
the South, and dozen more before
they land in Northern South America.
This one already was gone. What had
happened was mystery. since there was
no evidence of malnutrition or physical
injury.
1t is always possible for bird to
strike building, and then glide into
fall. Old age usually leaves bird in
ragged condition, but sometimes there
is no sign at all.
1t may be realized that a creature
weighing half an ounce needs food con-
stantly, and that failure to get it for
as much as day probably would prove
fatal.
Migrating birds, especially the war
blers, are really food motors.
Their life and power depend upon
food. As long as they get enough, they
are warm and vital, their heart beats.
and the soft feathers cleave the air.
Sickness comes to birds as to all living
things They can and do suffer from a
variety OF maladies, any one of which
might put the bird in position where
sudden drop of temperature could end
its life.
The hlack-throated blue warbler is
very dark, the upper parts being a dark
slate blue, the under parts being black
and white.
The female is plain olive bird, so
different in appearance that many per-
sons, seeing her, would never suspect her
relationship with her beautiful mate.
These birds so love the mountain
laurel that some one has suggested that
they be called the laurel warbler.
The female may be recognized by a
small white patch on the lower middle
Of the wing.
The nest is placed not more than two
feet high in small shrub. The nest is
a gem, with four greenish- white eggs.
These are usually blotched with pinkish
and reddish brown.
Such warbler's nest seems like a
locket or tiny casket of Jewels" wrote
Herbert X, job. tits discovery is rich
reward for prolonged search,
Finding nests of warblers is a special
lied form of the sport of bird study 1t
might be called the chess of woodcraft.
a test OF agility Of mind and eye, COM
bined with the limit of patience. None
but the real bird lover can practice it
with any marked success"
Every one interested in birds should
watch their shrubbery these days. Thou
sands Of warblers, Of which about 80
species come through Washington, are
passing through, and most OF them drop
down to foundation paintings. II these
are laurel or rhododendrons, the warblers
are almost certain 70 visit.