Evening star., 1948-04-03
This and That
Bu Charles E. TrdceDelI
"CHEVY CHASE MT

Dear Sir:
Il have been a reader of your column for
many years and greatly missed it during the
war when was away from home. I'D
Il decided upon my return in the fall Of
1916 to feed all the birds which frequented
the neighborhood in which live The results
have made me very happy. My greatest achi-
evement was the past summer when finally
enticed several catbirds to eat raisns which I
had dropped at my feet.
"The problem bring you is this: For the
past week there has been small flock Of birds
perched from time to time in some kind Of
red berry-bearing tree in a neighbor's yard.
They are very shy and it was only this morn
ing that I secured good look at them.
They have grayish back, light breast with
q crest horizontal to the body At the tip
OF each wing there is a red square and the
end Of the tail carries distinct light-colored
band
There Is black streak running from the
base of the bill to the back of the head I
have identified these birds as the cedar wax
wing. Do you think my Identification is
correct?
This is the first time that I have ever
noticed one of them. The birdbook, as I
understand it, carries them with the mocking-
birds and other similar species. I have never
seen mockingbirds in flocks.
with all good wishes for your continued
success. I am,
very Truly yours, j. II. II.
waxings and mockingbirds come together
only under the great order of singing birds.
They both belong to the order Passeres,
suborder Oscines, but that means simply that
they have roughly similar vocal apparatus,
not that they are in any sense related or alike.
As q matter Of fact, the cedar waxwing is
not even q singer in the ordinary acceptance
of the term.
-Jy4
themselves, found only in the Northern Hemi-
sphere
Our familiar species, the cedar waxwing and
the Bohemian waxwing, have horny, drop
shaped tips to the secondaries which resemble
sealing wax.
Waxwings live among trees where they eat
fruits, berries and insects.
They ordinarily fly in small bands. We
have report Of SO of the birds in one cedar
tree in Bethesda, Md.
Mockingbirds belong to the group of mimic
thrushes, as they are called, resembling the
true thrushes and wrens.
The brown thrasher catbird and mocker are
the chief members, and none Of them goes in
nocks. OF course.
SILVER SPRING, MD.
"Dear Sir:
"Six years ago we came here to Silver Spring
"Since then have fed the birds summer and
winter and have had some wonderful expert
ences with them.
I'VE have had one pair of orioles each sum-
mer and like to think they are the same
ones that come back each year.
THE male is beautiful with his black and
gold coat and the little lady Is 30 shy in her
soft shades Of brown.
"His call sounds like Pete so we named him
Pete.
when would put out food and call Pete
he got used to my voice, he would come in the
tree at the back Of the house, then down on
the railing, and eat. After a few times she,
too, would come down for food.
"One summer was In the hospital, and
when the girls did not put out his breakfast,
he would come to the window sill and peck on
the glass
Yesterday morning when was resting in
bed, heard familiar sound
Il told my daughter that it sounded like
Pete and she said, No, Mr.. Tracewell said
they wouldn't be here until May but there
he was, as big as life. strutting around calling
Pete again.
Maybe have the first oriole of 1s4s
Sincerely, NJ a."
Mrs. H. carries OF the banner all right
Usually Baltimore orioles arrive here in early
May. or late April at the earliest.
May Is the usual date, with April a
regarded as early. One was seen, however, In
January, once.
Exceptionally warm weather, with plenty
Of rain. In March, led many Of the birds TO
advance their schedules.