The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1910-04-02
about the Birds
To the editor OF the CECIL WING.

the attention OF your readers to the
birds which often suffer for food dur
ing the time the ground is covered with
snow. If one has never known how
much pleasure can be derived from
feeding our little brothers OF the air"
he may be surprised to learn what
large amount OF interest and profit
comes from such a small expenditure
OF time and material.
For a number of winters past, we
have been in the habit OF placing food
for the birds in convenient places near
our house. as soon as the first snow
falls. Whether they. remember from
year to year, or the struggle for exist
ence teaches them anew each winter,
certain it is that they soon become
aware OF the provision made Tor their
comfort. y large piece OF lat, or
bone with gristle and small pieces OF
meat adhering to it, if tied to a tree
afford an immense AMOUNT of satiSiac-
ton to nuthatcher, woodpecker and
chickadees. We have tried placing the
pieces i'll unusual positions and on dill
ierent trees, but it is surprising how
quickly a pair OF bright eyes spies
them and there is no hesitancy about
drawing on this winter larder. One
day a couple of nLthatchers we're pick
ing at a piece oil suet tied to an apple
tree, when the sparrows became in
sistent for their share. In some way
the nuthatcher came to an understand
ing and thereafter one would eat a
little, while the other kept the spar
rows away, then take his turn at guard
duty, while his comrade ate This con-
tinued for about fifteen minutes when
they made one hasty concerted attack
on the sparrows before leaving. Their
actions were so methodical that they
seemd to exclude the idea that one was
merely taking advantage fthe others
punitive expeditions, to obtain a share
OF fod for himself.
The Cardinal Grosbeak. whose COR
geous colorng shows with fine effect
against the cnow, is another visitor not
slow TO appreciate the meal spread for
him on Natures white covering. His
great beauty and his delightful songs
might well have caused James Lane
Allen to write that he has only to be
seen or heard and Death adjusts an
arrow yet here for few weeks at
least the little group OF these birds,
which visits us, is safe. For them,
whole corn is scattered and knowing
that to be too much for the Sparrows !
was cirious to discover why number
of them always lowered about the red
birds, though apparently not molesting
them i'll any way. The fact was soon
revealed that the powerful beak OF the
cardinal snapped the corn in several
pieces and the Jparrows quickly appro-
priated the little ones.
Scraps from the table run through
a meat chopper and placed ont in the
same spot each day will soon attract
large number OF the smaller birds.
They become surprisingly fearless and
learn the call given when their feast is
spread for them. One tufted titmouse
has become SO sociable this winter That
he will perch on bush not an arms
length from me and gaze in the most
friendly manner imaginable, while
endeavor to carry on a conversation
with him. Such jaunty. twitching little
things these tutted titmice are! One
ornthologist has iikened them to di-
minltive blue jays but the comparison
goes no farther than shape, their BLUSH
gray coloring being more Sombrc than
that OF the larger bird, the little wash
OF red under each wing which shows as
they tlrt around. rcdeems them from
dizziness, however. They will pick up
a grain OF corn and fly to shrub or
tree, hold the corn to the bough with
first one foot and then the other and
peck Mr. a long time very vigorously
at it. My first impression on seeing
this done was that the corn was wedg-
ed into a crcvicc oi the bark: but
close inspection OF my sociahle little
friend who carried some to his iavorte
Japonica bush convinced me that he
was holding the grain to the Dough
with his foot. He is i'll truth a bon Vi
want. and takes taste OF all the good
things he finds on the feeding grounds.
The blue jay is another corn eater,
his coming Is heradcd by the sudden
disappearance OF all the other birds.
He selects lofty perch on a maple
tree, from this he takes his observa-
tons, when quite sure the coast is
clear he swoops down seizes a grain OF
corn and resumes his perch. He re-
peats this several times, then makes
his way home i'll le:surely fashion from
tree to tree.
The English sparrow, the song spar
row, the white thrOated sparrow and
the !unco feed together on the ground
in apparent good fellowship But
what we term SelishneSs is the rule
among them "A pleasure shared is
pleasure doubled, appears to have no
equivalent i'll bird thought. They
have no hcsitancy in driving another
away from particularly tempting
morsel. and the most aggressive one is
the olle who fares the best | have
seen even the red bird who in summer
is model OF domestic virtue, turn
fiercely on his mate when she ap-
preached too closely the spot where he
was feeding. The only exception |
have ever noticed was that OF the nut
hatcher mentioned above and that,
doubtless appeared to the sparrow '.
IAN illegal combination in restraint OF
trade"
The whitcthroated sparrow. a very
friendly little visitor is easily distin-
guished from his English cousin by
the black crown divided by a loneitu-