Evening star., 1945-02-14
This and That
Bu Charles E. Trdce1Oel.
ALEXANDRIA, Va,

ALEAANDFlA, va.
Dear Sir:
Il have always been interested in
birds, so enjoy your This and That
very much. We were taking another
paper when I found your column, and
because of it changed to The Star. I
have cut out most of your columns, and
am keeping to use as reference to iden-
tify birds.
We have feeding station, and you
have helped us as much as Audubon's
Birds of America and Peterson's Field
Guide to Birds
This fall and winter as constant visi-
tors we have had four birds that we
believe are tufted titmice. They are very
interesting and beautiful after you get
to know them. They are all gray with
a crest like the cardinal, and about the
size of junco, only more plump.
The underparts are lighter gray,
with the light running from throat into
patch around eyes. You will find by
watching at times the underparts have
a yellow cast. and around the edge of
wings there is soft rosy glow giving
the effect of the sun just about to peep
from behind a cloud
This bird is pert and saucy There
is only one I have seen eating from the
window box the rest eat from the
ground. When we do not have food out,
or it is covered with ice and snow, he
will make his funny nasal or squeaky
call, until he makes us hear and put
out food
Other birds we have this winter are
juncos, downy woodpeckers, tree SPAR
rows, white-breasted nuthatch, jays,
and believe once I saw a red-breasted
nuthatch, and maybe several times the
black-capped chickadee.
I'VE would never have identified the
purple finch last winter except for your
help, also other birds from time to
time. Please keep up the good work.
Thankfully yours, M. A. N"
X
The titmouse is one of our best birds.
1t is not very large, but Is round and
fat, as our correspondent says, and is
very jaunty in all it does-and says.
Its call is a very clear, loud whistle,
reminding the hearer of some one whis
Ting for dog.
It's scolding, nasal note is made at
various times, and for various purposes,
one of which our correspondent points
out.
The titmouse is a sociable bird, but
prefers to carry each seed away from
the feeder and eat it at leisure about
30 feet away
In eating it holds the seed down with
its claws, and opens it with the bill.
1t is a chum of the cheerful chickadee.
Indeed, the comradeship between the
two is very marked; where one is found,
the other is likely to be.
In them we have as fine a pair of
birds as can be found anywhere, both
beauties, both very nervous and high
strung, both colorful, though sedate
when compared with cardinal or Jay.
The orange coloring of the titmouse
(plural, titmice) is nicely described
above. The crest at times seems to dis
appear
Beginners often confuse the chickadee
with the titmouse, but there is really
no resemblance. The chickadee is the
one with the cap, and the titmouse is
the one with the crest
Both names, chickadee and titmouse,
are words of endearment, given to them
so long ago that the origin is lost. Tit
mouse means little mouse, referring to
the birds gray coloring and quick move
ments along tree branch. Chickadee
means little chick.
When the downy woodpecker, small
est OF his tribe, is added to the pair,
trio is formed beyond compare.
Usually titmice and chickadees are
the first to find newly established
feeding station, and the first to desert
1t after other species come. But even
when they seem to be completely run
off, they will be found to dart in, every
now and then. Close watch must be
kept to see them, but they are worth it.
The greatest black mark against the
English sparrows is that neither chicka-
dee nor titmouse seems to like them,
and gradually will desert a station
where the sparrows congregate. We do
not feel, however, that this is any
reason for trying to chase the SPAR
rows away. When fellow establishes
a free lunch stand, he has no right to
quibble at any hungry creature which
comes.