Evening star., 1933-11-05
Wild Life in Washington
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

bear nuts and these are carefully har-
vested by the squirrels. They are
slowed in the nests in the trees.
While Washington can be bitterly
cold in the Winter, indeed usually is on
a number Of days every season, the cold
periods normally are Of brief duration,
scarcely ever longer than week. Then
the temperature will rise and for two
or three days the sun will come out.
Even though squirrels are hibernating
creatures these intermittent periods Of
false Spring often bring them out.
| The pigeons seem to remain through
all kinds of weather and pigeon feeders
are especially careful to keep up the
supply of food when the weather grows
bleak. The Washington sparrow always
is there. No weather is ever too cold
| for him
Wild Ducks and Herons.
| Probably because the National Capital
is more heavily wooded than most cities
of half a million population, it has
teeming bird life. Most of the birds, of
course, are migratory. There probably.
are not more than dozen species which
remain throughout the Winter season
but, by the LIST Of June. there are more
than a hundred different kinds of birds
here. Because of the proximity Of the
Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay,
Washington Is on the route Of the wild
duck and the wild goose. Each season
sees wedges of these birds of passage
flying over. They settle on the broad
reaches of the Potomac below Washing
| ton and each Autumn sees the duck
! blinds occupied by Capital sportmen.
| Down by Wakefield there are many
wild swans and Analostan Island, re-
Gently rechristened Theodore Roosevelt
Island, which is not much more than
biscuit toss from the city itself, is the
haunt of the white heron. At twilight,
midst falling dew while glow the
heavens with the last steps of day." the
white herons may be seen dragging their
long legs across the sky. High over
this particular haunt is the regular
route Of the airplanes going TO and from
the Washington airport. Sometimes.
beach, reaching down with their pointed
bills to disturb the sand in search OF
food.
Every park in the city has its squir-
rels and there are so many parks that
! it is not unusual to see a squirrel run
scurrying across business street. skill
fully avoiding the motor traffic. In the
park on the garden side Of the White
House there is white squirrel, not.
| apparently, an dlDlnO, 1Or ltS eyes are
normal, but a white-furred squirrel.
| A few years ago the National Capitals
suburbs were almost terroriZed-they
were at least alarmed-by the appear
ance of a mountain lion which preyed
on chickens and frightened children
half out Of their wits. 1t was during a
hard Winter when food had grown
scarce in the not distant hills. Within
q short drive of Washington there are
plenty of these creatures. Although this
one preyed around the city for week,
II was not caught although the Police
Department, details from the United
States Army, and half the sportsmen
of the region went in quest. The big
cat defied them all, or eluded them all.
and returned home to its mountains.
All along the seawall which bounds
the Potomac, every day the fishermen
sit, browsing in the sun. dangling their
lines and not infrequently bringing in
a catch. The principal sport of the
National Capital. however. is pedestrian
hunting. Wild motorists every year take
a tremendous bag. 1t is motorists
paradise.