Bird Notes, Part 2, v659
Page 165
Image from the Biodiversity Heritage Library. Contributed by Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley. | www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Transcription
(343) I was unable to compare the two songs under similar conditions. August 18th. 6:07 P.M. I had little opportunity of observing the thrashers today; however all three were accounted for by 9 A.M., Snooty apart from his parents. Both Brownie and Greenie were heard singing their undersongs at various times and two or three times were seen together. At about 5:45 P.M. I looked them all up. The two parents came to me in the glade for worms and Snooty did likewise at the oval lawn. August 19th. About 6:25 A.M. a thrasher could be heard singing loudly off in the direction of the old oak. About 7:30 the only thrasher to be seen was Snooty in the glade, very round-eyed and fearful of his surroundings, looking warily in all directions and darting back into the bushes at the slightest disturb- ance. As I left one of the older birds could be heard approaching. There is a thick, roughly square, piece of glass near the food dish, about 2 by 2 inches. From the first this has interested Snooty. At the time he was learning about water he frequently tried to drink this glass by scooping his bill along the surface. At 9:00 Snooty was at the oval lawn; both parents in the glade, coming out, on seeing me, side by side; but Greenie taking a back seat when it came to getting worms. For about a week the Spotted Towhees, who are still feeding young someplace, and who have been making regular visits at short intervals to the thrashers' soft food dish in the glade for weeks, have been much interested in my distribution of meal-worms. Without invitation they will hop about me expectantly and when I display a worm, will approach confidently to within about 2 feet of my hand and occasionally nearer. Yesterday one took a worm about 2 inches from my finger tips and they always, now, take worms tossed to them. These are not eaten by them but carried off always in the same direction and along the same route as far as I can