Evening star., 1936-08-12

Nor is the English variety the black
sheep of the family. 1t is very much a
sparrow, and in no sense responsible
for the fact that it manages to get
along under very adverse conditions.
Though named English, it has typical
American qualities of push. 1t is a "go-
getter" of the first quality.
One has only to watch these birds fairly
! and without preconceived malice, built
mostly on the written accounts Of those
who have worked up real spleen against
them, to see that they are not half as
bad as they have been painted.
Put out a small feeder at this time,
and watch them flock in from the woods.
They will be the first of the birds to spot
the food.
Their merry chirp, their incessant
clatter, as some call it, really is most
musical sound, and one which, it is easy
to recognize, furnished the solid musical
background for the other and more de-
sirable birds at the Winter feeding sta
tions.
Let no one feel that the numbers Of
these little sparrowS will be so great
that they will drive away other birds.
Right now it is the other way around.
In our maple tree some two dozen
English sparrows wait until the grackles
and the bluejays, and other larger
birds, are through with their dinner at
the small ground feeder before ven
turing down.
OF course the jays do not like grains
| very well, and only sample them, as 1t
were, but it is plain that they also de-
rive a malicious pleasure in keeping
the chirping sparrows from the feast
Most of the tales you hear about
English sparrows driving other birds
out of nests and away from feeders may
be true enough, but they are all out OF
proportion, because they do these things
| no more than most birds.
They are just observed more, because
| practically all persons know the Eng
| lish sparroWs, whereas comparatively few
| know the other birds. by and large.
| Many city people know the English SPAR
rows, the starlings and the robin, and
| there bird knowledge ends, maybe with
| a cardinal thrown in, and hummlng-
bird now and then.
But every one knows the English SPAR
| row, so is able to report with great
| gusto every such instance Of spite which
| he sees, as performed by these birds,
! but knows nothing at all Of similar
uttQS COlIlIil4IbSN ~ IlAN SANeNe 40 'S-AN~S
| of birdland.
We are here to say, and We hope ef-
| fectively, that the English sparroWS are
| Just as welcome to feeders as the others.
| We realize now what we were not sure
| of last Winter, that it was their merry
| chatter in the snow which furnished
the real background music Of the gar
| den.
AS far as We know they did not run
| away from the garden any other birds
| during the Winter when all species were
! much too busy keeping life in their
bodies to bother much about each other.
When their feathers are fluffed up in
! the cold. the English sparrows are really
| very charming birds. with their soft col
| orings round bodies, bright eyes and
merry chirps.
| In every way they are much more de-
| sirahle than starlings or pigeons or
| graclles. to name but three. And far,
| far more welcome at the feeders than
those self-invited nuisances, the squir-
| rels.
Let city people who have few other
birds welcome their English sparrows
and take good care of them. For good
fun in the backyard in the snow, few
! birds can equal them.