Evening star., 1946-12-16
This and That
Bv Charles E. TrdceaDeH.

We were surprised the other day to
see a Carolina wren at the feeding
station among the rhododendrons at
the dining room windows
This one is not frequenter OF feed
ing boxes, but sometimes comes II he
can find small insects.
The seed in the feeder was down
to a thin layer, and the bird seemed
to be probing among them for some
thing.
AS far as we could determine he
took no seed, but was so evidently
eating that we concluded that he had
found some small insect or worm among
the bits.
Meal worms are a favorite food OF
this wintering songster, largest OF the
wren family, but possessing as pert a
tail as any summertime house wren.
These worms, easily grown in old
meal, may be put out for the birds.
Or they may be secured from pet stores.
Before the war, meal worms were ex-
tensively grown for exotic or tropical
fishes, and furnished good food for
certain species.
1t may be understood that in feed
box for birds conditions sometimes exist
which are just right for the growth OF
worms
Ordinarily these are gobbled up the
moment they appear
The reason the Carolina wren found
some live food of this character was
that the feeding station had been de-
serted for the moment by sparrows.
The wren poked around under the
roof, quite plainly finding something
there. In this particular device there is
a space at the back intended for cake
of suet.
things often turn out.
Such corners provide fine hiding
spaces for insects in their different
phases. But If sparrows are at the
feeders all the time, the smaller birds
will not come, of course.
The Carolina wren is five and one
half inches long.
His upper parts are rusty brown,
under parts buffy.
The tail, held comically erect, as In
most wrens, is a distinguishing trait.
This is big one, for a wren, and
will be recognized by most persons in
terested in birds.
Sometimes it seems to seek shelter in
porch screens of the roll-up type.
Several years ago pair wintered in
such a place. The kind householder
had gone to take down the roller screens,
but when he saw the wrens interested
in them he left them where they were.
This birds song at this time of yeaf
is a whistling sort of thing, reminding
listeners of something going around
and around.
This song will be heard on warmer
days, but not much after winter really
sets in
This is the "tea kettle bird, since
some of its notes seem to be saying
those words.
A standard story about this wren is
that of a Massachusetts, farmer who
found a pair nesting in basket hung
high inethe barn.
Unfortunately, the basket and site
had been selected for the safe keep
ing of a few sticks of dynamite!
The explosive was removed, but
thereafter the mother bird deserted
the nest.
Human interference, as it SO often
does, did it's work.
The Carolina wren nests in holes in
trees, and occasionally in birdhouses
of mans construction, but it also builds
in low bushes and brush heaps. The
nest is large, requiring much grass
hay and leaves, mixed with corn silk
and lined with feathers, fine grasses
and pieces of horse hair, when avail.
able, Few birds use more materials
in nest building. From four to sia
eggs are laid, actually white or pink
but so covered with brown dots al
sometimes to obscure the ground color