Evening star., 1949-03-01
This and That
By Charles E. Trace,CeH
"RITCHIE ROAD S.E.
BIZ Charles f.

Dear Sir:
The other day there appeared in your
column letter in which A. M. asked about
the father redbird feeding the mother bird
a seed
Il feel certain that A. M. would have
enjoyed watching a drama I saw. No more
than 3 feet outside our kitchen window
on a 5-foot-high post is a bird feeding
station. To one side is cedar tree-on
the other a lilac.
Among the regular visitors are Mr.. and
Mrs. Redbird. And, just as you have said,
whenever they arrive together. he eats first,
while the Mrs. perches on a lilac branch.
Sometimes he does take crumb in his
BILL hop to her side and feed her. Most
often, though, he flies away, leaving her to
pick up food for herself.
But it was last summer I witnessed the
thing that amazed me.
"On one of his trips to the station he
brought along not only Mrs. Redbird. but
another female besides!
Both the lady birds perched in the lilac
bush, not far apart while Mr.. Redbird
helped himself at the tray.
when he had finished, having helped
himself generously. he hoped to the side
Of Mrs. Redbird and offered her the bit Of
bread which he carried in his bill. She
accepted it. thanked him prettily, and then
sat quietly by, in apparent approval of what
followed.
"Mr. Redbird returned to the tray for
another bit of bread which was not intended
for her nor for himself, but which was
taken with the same debonair manner to the
othef lady redbird.
She had remained there with friendly
patience all that time. Her manners. too,
were gracious, as she accepted the delicacy.
Hardly able to believe what I had just
witnessed, I groped for an explanation.
Who was this other lady? Was Mr..
Cardinal a bigamist? If So he had the
evident approval of Mrs. Redbird
WAS he trying to bring up two families
imitation and housing shortage being as
they are?
And what was it Id always heard about
birds taking one. and only one, mate for
life?
Because am very fond of all my birds
I sought to vindicate Mr. Redbird by trying
to think up some good excuse for him.
The seriousness of the situation seemed
to dissolve in the very plausible assumption
that Mr. Redbird was merely acting upon
orders from Mrs Redbird
He must be polite to his mama-n-law
so long as she was visiting them!
Very truly yours S. L. c.
&&
Not all birds mate for life, by any means
That is another of the pretty fictions.
The cardinal, as one might suspect from
looking at him, is by no means limited to
interest in just one lady friend.
After his selection has been made, that
is another matter; but even then the case
may not last longer than the nesting season.
,t,nf MN 70
"the steady wife" is very good natured and
tolerant.
House wrens, too sometimes indulge in
two wives at time.
Johnny Wren sometimes deserts his wife
on the nest something no honest redolrd
would ever think of doing and takes himself
another wife and brings up another family.
There have been instances of father wrens
trying their best to take care OF two families
at once.
The manners of the redbird mother are
above reproach, in most cases, except at
nesting time when she can become perfect
virago If she thinks her nest is threatened.
We recall one summer. when some bird
whizzed so fast by the window that 1t was
impossible to see which it was.
This was repeated several days, until we
finally saw it to be mother cardinal chasing
a catbird which she thought had designs
on her nest. Perhaps he did. Catbrds are
not above such tricks, at times, although
for the most part very f1neWellows.
The mother cardinal is, in some respects,
a more interesting bird than her mate, and
certainly is more beautiful despite the fact
that she lacks the deep coloring. Her own
colors are more subdued, more refined, as
an old fashioned word had it, but the pat
tern is appealing. and the colors nice. All
in ALL the cardinal family, with the young
more resembling her than their father for
the first year, make up one Of our best
bird groups, one that remains with us the
year around.