Evening star., 1948-08-04
This and That
BIZ Charles E. TraceaUeH

More and more Washington favorite every
year is the catbird.
This sleek fellow somehow manages to win
his way
His neat coat and coloring, gray and black,
and his odd ways, endear him to all bird
watchers.
His voice adds touch of the piquant.
He nests close to houses in shrubbery some
times losing his babies to observing cats.
The next season he comes back to the same
place and builds another nest in the old site
This may mean lack of discretion, or just
plain enthusiasm.
There is no telling, for our catbird is an odd
one. That Is part of his charm.
There is one small catbird living in local
home.
He sleeps on the living room curtain, dis
daining perches offered him.
He eats WELL but now refuses to drink. One
way is to place big drop of water on the
end of his bill. Often such bird will get the
single drop when he refuses more at time
A very shallow saucer should be kept avail
able.
Some moisture is secured through beetles
"bugs" and pieces of earthworm. Only the
smallest specimens are to be used, and these
should be torn into very short lengths The
idea OF thus tearing living things is not
particularly nice one, but If there Is any
creature that will suffer as little as possible,
no doubt 1t is the earthWorm.
This particular bird refused to go to sleep
except in human hand.
So full quota of four hands was offered
it.
To such lengths will bird 1osers 60!
This young catbird is now given, we are
informed, small pellets made of mixed ham
burger and liver.
The addition of the latter adds not only
,;toy nd mir hit a1Sn moisture
This bird has become such baby" that
its helpers have decided to keep it this fall
and winter.
They intend to turn it loose next spring.
Another family has undertaken the feeding
of two small catbirds, whose mother and father
left them to begin new nest.
As soon as the parents saw the two young
birds eating raisins from the hands of these
friends, they evidently decided all was well
They left Immediately, and no more has
been seen of them.
The young birds come regularly for food.
Raisins are cut up and rolled between
the fingers, before they are offered.
Usually this is not at all necessary. Raisins
are much loved by catbirds and seem to agree
with them.
Catbirds nest twice a season.
From four to six eggs are laid, although six
will seldom be found.
The eggs are dark blue green, considerably
darker than those Of the robin.
The nest is fairly large, made Of leaves, roots
and grasses, and lined with grass.
Mostly the nest is placed in shrubbery, not
higher than 10 feet; 4 to feet Us the usual
height.
la
There can be little question that this Is one
of the easiest and best birds to bring up by
hand.
If the parents are killed the young catbirds
are easily raised They are fed every hour, at
first, with bits of raw beef, scraped; liver, yolk
of hardboiled egg, bits Of bread and milk.
Water is given often with medicine dropper.
Later small bugs and worms are fed from
paper on which some earth has been spread.
As soon as the baby bird has learned to
take food from the ground, feeding becomes
easy.
II it is thought best to keep one until spring.
q cage should be secured, and the bird handled
as one would a canary Usually lice offer no
problem, but at times become troublesome.
No cat or dog flea powder should be used. Care
must be taken to use only powders sold Tor
canary birds.