Evening star., 1946-04-20
This and That
S E. TraceUell.
"HIGH STPEET CT

:
Dear Sir:
Il would like to ask you about a net
mockingbird that has lived in our garden
winter and summer for the last five or
six years
He and his mate, who returns each
spring, have raised several families in
our rose arbor and other times in yards
around us.
We call the male bird Scampy as he
used to sit on the grape arbor and chase
all the other birds away, even the
pigeons. He is very tame, and knows nv
voice, and whenever go out into the
garden he follows me around.
When I had my dog and would take
MIN to the woods for a walk Scampv
would fly along with us, and actually
talk to US.
But feel so sad-about three weeks
ago he came to the back porch, and I
noticed one leg was hanging limp, and
he kept picking under his wing, as I
could not get near enough to him to
catch him and did not want to frighten
him.
He seems to want me to do something
Tor him, though. He still comes for his
ralslns as put them on shelf so he
does not have to stand too long on
one foot
He can fly but has no use of that
limp leg as yet. His mate is very atten-
tive to him, but his fight is all gone,
and he looks SO pitiful.
viii he ever gain the use of that leg.
and will he live through the cold winter?
Gould l encourage him into cage?
He will come onto the porch and
right on the table looking for raisins.
but since I have put my screens up on
the porch he cannot get inside, but sits
on the arbor until I come out.
Yours sincerely, NJ A. H."
X X X
IL STREET.
Dear Sir:
L have enjoyed your articles in The
Star Tor years and have sent many of
them to my sisters in Chester County.
Pa. They are ardent bird lovers and
have recently moved to West Chester.
the county seat.
In a letter received yesterday, she
says: We enjoyed the clippings. Our
mocklngblrd has us very much worried,
as we nave not seen or heard it for four
or live days. The raisins put on the
WlndoWslll are still there. 1t was spend
ing most of the time here, and if it has
gone to meet its mate it surely would
come back to US
Il wonder if you can give any explana
ton of its sudden disappearance other
than that it may have met with an
accident?
Yours very sincerely, E. W."
Mockingbirds are large, hearty fellows,
and, like most hearty fellows, are likely
to get into trouble
Many of them get crippled legs, and
most of these manage to get along very
well.
Nature finally cures" at least to some
extent, the broken member, and the
victim learns to balance itself on it's one
good leg and tail
Most species can stiffen the tail feath-
ers at will
An example of this may be seen in the
little doWny woodpecker, which often
leans back on its tail as it hammers at
a tree.
A crippled mocker usually lives through
the winters, provided that some human
being sees to it that he has plenty of
food, including bread and raisins.
Almost any bird may be trapped, but
a Wlldbird often fights incarceration so
desperately that it is better off outdoors,
even If crippled. Care must be taken to
see that such bird is permitted to eat.
This means seeing to it that he has a
special feeding place, and that other
birds are not permitted to visit it very
much.
Mockingbirds often nest across the
street, or up the block, rather than in
the place the male may have lived all
winter. In such cases it may be sew
eral weeks before they return to the old
place. Sometimes they may not come
back until winter.