Evening star., 1936-12-18
THIS AND THAT
By CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.
Where do the birds sleep in Winter?
Here are a couple Of answers:

Where do the birds sleep in winter2
Here are a couple Of answers:
CLINTON, Md.
Dear sir: H. may be that your birds
sleep hereabouts. For several Winters
now sparrows have roasted in a building
here. During last Winter our hay barn
housed many birds. In the light OF an
electric flash they remained quiet.
"Siam a barn door and they may or
may not swim out into the darkness, but
rustic piece of paper and they will fee.
Ours is a farm in Southern Maryland. IL
miles out We should be happy to have
YOU visit and make whatever nature OBJ
servations you might desire.
Cordially yours" etc.
~
LAUREL, Md.
Dear sir: Your This and That in The
Star today determined my desire to write
YOU. have enjoyed your articles during
the past year very much. Especially
those on the birds.
1--WE are living only one city block
south of the Patuxent River. On the
north bank of the PatuXent there are
wooded areas with much underground.
Every evening the birds from Laurel
may be seen going in that direction. They
go one by one. There are some ever
greens Just west of us and into them our
jays always go when they get filled up.
I'VE have a feeder about feet from
the ground, protected from the cats by
tin cans nailed to the post on which the
feeder rests.
Last year I saw but two English
sparrows enter the feeder. Because they
Hnnly 70 7 cnrpaH fPPH on
the ground and they came there the very
first day and soon came in quite large
flock when the snow came.
THE starlings, jays and few others
visited the feeder daily last year. This
year after putting up the feeder about
the middle of October I did not put any
feed on the ground and in few days the
sparroWS viStsd the feeder by the dozens.
The jays have come regularly, but not
cardinal nor a startling until today. one
starting was feeding with the sparroWs.
For the past few weeks we have put feed
on the ground and since then not a
sparrow goes to the feeder. Why?
~ -
"The cats fapd our neighbors have
nearly a DOZEN can worry them and
keep them flying up into the shrubbery
that is near. One day week or more
ago there were three or four starlings
around our incinerator some 40 or so
feed from our feeding station. That Is
all have seen of them. Can 1t be that
the cardinals and starlings have gone to
the game preserves some S or miles
down the Patuxent from Laurel?
I'VE are anxiouSly waiting for a snow
that will cover the birds feed for few
days. We miss the beauty of the cardinals
and the sauciness of the startling. Some
time in September when our bird bath
was still up three starlings and robin
were taking bath. One starting bathing
more vigorously than usual threw the
robin clear out of the bath.
The surprised look of the robin when
it found itself on the ground was quite
amusing to me. 1t did not try to bathe
any more with the starlings. 1t was not
long after that that the robins and
starlings disappeared. We are expecting
the starlings any time now as we had
dozen or more last year. A pair nested
in house in the next yard. Again thank
ing you for your many interesting and
instructive articles. I remain,
Sincerely, J. P. B."
From washington Grove. ND, comes
the following account of bird breakfast:
During my IS years here have seen
at some time all but about four Of the
birds listed in an article by you short
time ago, and one or two others not on
your list.
I'VE always have plenty of English
sparrows. Any one who has observed
their habits can quickly distinguish an
other bird among them by their move
ments if not by their size and color.