Evening star., 1947-11-18
This and That
By Charles Z. TraceUeH.

% STREET.
Dear Sir:
"Only yesterday realized my ambition Of
listing my feeding station visitors.
II am delighted to say that over a period
of years 46 different kinds have given me
much pleasure.
This, think is remarkable, in view Of the
fact that am in the heart of the city, although
I have the advantage Of an DID, old cemetery
as back yard
To-day in the tree I saw a bird I did not
recognize. That he was of the nuthatch or
creeper family am sure, because of his bobbing
progress up the trunk.
But he moved so rapidly that by the time
I got my binoculars from the next room he
had reached the top and was out OF range.
my glimpse of him was so feeting as to be
practically worthless for description However,
he was small smaller than the white e-breasted
nuthatch, and had a mottled back, like dedg-
ling starting
Can you tell me the name Of the 47th bird
for INV note book? Sincerely, G. G.
pecker, either. They are both old friends 'of
mine"
The bird was the brown creeper.
It Is probably the most overlooked Of all birds.
This is the first time as far as we can recall,
that any one has ever written to this column
about this bird.
Yet it Is one Of our best tree santarian,
an eater of insects, both beautiful and interest
ing
Some of the books say that this is "a rather
characterless and uninteresting bird. with neu-
trail pumage and somewhat monotonous
habits"
Hokum
The bird reminds one of some true Christians,
humble and self-effacing, who are completely
forgotten, but who nevertheless keep on doing
good in their humble way.
kJ,,tt, fn11a and
group and operate in much the same way but
the bill of the creeper is weak and cannot dig
In as the bill of the downy woodpecker does.
The brown creeper, who is not SO little, after
all gets insects in crevices Of bark, or beneath
some section that has been lifted q bit.
He is a particular pal of the downy wood
pecker, but also of other good birds, such as the
white breasted nuthatch, another tree sani-
tartan.
He Is almost inches long, upper parts
brown with streaks of grayish-white. His un-
derparts are a dull white.
The bill is slender, sharp and curved down.
ward, the wings rounded and the tail about
the length of the wing
He tries to put his nest in a Ar tree. 1t is
made of f1bers, pieces OF bark and twigs
A lifelong lover of trees, the creeper tries to
find place where there is loosened section
of bark there he builds his nest
The eggs vary in number from f1Ve TO eight
They are white or cream colored, spotted with
lavender and cinnamon, with wreath around
the large end.
The bird usually keeps its head up, In
climbing.
1t goes up around the tree trunk and seldom
points head down, as does the nuthatch.
Often it leaves a tree trunk, when about two
thirds the way up and flies down to the base
again, or to the bottom of another tree.
The food of this species comprises small
insects and their eggs, moths, wasps, ants, plant
lice and caterpillars.
All Of these, of course Of the smallest sorts
those likely to be overlooked by other birds.
alternating insects and spiders and their
eggs, fall to its share.
It eats no useful" insects, nor anything
coveted by man.
1t Is truly q marvellous bird and people should
know and appreciate E~mors.