Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-11-22
This and That
By Charles E. TracepeH.
BETHESDA, Md.

BETHESDA, Md.
This fall we have two mockingbirds.
and both OF them refused our raisins
Tor several weeks, but now they are
back again. clamoring for them.
what do you suppose made them
refuse them for time, and now come
back to them?
This is the only year we ever have
mad two Knockers at the same time. Do
you suppose they could be pair?
1t seems to me that this is one of
the best OF all the birds. never fail to
be pleased at the sight Of these birds.
What else can put out for them when
it gets cold?
with appreciation, I am
Very truly yours, C. D."
No doubt comparatively warm weather
and plenty OF dogwood and poke berries
iured our correspondents mockingbirds
away for time.
Search in the neighborhood would re-
veal most Of the poke berries gone, and
inroads made In the dogwood berries.
Mockers well fed by human kindness
nevertheless must get tired of diet
OF raisins, bread and doughnuts, three
OF the standards for this breed.
Add apples. and you have complete
winter diet for the mockingbird.
The four foods are comparatively
plentiful, and do well in the outdoors
even in the coolest weather. They
attract, of course, many other species.
including the starlings and English SPAR
rows. Pigeons will eat bread with
gusto.
Squirrels, being almost omniyerous.
like to sample all those foods, including
the raisins, but specialize on bread
stuffs.
It Is commonly believed that only the
male Knockers stay here during the
cold. Their fair ladies, having superior
intelligence, according to this belief.
move South for the winter.
Tne chances are, however, that two at
local feeding station at this time OF
year are pair, since two males would
light each other, in all probability.
Much would depend upon the in
dividual birds. Some of them are
belligerent, others placid In disposition.
The mockingbird, like the olive, is a
taste.
Some people naturally like him, others
do not. but there is always q chance
that ones taste may change
II . nasty -tempered. one is encoun-
tered, driving away all other birds, the
observer may feel that mockingbirds in
general are bad
Let us warn against that idea.
Mockers, like people, come in >m1ny
strains. Some of them are as sweet
as can be, others bold and bad, others
IN between, so that 1t is impossible to
speak generalities about them.
This often makes people who have
seen only good" Knockers hot under the
collar when some one speaks derisively
OF what Is to them only q noble bird.
~ Il
Ever since Sep Winner wrote 70 Lis
ten to the Mockingbird' people in gem
eral have paid attention to the species.
And no wonder, because he is q
magnificent singer, whose incessant
strains all summer, and especially on
moonlight nights, would put him In q
jazz band II he wore trousers.
Such goings on, musically, are seldom
heard from other birds Upon occa-
sion the catbird equals him, and maybe
one or two others, but the rest are left
Down South, some say that the old
rnockingbird sings down the chimney, =
because Of shut doors and windows.
Surely his notes would come in that
way, because they are loud and long,
and can turn all sorts Of corners.
This idea is partly due to the fact