Evening star., 1946-08-23
This and That
By Charles E. TrdceUeH.
"WESTOVER DRIVE Sc

Dear Sir:
"One day while I was sprinkling the
lawn and turned the hose toward the
shrubbery near the house, robin on an
overhead wire seemed to chirp Don't'
Il discontinued spraying the spruce.
and Investigated, to find that nest and
three eggs were there. I was amazed
that the robin would build a nest so
close to the mail box.
81 fed the mother bird each day-soft
boiled eggs, bacon, lettuce, celery tops
and bread. She, of course, would fly
away when she saw me, but would re-
turn shortly for whatever treat I left
her
Recently I was taking out food and
found, to my surprise and delight, little
feet kicking the shell away The next
morning there were three very wide
mouths open when brought out food
Il, of course, did not attempt to feed
the birds, but the mother bird used
every bit of the food I placed there
every day, and sometimes several times
day.
This morning, much to my dismay,
found the nest undisturbed but two of
the babies lying on the front steps
minus their heads, and one had leg
off, couldn't find the third bird.
Would field mouse have attacked
them?
II feel that heard a shill cry In the
early morning hours, but wonder If my
imagination was playing me tricks.
There was bit of blood the size of
quarter, and just tiny spray Of the
spruce the nest was built in.
"Will the mother bird return, or is 1t
advisable to destroy the nest2
Yours truly, T. A. c."
Grackles or blue jays probably were
the culprits.
Both fly early for such nefarious
deeds.
The onslaught is always heralded by
cries Of the parents, and also from the
attackers, so that there is no doubt that
our correspondent heard the affair 60
ing on.
But it would have been impossible to
have stopped it, especially if the crack
les were responsible, because these large
and powerful birds simply fly in, as the
young birds perch on the rim of the
nest, and bite off their heads.
Often leg or two Is torn off, just for
the fun of It,
1t must be a grackle's idea of sport,
because there Is no need for such
cruelty.
Jays tear up the bodies more.
The nipped off heads and legs are
signs of grackle cussedness
One has but to take a close look at
a grackle's eye to understand.
This eye is one Of the meanest in all
nature.
Not even the serpents have worse
eye. Even jackals and hyenas have
eyes which are mild in comparison.
Usually there is not much blood let
ting. Fortunately, the little birds die
quickly.
Field mice. at times, may kill birds,
but not very often.
Even chipmunks will get baby birds
when the nest is low
These attacks are made so suddenly
that the parents, no matter how devoted
they are, never have time to prevent
them.
Once we looked out a window at 5
am. and saw grackle tear off the
heads of four baby cardinals.
By the time we got downstairs and
the door open it was much too late.
While the grackle is a handsome.
shining creature, he should be chased
away from all places where feeding OF
songbirds Is carried on.
If he and his companions insist on
hanging around, one may suspect mur-
der in the backs of their minds, and
should see to 1t that they are made to
feel unwelcome.
Blue jays, despite their i'll name in
some quarters, are usually good birds to
have around, on account of their beauty,
more normal behavior and comical
ways and noises.
The mother bird, In this instance, will
not return, but there Is no need to de-
stroy the nest.