Evening star., 1945-11-29
This and That
BIZ Charles E. Trdce,Dell.
CORTLAND ROAD.

COH lLAND fGOAOs
Dear Sir:
II have had a bird, new to me. can't
find out what 1t Is. Seeing it the first
time, thought at once it was blue
jay because the coloring is Identical
then saw it is only as large as junco
or some of the small birds, very differ
emily marked.
There is no throat collar of black,
but the top Of the head is black, the
black reaching back to neck. Around
the eye is the light blue gray, the black
making a perfect arc Of a circle. There
is some black and some white on wings
and tail, general impression of coloring
being that of the blue jay. Seems to be
almost stubby tail; quite friendly, but
very quick motion, somewhat like a nut
hatch in movement, though I didn't see
it on a tree, but just on the ground.
IF you look at it from above, that
black part is shaped like the inclosed
sketch. I cannot see any rust color or
buff or yellow-all blue gray. I would
appreciate your help.
Thanking you, L. M. H"
This correspondents bird must be the
white breasted nuthatch. Probably the
observer is better acquainted with nut
matches in books than on the tree.
A nuthatch never looks quite natural
on the ground, and woodpecker seems
preposterous there. 1t does things to
their posture.
1t may be that our correspondent is
trying to match up the colors Of the
real bird seen with color plates in books.
Some specimens in real life are def
nitely blush, while others are nearer
to what the book calls slate gray.
There are, after all, not many blue and
blush birds hereabouts. The list in
cludes bluebird, indigo bunting, belted
kinghsher, blue Jay, blue grosbeak, barn
swallow, cliff swallow and blue-gray
gnatcatcher. Other birds which are slate
colored may be seen as blue, especially
among the warblers. After all, ones color
sense has something to do with such
things Then, too, what is black some
times looks blue, among the birds, and
what is blue looks black. There is a
delicate point here which would take
an expert to decide, and probably no two
Of them would say the same thing.
The white-breasted nuthatch often
stays here all the year around. Some dis
appear in summer but come back in the
fall and stay all winter.
They like little suet, but prefer
seeds, particularly sunflower. A suet
cake with various seeds in it is ideal
for them.
The characteristic pose Of this bird
is going down tree trunk head down.
It is not often that the bird will be so
he
r,fous patch of feathers on the lower
stomach. It Is as difhcult to spot this as
to see the red on the stomach of red
bellied woodpecker.
The white-breasted nuthatch has a
peculiar cry which once heard can never
be mistaken for the call of any other
bird. It has been given as "yank, yank,
yank," and this gives a very good idea
of it, since the quality is peculiarly
nasal
The name means to hack nut. Seed
hatch would be better. That, Of course
is what nut" implies.
The white-breasted form is the most
common, but at times its cousin the
red-brested nuthatch will be seen here
| in winter.
| The bird watcher is likely to think OF
the chtckadee, titmouse and nuthatch
together. He may find the nuthatch the
most uninteresting Of the three, despite
the plain peculiarities, or maybe be-
| cause Of them. His two friends make a
tremendous competition, indeed, for they
are among the very best birds we have
and both come in the "cute" class. We
| do not believe that most persons would
| call the nuthatch cute. Yet he is q
beauty. and when one is walking along
the street his CHEEKY "yank, yank," has
q neighborly quality Of great appeal.
He Is one Of the most friendly birds
| coming down tree trunk and peerine
| at you in the calmest manner. A noted
ornithologist has said that the prevail.
ing emotion Of birds IS fear The nut.
hatch never read that evidently. He !,
not much afraid. but me curious thar
anything else. His beady lie eyes want
to zee just what sort Of a hing man u
His opinion i mercifully denied man
| kind