Evening star., 1936-07-16
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

Gardens change day by day, slowly but
surely, just as the cells OF the human
body do over the years.
1t is said that the body Is really made
anew every seven years.
Much the same thing happens in the
garden, whether the owner gets rid OF
old plants and puts In new ones, whether
he buys much or little, whether he is in
terested in the yard or not.
Change is going on constantly there
in hundred ways.
The back yard you look into TO-DAY is
not the same as it was yesterday, and
tomorrows yard will be slightly different
from that of today.
Especially will this be true II the gar
dener is interested in the birds and
animals which frequent his garden.
There is a constant coming and 60
ing in the bird population. Specimens
which were seen for two months have
gone to the woods, perhaps or old varie-
ties are drifting back from there.
The wood thrush, for instance, which
first appeared on April q, but which left
about month later, has now returned,
much to the delight of its human friends.
This may be the first year in several
that this particular bird has INDUCED in
this little emi-migration. In past years
1t came late in April. and remained in
or near the yard until about August Is.
This year. perhaps, it surprises the
watchers by going away for month,
then returning at this time, to send its
sweet song over the garden.
More thrushes have been seen hopping
around in the past two weeks than all
Summer hitherto. There were four on
the ground at one time, within a few
feet Of each other, charming sight, in
deed. for there are few birds which are
more welcome, possessing as they do
beauty, lovely song and Interestingly Sc
date habits.
The wood thrush and his mate are
quality, all the way through. There are
more colorful birds, but none with finer
makeup than the wood thrush. There
are more active BIRDS but these often
are really not happy garden inmates.
The beautiful bluejay, for instance. grows
wearisome, with his incessant squawks
and his almost too rapid pace.
Birds which had absented themselves
from the garden for a time, but whose
songs were heard again this week. are
the nuthatch, the titmouSe and the Bal
timore oriole.
Gould those two engaging little raScals,
I. the titmouSe and the nuthatch be COM
ing back to look over the garden, just to
see If food is going to be put out this
Fall and Winter as last?
Surely bird lover would not put this
forethought beyond them!
The nuthatch, in particular, was one
Of the steadiest seed consumers at the
feeding stations.
Every day. and early in the morning
he was to be seen walking head-down the
tree, earning anew his title of Devil
Down Head
The chickadee, too, among the lowell
est Of all the smaller birds, returned this
week. He, too, had been away, probably
in nearby woods.
The turtle dove came back. 1t was his
first appearance in at least a month. He
and his mate came last Spring early, a
month before feeding was discontinued
They were hourly customers at the feed
ing stations.
1t may be that this dove is a scout, to
look the land over, and try to decide in
that curious pretty head whether there
will be food put out here regularly this
Autumn.
The peppy bluejays, regarded by all
amateur bird watchers as among the
most colorful and interesting of all birds,