Evening star., 1948-07-01
This and That
Bu Charles E. TraceapeH

Many people have lived in the country all
their lives, and know many birds by sight,
name and call, but never know bird habits.
This was the situation of correspondent,
who has found the personal study OF mock
ingbird family something new in life.
s'The first evening in the big world" says the
communication, found these little Knockers
prepared to spend the night most nearly
where they landed-on low branches of shrubs,
on which they would have been in great danger
of our nightly prowler, cat.
After dark, lifted each into cage, using
a doubled handkerchief.
"They were quite upset, but shortly quieted
down. when covered up. About O'Clock next
morning when the parent birds were around
to insure their safety, scanned the landscape
for cats, and gave the young birds head
start into the shrubs.
THE parents, though the male had lived
in our garden beds, and at his feeding station
there, were quite excited upon finding their
offspring SO near me.
"All day they few among the low branches
At night we were quite touched to find both
nestled side by side in the highest OF the
bushes, less than feet up
Fearing to move them again, tried to tune
one ear In their direction, watching them until
late at night then again early IN the morning
when the cats prowl. usually about o'clock
THE next day, unbeknown to me, they
made the lower limbs of large oak. We could
neither see nor hear them and of course,
wondered about their safety.
Following high wind and rain storm, l
was delighted to spy them, through opera
glasses up high in the tree flying about,
chirping and seemingly at a safe range at last
During the first two nights away from the
nest the baby Knockers seemed to nave no
sense of danger.
"One can walk within reach of them, they
perch so motionless
Moving things. such as people must seem
very strange to them at first.
"To my knowledge, these birds lived that
first week in the trees. We saw and heard
them. It was unusually stormy that entire
week, and whether that, alone, could have
accounted for it, did wonder.
"I noticed the father bird taking food from
the station to the trees. Could he be feeding
the babies my raisins? He was!
He has demanded food with loud chip,
chip, while peering into the windows
"And now the babies come of their own
accord much of the time staying on the
branches, just as their father does, shrieking
their lungs out for him.
1T has been only within the last week that
they have shown resourcefuness, in that they
f1y readily and follow the pattern of the
parents.
at is quite amazing to me. in my ignorance,
to learn that these baby birds have remained
so dependent upon the parents for over four
weeks.
And that the parents have kept up such
devoted routine Of feeding and caring for
their young.
"The little fellows have stayed constantly
together in the trees on the ground, roostins
side by side,
"All of these things we have seen so near
to U.s."
So continues the education of the young
mocknehrds-and Of kindly Arlington
watcheri 4.
This is that good education of which none
Of US can ever get too much.
Formal education. or schooling. from one
person to another is only mart OF true educa-
ton The first of it is what We gather for
ourselves in daily life. One of the good WAYS,
often overlooked, is to watch birds and animals,
even insects.
observe the life of the nest of flying ants.
how they peer out of the hole In the steps
Note the steadily growing pile OF sawdust
No electric saw could deliver it finer How
intelligent they are! Yet q little ant trap,
baited with thallium, soon kills the entire nest.
That is something outside their knowledge