Evening star., 1947-07-16
This and That
Bu Charles E. TrGce1DeU.
BETHESDA, Md.

Dear Sir:
LAS resident of this section for over 13
years, I find We have many birds, but the
catbird had never particularly interested me
until last spring
'In June of 1916 a pair Of catbirds built a
nest in forsythia bush at our kitchen door.
I discovered the female catbird one Sunday
morning very busily engaged in selecting the
spot for her nest. AS soon as realized that
she was starting to build nest kept track
of the happenings from then on by dates.
June % and "a she built the nest.
"The male catbird seemed to help carry
materials for the nest, but the female did all
the building. In two days she had nice sub
stantial nest made.
June 25 the first egg was laid. June rs
another egg was laid and June 27 the third
egg
"On July 10 the first baby bird was Matched.
July II another baby arrived. The nest was
so low and close to the kitchen door that
could practically look directly into the nest.
II really thought the mother bird would be-
come scared of SO much noise and activity
around the kitchen porch and perhaps leave
the nest.
But such was certainly not the case, for
she and the father catbird both seemed to be
very tame and friendly.
ION July IA the third egg was still In the
nest, and T was concerned about whether 1t
would be Matched, as it had been three days
since the second egg had been Matched
"As I watched the devoted parents feeding
the baby birds, the egg in the nest seemed to
be in the way.
Finally decided to take chance and re-
move the egg from the nest, which I very
carefully did with teaspoon. Then l watched
to see what would happen when the parent
birds returned.
"They both looked around a bit, and then
oho,,t fhnr feeding
babies as if nothing had been taken away.
was glad. My husband and I both enjoyed
watching these birds and fed them ralsins
every day. We would put the raisins out on
the windowsil and the pair of catbirds would
feed themselves and their babies all day long.
"On July 20 when the baby catbirds were
growing up and about ready to fly, the nest
was torn down from its position in the forsythia
bush, and the baby birds gone.
when we discovered the nest and the birds
missing, that morning, we really felt badly.
think a cat found the nest and robbed 1t
early that morning, for it had rained during
the night and we found the prints OF cats
paws on the porch railing.
THUS ends the story of our catbirds. did
enjoy watching them so much All during
their nesting period and afterward they
were very quiet and did not even give their
cat call They would sing and sing at the
window for raisins, and almost eat from my
hand, they were SO tame.
Very truly yours, E. c. M
Catbirds seem to make very poor selection
of nesting sites.
Far too often they choose very low places in
shrubs close to buildings
When the babies get to moving around in
the nest, they attract the attention OF ma
rauders.
: The consequent loss is always sad one.
There seems to be little that the human
element in the scene can do about it. The loss
of young birds Of all species every summer is
severe This loss comes about through humans,
dogs, CATS storms, and other factors, including
the selection of poor nesting sites The birds
have been facing these dangers for centuries;
that much of their work in nesting Is for moth
ing is inevitable perhaps; we, as watchers,
must not sorrow too much. The birds do not.
After all, they simply do what human beings
do-make the best of conditions. If 1nimical
forces arise, well,' humans have their own
inimical forces, and also try to make the best
of them. There is not much difference, except
that we have better and more brains, and ought
to make better use of them. Our wars show
that too often alas, we do not do as well as
the birds: wars take a far greater toll OF hu-
man beings than cats and all other maurauders
do of the birds War remains the greatest blot
on the human intelligence, because We ought
to be able to end it, but somehow do not
seem to do so. Can it be that we, after all, Ike
to fight and destroy?"