Evening star., 1947-03-22
This and That
BIZ Charles E. TrdceUell
"33rd Street.

CCl0 OUlCCU.
Dear Sir:
MY back yard is surrounded by a
high fence and high walls and affords
such privacy that it has become bird
and small animal sanctuary.
Last summer I had four catbirds
that ate out of my hand. They left for
the South about October 7.
do you think they will come back
here again this coming summer? About
when can I expect them if they do
return?
Sincerely yours, H. R. s., Col. U. S. "A.
(Retired)"
The earliest record of a catbird re-
turning to the District of Columbia is
March IA, but this was unusual.
The average date of arrival is April o.
There can be little doubt that the four
pet catbirds will make every effort to get
back to place where they were treated
so well.
In our own yard every spring and
summer we have about the same num-
ber of these birds, and have felt sure
that they are the same ones season after
season.
Unless birds are banded, however, 1t is
extremely difficult to know they are the
same ones.
Ordinarily, the fact that about the
same number appears makes one feel
they are the old friends.
The catbird is one of the real princes
of the American bird world.
Those who are fond of house cats
as well as Wildbirds will be glad that
these wonderful birds are named after
them.
Those who dislike cats, on the other
hand, may think the bird is misnamed,
or even hold a grudge against it for the
cat-like meow or NEW it makes.
This latter attitude would be a great
mistake. Few birds have finer attri-
butes. None is prettier.
The catbird has something not all
birds have-he grows on you. When a
person begins to be interested in bird
life, he has the cardinal to begin
with, to know almost as if by instinct.
He has the snowbird to admire, and the
trusty old robin to fall back on He
even may have a sneaking admiration
for English sparrows, and believe in his
secret heart that starlings are interest
ing
But the catbird for time-he bushes
to think of it-may leave him cold.
X X
Catsie is an odd fellow, no doubt of it,
and like all the other odd fellows of this
world, he must make his way in it, Not
for him, in many instances, the easy
conquests of the ruby-throated hum
n1inphlr6 ppn1 Of tho S1Irroroer
The catbird has to move into the
mind before he can enter the heart,
but once in he can never be ousted. So
there are compensations, as he and all
the other odd fellows know.
He builds his nests low, often too low,
but he and his mate are good parents,
and raise perhaps as many little ones
as any other species
He is very fond of raisins, so these are
the best lure. At nesting time he likes
ground meat, which helps him feed his
youngsters. A platter of meat put out
in the evening is great help to all
nesting birds. The job of keeping those
gaping bills filled is hard one, at best,
and ground meat helps fill the bill, be-
sides giving the parents something to
eat for themselves.
The catbird, for our eye, is one of the
most beautiful of all native birds. The
combination of soft grays and black, the
perfection of line, and the intelligent
face, combine to make him practically
perfect. Even the unusual bird cry in
times strikes the hearer as just what
such a creature should have.
It is the facial expression of this bird,
however, above everything else, that
makes the grSt appeal.
Not bird face in these parts can out
do his. 1t possesses sweetness, grace, a
look of understanding and appreciation: ::
it somehow transcends his whole line
of singing birds and takes on attributes
of perfection, which ordinarily we as
sociate only with our best imaginings
of angels. well, almostD
Many friends OF this species fail to
realize that the catbird is one OF our
finest singers, whose notes are often
mistaken for those of the mockingbird.
Experts rank him third to the mocker
and thrasher. If he has been accused
of being a nest-robber, let us remember
that the same charge has been made
against many other species, including
little Jenny Wren herself.