Evening star., 1938-02-21
WESLEY HEIGHTS.

V0SAS4S4 44CAA14A - NJ
Dear Sir: make it q practice to
glance over your This and That every
evening. I don't always read it through,
but read far enough to see If you are
talking about something of interest to
me. II SO, follow you. When you are
talking about goldfish I don't go with
YOU very far, just because I'm not inter.
ested, but last night in writing about the
bluebirdS you were right up my alley SO
/ read everything you had to say.
When you stated that in your opinion
there aren't more than 100 bluebirds in
the District you made me feel selfish,
because If this Is true have at least 10
of them. and 1t makes me feel sorry that
the other 100000 people in the District
have only the other 80 birds for them
selves.
you are right when you say we have
bluebird belts. or spots. but those So
called belts or spots are due to the fact
that the bluebirdS confine themselves to
the neighborhoods Of thickets Of bushes
or low trees. If you will observe them
you Will find that they spend most of
their time in these bushes or small trees
somewhat taller than a man, and as a
rule they do not go very far from these
thlckets. I have them near my house,
and for that reason I have bluebirds
every winter.
MY feeding shelf is built next to my
house Immediately under a easement
window about feet wide on the south
side of the house.
MY shelf Is about 4 feet long and
about 80 inches wide. Inside the window
Mrs. H has her houseplants, which
show through the glass. making it rather
an attractive place for the birds to
come.
THE bluebirds are early risers, and
unless one has their breakfast spread at
daybreak he will not get bluebirds
When breakfast is served for them
at or 9 o'clock in the morning the
starlings and others are being fed, not
the bluebirds. During the period of
short days they are on a tree near my
house waiting for me at o'clock.
AT the present time they are around
somewhat earlier than that, and for
that reason I put their feed out the
night before. They do not hang around
in the middle of the day, but occasionally
when the ground is hard and bugs are
not available they will come back in the
latter part Of the afternoon. Frequently
have six bluebirds on the shelf at one
time with others in the yard.
Some of my bird friends have made
the same remark to me they have to
you, that there is a scarcity of birds
this winter.
This is not true. There are Just as
many birds around as ever but bird
friends are slow to go on relief and
are inclined to take care of themselves
If the winters are at all mild.
Even in a mild winter if there is a
snow which covers the ground for few
day. I find plenty Of the birds on my
feeding shelf
Notwithstanding that always have
the bluebirds in the wintertime, 1 have
never been able to get them to enter my
oluebird boxes in the summer.
I think this is due to the fact that I
have the thick bushes and small trees
near my house, and imagine they build
their homes in those places However
they are around in the yard, which leads
me to believe they are nesting nearby.
Il must confess that am not as much
an admirer of starlings as you. 1 tol-
crate them and allow them to eat my
food. but do not like them.
Each one of them will eat as much
as a horse and fhev are tho r,oe+ oya