Evening star., 1946-01-30
This and That
By Charles E. TrdceDeH.
BELMONT ROAD.

Dear Sir:
Until few days ago we had quite a
happy feeding station. Our inhabitants
were mostly sparrows, juncos, some
cardinals and the usual number Of
starlings.
Then a robust fellow appeared on
the scene and proceeded to boss the
works. After day or so of Just sitting
around surveying the situation, he sud-
denly decided that all of the arrange
ments had been made for his special
benefit and proceeded to chase all
corners
This party is probably trifle smaller
than male robin. 1t has blush gray
breast, well fortified with fluffy down, an
unusually long tail of the hawk type.
The outer feathers of the tail on the
underside are white. The top tail feath-
ers are of the blush gray. His head is
dark gray, and it has black beak about
one-half inch long, slightly curved
downward at the outer end.
There is some rather light gray mixed
with the gray brown of its wings. This
Is seen only when in flight, and the
same Is true OF the white tail feathers.
His antagonistic attitude toward the
other customers at the feeder is dis
couraging although he does not appear
to attempt harmful proceedings on the
smaller birds (just f1ushes them.
AS for the starlings, he appears to
have the human dislike and goes for
them as though a direct hit was in
tended.
And they make no rebuttal, but scat
ter at his approach.
Not only does this stranger control
the situation during feeding hours, but
1t parks in the wild grape vine in the
rear of the house, and thus has supreme
command at all hours.
Your diagnosis of the problem will
be much appreciated, as many of us
consult your column as religoiusly as
we do the Hagerstown Almanac.
Very respectfully, M. C. K"
*xx
mockingbird has descended on the
fold.
Not every mocker assumes this dog
ln-the-manger" attitude, but many of
them do, and when it happens the feed
ing of smaller birds is interrupted for
a time.
Often time is "of the essence" as the
silly phrase has it.
The mockingbird either becomes ad-
Justed to the scene, or decides to 20
elsewhere.
O1ten this process may be helped by
the householder who feeds the birds.
II he is careful to not put out any
preadstun OF any sort and to refrain
from placing raisins for the songbirds,
ne may drive the mocker away.
Bread Is great favorite of this fine.
spunky bird. Let no mistake be made
our mockingbird is great fellow. and
we must appreciate the fact that many
OF them decide to spend their winters
with U.s.
The bullying instinct is a part of him,
Often the passage of time has an
ameliorating influence, but now and
then specimen will fly in which re-
fuses to grow more civilized.
II care is taken to withhold its ia
'vorlte foods, as instanced, it will be
forced to seek elsewhere, since it cannot
eat seeds and grains.
DogWood berries always attract this
fighter.
We might suggest that food be put
out IN sufficient quantity to keep the
birds busy all day long, rather than Just
de 1eeulng nourS, as this gives the
beligerent n1ocker more work than he
can handle.
Another suggestion is that his particu-
lar sort OF food be put out for him on
the other side Of the house. This some-
times has good effect.
Mockingbirds dislike starlings. The
other day we heard great squeakinR
on the back porch and, looking out, saw
9 mockinghird bomb-diving lone star
ling at the ctirrants on the rail.
Time and time again the mocker few
down. sometimes perching a few feet
above the starting In the lattice, and
then hurting himself directly at him.
The startling always held his ground,
however and fought back with barred
beak, so that at last the mockingbird
decided to give up the attack.