Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-05-09
This and That
BIZ Charles E. TruceDell.
"nECATTTR STREE

DECATUR STREET.
Dear Sir:
Il am always so happy when identify
new bird. mean, of course, species
new to me. And I always want to tell
somebody about it.
II usually call my husband to come
quickly and share the joy with me.
get so excited. My husband said to me
last summer, You'll walk off the edge
of the porch as you look through your
field glass
"A new bird is worth getting excited
over.
Last Saturday as I looked out of
my upstairs living room window / saw
a bit of blue down on the lawn.
thought at first it was bluebird, but
soon discovered that it did not have a
rose colored breast and that it was a
smaller bird than the bluebird.
"As looked at it more carefully
through the field glass I saw that it
was deep blue In color over it's entire
body and that 1t had very dark mark
ings on its wings.
ut was feeding on the ground and
was about the size of an English SPAR
row, or possibly little smaller than it..
'In trying to identify it, thought
first of some of the warblers that are
blush in color When looked them up
in my bird books soon found that it
couldn't be the cerulean warbler or the
black-throated blue warbler.
Then as I thought, the word indigo
popped into my mind and said to my
self, That's it, do believe.
When I looked at the index I found
indigo bunting. AS soon as I saw the
colored picture of it, knew I was right
1.-THE bird had remained in plain view
most of the time I was searching
rather feverishly in my bird books It
seems to be rather quiet bird and very
deliberate in all its movements. 1t few
up into bush and remained there for
some time, almost motionless.
ut is really beautiful bird. AS it
rested among the pure white mock
orange blossoms on the bush, it made a
pretty picture
Later, when I went downstairs and
got busy about my household duties,
happened to look at a tray on my serv-
ing table which frames beautiful blue
butterfly. I said to myself The indigo
bunting is almost the same color as
the wings of this tropical butterfly
Il have looked rather eagerly for the
little bird to return, but have not seen
him again. I suppose he may be feed
ing in the garden of some other house.
wife. I hope he may give as much
pleasure wherever he goes as he did
here on my lawn.
Last week I heard the song of the
wood thrush for the first time this
spring.
ut always seems to me like a hymn
nf tea IN
1t has such spiritual note in its song.
Thanking you for your very helpful
column, I am,
Very sincerely yours, E. D. B."
x y
The indigo bunting is one of our best
birds.
The female of the species is plain
brown bird which most people overlook
In their excitement on seeing her mate
The color of the male is great deal
like that of the paper which is uni
versally used in wrapping absorbent
cotton
When we first saw this bird we
thought the freshman had dropped a
piece of this paper.
The color of the male bunting is un-
like that of any other bird in North
America. 1t makes one think Of the
tropics, indeed
dom fingers long in built-up commune
ties.
The indigo bunting attracts by its
unusual color The wood thrush makes
his appeal through combination Of
neat feather pattern, sedate and gentle
I ways, and his beautiful song. We are
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