Evening star., 1936-12-11

ring accident, they will arrive on time
each morning and leave on time each
night.
There is something soothing about this
to many o human, immersed in typicaIly
human cares, such as they are. The
bird watcher trusts for his birds. Surely
he ought to do 50 for himself.
The poet spoke Of the divine care
which leads the birds flight alright" in
the huge course Of migration.
The little migration each evening from
the eating grounds to the sleeping place
Is no less interesting, and even more so
because the exact course thereof is
unknown.
All that the determined bird observer
can know of the birds which come to his
feeding stations which he daily keeps
provided with mixed grains and seeds,
bread crusts, suet and the like, is that
he believes most Of the birds have been
there before and surely will come again
tomorrow.
Each evening, II this phase happens
to interest him, he will see his birds
depart one by one and in little bands of
q dozen or more, always going in the same
SAA oAa nhAA0ot always ovNA
tically the same route, as much as such
thing can be determined
II his birds fly South, might he not
expect birds from some other feeding
grounds to sleep in his evergreens?
He would not, however, poke his nose,
via hashlight, into his trees, shrubs and
evergreens, to see If he is right.
He respects the birds and refuses to
hOro fhar1 hin, cnIf xxift,
He feels that If other birds came to
his yard to sleep he could see them
enter. just as he sees his own focks
ny away each evening.
II Il
1t must be kept in mind that there is
still plenty Of light when the birds
practically abandon the feeders for the
day.
This Is about 3:45 o'clock at this time of
year, while a few birds, principally
English sparrows and several cardinals,
remain for Is minutes to half an hour
thereafter, the bulk of the birds fy to
their roosting places.
At 4 o'clock, Of course, 1t is still very
light. One wonders just why the song
sters choose to leave 50 early. After
Christmas time they will begin to stay
~0eSA oAA Ao'Si, ~ IAAat ~ ECoA tilCy
will be remaining until around pm,
and sometimes as late as $50 o'clock.
Right now they 60 shortly before
o'clock. so there is practically an hour of
light in which they might eat more seed.
They do not; they fly away to rest
Such is the hidden and universal order
Of Nature.
*++
II other birds flew In at this time, Just
as the feeders are flying into roosting
places farther South. their arrival would
be plainly visible and their positions in
shrubs and evergreens easily seen.
They do not arrive and they are not
seen.
1t may be that none of them roosts
near dwellings. but chooses q site more
removed. especially in groves and forests,
OF which there are plenty near enough to
even the largest cities.
It Is wonderful to think of them, these
thousands Of feathered mites, huddled up
on the branches, in snow and ice, in driv-
ing rain, in the wind which whips the
branches on which they perch.
This thought is another of those ties
which bind of which we hear so much,
especially in regard to purely human
relationships These ties are broader
and reach farther; they may stretch
from q warm home to a cold forest, and
take in all creation, If we will