Evening star., 1947-04-26
This and That
By Charles E. Trdce1Dell
"SFENCERvILLE, Md,


Dear Sir:
Being in an isolated section of the
country lover miles north OF the
above address, we have many birds. We
nave identified over 20 kinds, but two
nave us puzzled. Can you identify
them please?
second week in March. He's or 7k
inches, mas dusky black head darkest
just above his dark, sharp bilD settled
almost on his shoulders. Back and
forked tail are blackish -grayish- brown
ish.
Throat is white, with the white ex-
tending well to the back; breast is off,
white, shaded with gray In sunlight,
through glasses, his sides have a yel-
lowish tinge. He loves low shrubs, but
whistles from the tree tops, and sings
a twittering little song on the wing.
From his feeding habits, he is OBJ
vionslv Cne Of the aycatchers. He's
overweeningly curious, and has been a
great joy to us with his fun-loving tao
tics. For weeks We have played game
OF hide-and-seek, or so we like to think.
He ."irpS outside window until we
come to look at him, then just as we
start analyzing his points, he carts to
shrub outside another window and
begins calling again-and so on, round
and round the house. He has twice
flown against the kitchen window
"A week ago, his mate arrived
"The day following, Percy found him.
self prisoner in an abandoned chick
en- house. How he got In, no one
knows (probably not even Percy, but
he is as full of curiosity as he can be.
We heard his forlorn 'tseep' and went
to his rescue. His mate met him i'm
mediately in their favorite walnut tree.
'They are definitely the only pair
Of their kind in this area Are they
pEoebes? Or olive-sided flycatchers?
(Remember, Percy was here early in
MarchD Percys whistle is the loud,
clear whip-whee described in the bird
guide, but the second syllable Is not
plaintive to our ears-it is definite, de-
termined and full of delight, like Percy
himself.
"The other bird that puzzles us is
the size of chipping sparrow, but
Simmer. It has reddish brown head,
and stripe the same color through its
large eye.
All underparts are uniformly gray
no stripes or specks, and 1t is this same
gray that the rose-brown line of the
eye runs through. Back of the neck
is the same gray.
Shoulders and wings are slightly
brighter than head, and are striped with
black, sparrow fashion. Tail is forked,
dark, and rather long, apd drags on
the ground while the birds feed (on
our lawn seed, mostly.
They visit us in hocks of five or
six, and occasionally sing little twit-
tering song like that Of female canary.
"This bird most nearly approaches
the picture of the field sparrow, except
that its tail is forked, and breast is
the same color as nape of neck.
"Your column is our favorite, en-
chanting even the 5-year-old of the
family. Sincerely yours, r. B. NJ"
Our correspondent identified both
birds correctly.
The first is the phoebe, the second
| the field sparrow.
One can never be too sure about de-
| tails In the various bird guides. Birds
are individuals, too-no doubt, Percy,
being a true individualist, does not
sound bit plaintive-except when he
| gets shut up somewhere.
Bird photographs and paintings Diff
fer, TOO. Two Of the same bird may
show, one, tail forked; two. the tail
| unforked.
An excellent plate in Birds of Amer
lea" shows nicely forked tail for the
| field sparrow, and demonstrates just
how long the tail Is.
As to the phoebe, he is q friendly,
interesting bird, one whose habits make
1t . real friend Of man.