Evening star., 1945-07-18
This and That
By Charles e. Trace,ueH.
ARLINGTON, Va

Dear Sir:
In response to your appeal on behalf
OF DR.. A., whose 10 years Of persistent
efforts to get sight of Baltimore oriole
have been unsuccessful. you are informed
that at least one pair Of these elusive
rarities have nested at Veitch Summit,
Arlington County $500 block of N.
Fairfax driye) for the past 10 years or
longer.
Some of my own observations in
regard to the Baltimore oriole over a
period Of so years are as follows:
Il. They seem to prefer naples to
other trees for their nests.
q. I have never known more than
one pair to build in any vicinity.
49, The male sings consistently dur
ing the nesting period and can be seen
then in the topmost branches OF tall
trees, but he rarely stays long in one
place.
a. The last two weeks in May and
during the month of June is the most
favorable period to observe them.
IS. Before nesting both male and fe-
male may be seen together on rare
occasions.
g. They apparently do not visit feed
ing stations.
Personally I have not heard one for
the past two or three weeks and doubt
that they will be seen hereabouts any
more this season
while have seen the nests from
the ground many times, beginning with
my early boyhood, never have seen
the eggs because the nests are inac-
cessible.
When the results of your appeal
are all in, please publish summary Of
the information you receive.
Very truly yours, S. A. G."
*x*
WASHINGTON GROVE, Md.
Dear Sir:
Recently I noted where some doctor
had travelled and watched to see the
Baltimore orioles.
"For several years now, when We were
here, there has been pair of orioles
around.
often in our apple trees or flying in
or out Of the grape arbor, we have
watched them pull the long pieces Of
bark from the vines and cedar posts.
Always we put out long strings of
wrapping cord, 2, 3 or a little more
than feet long. Put out six or eight
at time.
1--WE went away about our work. In
an hours time we looked and all the
strings we're gone.
II have kept record of the date when
I FIRST saw any bird. note May z as
the date when first saw them this year,
though heard them week or more
before.
AT least three different years We
have found their nests, but did not see
about where 1t was.
Sorry to say I believe they have
gone, as have neither seen nor heard
them for more than week.
while they have been here we have
never seen but the one pair had rea-
sons to believe there were two pairs this
year, but cannot say positively.
Il would not advise the doctor to
come now for the above reasons. They
may return next May. sure hope so.
We stop our work to watch them.
Yours sincerely, M. b. II.
Il y
DR.. A. has gone on several trips to
hunt orioles, on tips given him by the
readers of this column.
Probably he began bit late, since
orioles do not nest but once season.
The six points made by our first
correspondent are correct, we believe.
Certainly Baltimore orioles prefer ma
Piles, but will use locusts and elms. They
like best the cut-leaf naples. finding
/ other naples too stiff, willows too brittle.
Cutting string is one thing the mother
cannot do, so 1t is best for kind hearted
persons to put out lengths not more
than inches long. Sometimes, too.
birds become entangled in long pieces
or wool or twine and hang themselves