Evening star., 1947-01-07
This and That
Bv Charles E. TruceWell.
GLEN ECHO, Md.


Dear Sir:
1--WE read your column every day, and
enjoy 1t very much.
'sI want to write you about problem
we have here. We feed the birds seed
bread and suet when we can get II,
and we also put out raisins for the
mockingbird, that's our problem.
"He won't let any other bird eat
thing If he can help it.
"We had two pairs of cardinals or
redbirds, and we sure do love them, but
haven't seen them for several days.
do you think he will keep that up
all winter?
"I feel like taking a gun to him, he
acts so mean. OF course, I won't do
that.
"We have starlings. chickadees, nut
matches, titmice, the big woodpecker,
also the downy, also the jays and lots
of sparrows. Once in a while we see
a purple finch and the little brown
creeper.
"Well, it keeps the old mocker very
busy all day keeping them away. And
1 think he has scared the redbirds away
completely.
DO you think he will give up soon?
yours truly. I. g."
Belligerent mockingbirds usually give
I'D after a few days-or weeks.
The best thing to do is to try to lure
them to another side of the house.
If the foods they particularly like are
mt out for them at the front of the
house. instead of in the back where the
regular feeding station is they may give
over the attack.
These foods are. particularly, dough-
nuts, raisins and apple.
Once the old mocker spots them, he
may prefer such fare to the sport OF
driving other birds away from food he
does not want
This is what makes one angry at such
Knockers. If they drove the other birds
away, and ate, that would be one thing,
but practically always such bird is
a dog-in- -the-manger type; he does not
want to eat seeds, himself, but he does
not want any other bird to eat, either
So he chases them all away, and some
of the more sensitive natures, such as
cardinals, will 60 elsewhere.
This is always sadness to those who
like the birds, since the redbird is one
of the great universal favorites, prob
ably more beloved of more people than
any other bird.
Just whether a pair driven away by
q pestiferous mockingbird will come back
remains to be seen. If he Is not per-
mitted to poster them too long, the
cardinals may return, but ii they become
established at some other feeding place
in the neighborhood they are not likely
to return until spring.
If the belligerent bird can be induced
to eat some doughnuts, or come to look
regularly every morning for raisins, he
may quit bothering the other birds
1t is good thing to put out the
raisins anew each morning at first light
when the mockingbird first begins to
fly around.
Let him once get used to finding the
food, he will forget about his sport. Not
every mocker INDUCES in it. and those
who do usually give up the attack after
a time.
This is the worst feature of beautiful
bird Whether it is due TO Indigestion,
or mean spirit, or original sin, is any
body's question. Certainly some house
holds have been so fortunate as never
to know q mockingbird of this type.
Most homes where wild birds are ca
tered to- however, will occasionally have
one of these pests Usually the face of
this type songster lacks the softness
and roundness which ordinarily dis
tinguish the species In all cases, these
are probably male birds, whose mates
have flown to the South for the winter.
The deserted spouse is simply keeping
himself in trim for the serious work of
guarding the nest next summer.