Evening star., 1949-12-10
This and That
By Charles E. TraceweH
BETHESDA.

BETHESDA.
'.Dear Sir:
around my tree.
'"Tree is right-t is the only one have
left. took your advice, and got rid of some
big ones too close to the house, and like
things this way much better. Thanks to you
This small brown bird has got me puzzled.
I know 1t Is not a sparrow, but for the life Of
me can't place it.
This small brown bird says that makes no
difference, he can place himself very happily
on my one tree.
II used to be in the position of the man
in the song, one tree here. one tree here. and
one tree there. but now have just the one
tree and am glad Of it.
Let me know what my small brown bird
is
yours for less trees close to the house,
Sincerely, E. D. L."
The brown bird is the brown creeper, Of
course
It specializes in creeping around trees,
giving the bark q good going over.
If 1t were not for him, and various others,
such as his friend, the downy woodpecker,
trees would suffer more from insects than
they do.
The creeper really creeps, too.
His bill is relatively weak. so that he can.
not dig for insects and their eggs as the
woodpecker does.
He must get them at points where the bark
has been slightly separated from the trunk.
In this way he acts as q sort Of sanitary
engineer. Almost six inches long, the little
creeper Is not as small as one might be in
clined to think on first sight.
Belonging to the nuthatch family, the
creeper often may be seen with the white
breasted nuthatch, which is slightly longer,
and somewhat fatter.
Both spiral around tree trunks. but the
creeper is never head down, as the nuthatch
Is.
Nor does the nuthatch use its tail feathers
to hold it close to the trunk as the creeper
does.
Those who see the creeper here in winter
must recognize that it nests In Canada and
is here only as its farthest South.
It is especially useful to mankind because
it cleans up inimical natural factors left be-
hind by the migrating species, now gone to
the far South.
The list of foods includes the smallest in
sects and their eggs, wasps ants and true
bugs. various scales and plant lice.
alternating insects and their eggs and
spiders and their eggs fall prey to it.
What mankind calls useful insects" are
nOC COuSuQleQ.
It may be realized that this is-at least
from mans somewhat warped viewpoint
a decidedly fine bird.
The brown creeper remains true to Its
habits in selecting site for nest.
It searches around among the balsam f1rs
of Canada until it finds piece Of loosened
bark. and behind this it puts its nest.
Thus the nest is comparatively well hid
den, and the food supply Is close at hand.
The nest is based with twigs on which are
soft f1bres and feathers.
The eggs sometimes run as high as eight
per brooding. They are white or cream col
ored, wreathed with darker spots.
There are by no means as many brown
creepers hereabout as white-breasted nut
matches, although more than the red-breast-
ed nuthatches.
Our chubby common nuthatch has one bad
point against him, not shared by the creeper.
He eats ladybirds, or ladybugs, as they are
mostly known in America. But lest any one
think too harshly Of this, let it be stated that
the brown creeper does not eat many Of our
ladybugs, perhaps not 10 per cent Of those
carelessly crushed by human beings.
Brown creepers, nuthatches and downy
woodpeckers make one Of the best Of all bird
trios, and any one who finds them in his
yard should be happy. II one has only one
tree, it Is enough 70 attract them.