Evening star., 1949-10-26
This and That
By Charles E. TraceweH
"TuDEN STREET,
Dear Sir:

I'VE were especially fascinated during the
cold spell last month when so many new
varieties Of birds came through. Two things
interested us particularly. One was a blue
Jay which was bald as an eagle on its head
we have not seen 1t since that one day.
and wondered if it had gotten into DDT or
some such thing, or do these abnormalities
happen to birds anyway occasionally? .
another day wren came to the station
with an obvious band on its leg Qooked like
metaD. We have not seen it since but Won
dered If the Zoo here banded some birds or
where it could have come from?
In the spring I wanted to write and ask
ABOUT lone catbird we had as a steady
visitor Tor several weeks. He had a beak
Whlch obviously was broken and healed
slightly askew or else was just deformed. as
it stayed open constantly
However. we were amazed at how much
the bird seemed to be able to eat. One day
IL Tried peanut butter. much to our dismay
ana we thought it would choke to death
before 1t swallowed all Of it.
The bird was always alone but seemed to
De carrying food back to a nest or some-
where, and about the middle of July it dis
appeared and We have not seen it since.
We are partial to the cardinals although
the grosbeaks run close second. They are
beauties close up and seem to have less fear
than the redbirds Our little chickadees are
tne polltest OF all the birds, believe. have
never seen them fight over anything.
Why do the nuthatches store their food
in the most obvious places? I can't imagine
their ever finding any later what with all
the squirrels and other birds around. They
work so hard at it, too. Sincerely, E. M"
X X
IN 1fb fnl,e
most obvious places?
Because they do not know any better.
Felicia Hemens once wrote poem which
contained the verse:
The little lambs play, they know no better,
They are only one times one"
These lines would apply to chickadees, too,
and all the many other natural creatures,
which often in their turn do things which
are rather on the dumb side, at least from
the watching human standpoint.
Birds select nice green leaves to put in
their nests. When the nest Is first made, it
blends beautifully with the leaves in the
trees, but after a time the dead leaves in
the nest dry out and turn yellow, and there
is the nest in bold relief for all to see.
Birds into whose nests cowbird egg is
laid seldom catch onto the deception, even
after the larger baby, with its gaping NAV,
is Matched out. The mother in the nest goes
right ahead feeding it, to the detriment of
her own rightful heirs.
Birds which once found mud nests a good
match for the objects they put them on
now go right ahead placing them on white
washed structures, where they veritably call
out their presence.
Maybe the nuthatches, in storing food in
crevices of tree bark, simply do not care.
There is great fraternity of purpose among
the wild creatures, and what one hides,
another eats, and usually this works out
very well for all, over years time.
Peanut butter Is not a good bird food,
since it is unnaturally concentrated for all
birds and even for squirrels. Sometimes
squirrels eat so fast that it chokes them, and
they must lie down to catch their breath
Bald jays and others are sometimes seen.
Usually it is the result of natural processes,
either molting or disease. In some cases
the feathers grow back.
The National Geological Park does not
band birds. This is done by various persons
around the country, with the permission of
the Government. Bird banding is something
for persons especially interested, but not for
the average bird lover, and this is a good
thing, for it requires trapping, to put on the
band, and subsequent trappings, to get data,
and such handling and rehandling Of birds
Is not for every one.