Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-07-26
This and. That
BIZ Charles Z. TrdcetUeH


Blacksnake in the nest Is q sad occasional
fact in bird life.
NJ j. L. OF Gambrills, Nd, gives the fol-
lowing account:
Early in the spring a pair Of phoebes
built their nest Just below the ceiling level
of our front stoop This stoop Is a recess
built into the brick front of the house about
eight feet wide and two feet deep.
The phoebes built their swallow-like
nest about two feet from the front door
itself. taking advantage Of an ornamental
effect in the brick to incorporate the open
ing in the brickwork into the bottom Of
their nest. Both male and female, believe
built the nest.
I'm time the female laid four eggs, the
eggs Matched. and the male. who had alb
sented himself from the vicinity during the
mother to feed the fledglings.
"On the 18th or 18th day the
babies now fully feathered. and practically
the same size as their parents. took flight.
To us it was remarkable that they made
awkward flights for only few hours and
then took off into the tall trees. That night
the nest was empty.
The front door was a busy place. At
night frequently lights were turned on. but
while the mother seemed anxious she stayed
by her little home. True. our whole family
used the front door as little as possible, but
even so we thought that she would perhaps
think that her chosen site could have been
better one.
ITO our amaZement, she came back In q
couple of weeks and laid four more eggs
all of which Matched out and once again the
heavy parental duties began for the older
phoebes.
ION the night of July 4. we heard the
babies squeaking about II o'clock and went
out to investigate.
ITO our horror. a foot Of blacksnake
was hanging out of the nest. with the rest
Of the creature coiled In it.
With pair of pliers we yanked the snake
out.
Two of the babies came out with the
snake and were already dead the other two
tumbled out afterward. We put the two
living birds back. The older birds were
nowhere around.
In the morning one more baby was dead
and the parents put in appearance.
"One of the parent birds lit on the step
with something in it's mouth, but instead of
flying to the nest as soon as it figured the
coast was clear this time it sat there in
what seemed to me to be reflective attitude
period and then flew away BY night time
the last baby was dead. Did the parent
know that the baby was dying? The nest
ling did not make its usual food-demanding
cheep."
Here's true story from street about
pop-eyed cardinal.
G. G. B. writes:
About three months ago lady redbird
Of very unusual appearance visited our feed
ing board.
"She not only had no top-knot. but her
whole head was as bald as an onion.
After few visits she disappeared. and
we supposed that we had seen the last of her.
"A week ago she reappeared with fringe
OF fuzzy white feathers outlining the bald
spot
"She comes when no other birds are feed
ing and leaves Immediately If any appear.
Still we thought her unique-possibly the
victim of a domestic quarrel-but yesterday
brightly colored male, having the same
denuded head, appeared.
They are very queer looking, as without
the feathers their eyes seem unusually large
and appear to protude above the flat-topped
head
Except for the head the birds seem to
be fine specimens of their kind-sleek. lively
and well colored.
I'VE live west of Georgetown. and others
may have seen this same pair in this section"
This condition may be due to some dietary
deficiency. In humans q somewhat similar
eye state sometimes results from too active
thyroid.
An infection of some sort might possibly
account for such condition.
The birds might have got some high
powered spray on their heads, say DOT or
something similar Little Is known about the
affects Of these things on birds.