Evening star., 1946-10-03
This and That
By Charles Z. Trdcetcell.
"GEORGETOWN.

Dear Sir:
How long will the wood thrush re-
main? We have been the proud pos
SCISSORS Of one In our yard, and he Is
still here. Is there any possibility Of
his rematning7 A. far as know there
Is not another one hefeabouts. This is
to me the most beautiful and interest
ing bird tn the world. I look for him
each day. and usually see him under the
shrubbery. Some one told me he leaves
early. Is that true7
Sincerely. E. LA r"
The thrush does not leave particu-
larly early.
In fact, he leaves q bit on the late
side, along with the robin and the cat
bird.
The late date for these is October 80,
or thereabouts.
It must be kept in mind that birds
do not arrive and depart on schedules.
They 60 when the mysterious infiu-
ence known as migration gets hold Of
them.
Light has something to do with It.
Food supply Is another influence. But
there are many more factors, some OF
them In dispute. Humans do not need
to worry over migration. The birds do
not. "
There Is no possibility Of 4 wood
thrush staying here all winter.
We have had few persons swear
they had . thrush in the snow, but
each time they had some other bird
mistaken for q wood thrush.
0dff fv, ali ao vyA ho
q thrush as late as October 80, and
would not be a bit surprised to see one
in December some year.
It is an odd fact that the later in the
season the thrush remains, the friend
lier he grows.
1t is possible to come as close as 2
feet of him in October OF course, one
often manages to get almost that close
in September or August, for this Is a
friendly bird, as well as q beautiful one.
Our correspondents enthusiasm Is
not misplaced.
Few species equal the wood thrush
In all that goes to make up fne bird,
and at the same time q most familiar
fellow.
His princely attributes in no sense
mitigate his willingness to share your
yard with you. He is no longer q woods
bird, but rather suburban one. When
we lived in Georgetown we never saw
or heard a wood thrush.
But all we can say as to their rarity
in that community is that certainly
there are not as many Of them there
as in nearby Maryland.
Perhaps this thrush is still enough of
a forest species to prefer the heavily
wooded suburbs, where there are fewer
houses and fewer people.
Aside from that, however, he Is at
home any place he gives out with his
beautiful song.
He prefers well-shaded garden, but
will come to sunny one. He likes rho
dodendrons and other acid-soil-loving
plants, but viii be happy where such
things will not grow.
In sunshine or shade he is the same
good bird, beautiful to look at, interest
ing to watch, and rare enough to pre-
vent any group of solid citizens from
ganging up on him as they are plan
ming to do on the poor starlings.
The wood thrush defiles no window
ledges, nor causes perturbation on ac-
count of other birds He is clean and
neat and friend of all.
Would that all other birds-and all
other living things-were as wholesome
as the wood thrush!
He is questionable in one respect.
however In world which of recent
years has gone in for killing on a big
scale, he has no place: like many a
kind hearted human, he killssnot. He
opd thew dkero RI fhA great command.
ment, Thou shalt not kill