Evening star., 1947-07-30
This and That
BIZ Charles z. TrdceDell.
IVAN NESS STREET.

Dear Sir:
1.-TWO weeks ago visited some friends In the
Northern Neck. My host had car of ancient
vintage which stands under shade tree in his
front yard when not in use, which Is rather
small fraction of the time.
"One morning we borrowed the car to make
tour of the scenes of my childhood At about
o'clock we found ourselves out of gas. We
managed to get to a garage. The attendant
raised the hood, peered in and called to my
host to come see.'
I'm between the radiator and the front of
the car was a birds nest with two brown
speckled tiny eggs in 1t. We got our gas and
went on home. The car was taken out again
that night, and returned about 1880 and
parked In its usual place
Next morning about $3.50 o'clock we Lifted
the hood and lo there were three eggs In the
nest.
II sat at some distance. and watched IN
hopes of seeing the bird responsible, but saw
no signs of her.
"The car was used all that day and until
about midnight.
THE following morning we went to the car
and bird few out Of an aperture in the side.
II caught but a hasty glimpse but 1t ap-
parently was some species of sparrow We
lifted the hood and found there were now four
eggs in the nest.
"As It was about 10 o'clock, and We had not
Caught Cne DlrQ on Gn6 n6SC before, we CI1OuSQC
she must have begun to set.
I'VE discussed removing the nest to the tree
but felt the bird would not then recognize the
nest and so left it to fate. I came home that
day very dubious as to the future of that bird
family
"The mystery to me is how the birds found
time to build the nest while the car was in such
general use The eggs were laid, of course, early
in the morning when the car was always parked
under the tree.
Though only too certain that the eggs will
never be Matched, I intend to know the ultimate
fate of the daring experiment.
Very respectfully E. s. g."
House wrens, and some warblers, like to build
nests in such places.
Jenny Wren would think nothing wrong in
such site
In fact. If Johnny Wren demonstrated, she
would be quite sure that no place else would do.
Jenny is like that
House wrens lay from to eggs, but usually
they are not too heavily spotted with brown.
Sometimes they are quite or almost plain, and
we have seen them of clear pink.
Jenny specializes in pretending that she is not
interested In the nest
The presence of humans will drive both birds
away.
They fly in, however, at the first chance they
get.
Eggs can go for long time in warm weather
without harm. The presence of the mother is
not necessary all the time since the heat seems
to keep up very well; the nest is small and the
eggs are closely packed.
There are several warblers, and few spar
rows, that might build in such a situation.
Most species at times seem to prefer the usual
nesting site.
robin built inside house not yet COM
pleted in the Chevy Chase area. The bird chose
the hole in the wall where the medicine cabinet
was to be.
The builder refused to put in the cabinet until
the nesting was completed, and the baby robins
hatched out indoors and were fed there by their
parents while the carpenters and others went
about their usual tasks
Only birds which naturally build in holes in
trees would select such nesting site as under
the hood of an automobile A few warhlers. a
few sparrows, and the wrens are the likely
candidates. In this case.