Evening star., 1946-02-07
This and That
By Charles z. Trnce,Dell.

20 STREET.
Dear sir: @8
For many years I have read your
column with great interest and profit,
but this Is the frst time that have
had to appeal to you for help in IDENTIFY
ing bird.
Our feeding station here in George
town attracts limited variety of birds
-nine-tenths are starlings and sparrows,
chickadees, titmice and juncos.
But today observed three birds
which have never seen before, and
which cannot Identity, even after
carefully perusing my Birds OF Eastern
North America by Charles A. Reed.
This Is what they look like: In size
they are between q sparrow and q
starting; they are grayish-olive color,
except the wings, which are barred
black and white; they have very short
tails, and heavy triangular beaks (much
the shape of the cardinals, but heavier.
They spent about an hour eating
sunflower seeds and then disappeared.
would be very grateful If you could
tell me, from this description, what
they could be-
I've read various diatribes by readers
OF your column against the SQUIRRELS,
but personally find them amusing and
lovable.
1--WE found that by putting peanuts
In . separate station, the squirrels eat
them and leave the bird stations alone.
Incidentally, cardinals, Knockers and
chickadees eat the peanuts, too.
Thank you again for your most in
teresting and worthwhile column.
Yours sincerely, w. B. c."
These birds must be female evening
grosbeaks.
Several bands of evening grosbeaks
invaded this section at Christmas time,
and have been flying around since. visit
ing the nearby Maryland and Virginia
suburbs mostly. but appearing here and
there In the city
This Is the first time that this species
has been seen here "ofIicially" for many
years, but band of about 80 was re-
ported in this column in Bethesda, Md.
in the winter of 1914.
The female Is not as bright as the
male, with his yellow breast and black
wings.
Grosbeaks are very fond of sunfiower
seeds. Evidently these wandering bands
have found our territory much to their
liking, as they have sampled the sun
flower seed put out by thousands of those
who are interested in bird feeding.
=
EUCLID STREET
Dear sir:
mo doubt, you can give me some in
formation regarding a bird which has
been in this vicinity since early winter.
This bird Is about as big as mock
ingbird, is slate gray, with white mark
ings on its wings, which do not set
close to Its body, but have the tips
dropping somewhat downward.
TITS beak is dark and long pointed.
1t has a very belligerent nature, and
has driven all the sparrows away from
their former feeding place.
The crumbs which throw out eyery
day lie there now for hours, for as soon
as the little sparrows fly down, this
bird comes swooping down on them and
then stands guard for time until they
all leave, when he flies up on a tree
nearby to keep watch.
III the birds venture near, the per-
Torrance is repeated again and again,
It eats very few Of the crumbs itself,
however, and seems to prefer little ber-
ries from vines nearby.
This bird Is very friendly to humans
and several times it has come to the
| window sill and looked in at me, nodding
| its head in peculiar way.
1T looks like wild bird, and has no
| song. It makes sound, however, that
is somewhat like a prolonged hiss.
Il enjoy your very interesting and
| instructive articles, which 1 never fail
to read "Verv Sir1cereiv a. CO.
This q very good description 81 q
mockingbird. and that, of course, /,
what it Is. Evidently our correspondent
| was not familiar with the fact that 1
few mochngbirds remain here the year
around. Too often they act Ia thii
belligerent manner.