Evening star., 1944-12-26
This and That
By Charles E. Trdce1UeU
aDGsr-rYrr~.

BETHESDA, Nd,
1 have established a feeding station
out IN the yard, at some distance from
the house, but it is too far out to see
the birds easily.
do you think it would be best tn
remove the station to point near the
mouse, or to establish another stationp
i nave never had but one feeding
place at time and do not know wheth- :
er there are any real advantages In put
ting up another one.
i would like to know the comparative
advantages and disadvantages of a bind
ieeolng station up by the house.
Sincerely, NJ L."
Two separate feeding stations in the
same yard are always advantageous
both to the birds and their friends
In the first place, nothing is prettier
or more interesting than bird flight. and
TWO Stauons make for much movement.
Then, too, the smaller species are thus
eiaoleo 10 iced at real advantage.
since most OF the sparrows and other
ciannlSh BIRDS like to be together.
lhlS enables the chickadees titmice
and SO on to fly into the feeding station
which has the fewer guests.
Watching the flight of the various
sonesters which winter here is one of
lne great rewards of feeding during the
cold months
There is little foliage to interfere with
SIGHT, and so the ways the various
species fly may be watched unhindered
Even the lowly English sparrow. in
the massed swoops from one feeding
station to another, will show some Won
dertul flying. 1t is not always realized
that this humble bird, and its English
cousin, the startling, now at home in
America, possess flying ability not sur
passed by more than half dozen birds
IN the whole range of approximately
l,400 species in the United States. (Of
these 1,4o0, approximately 310 come to
the Washington region)
X Xxx
The great advantage of the feeding
station close to the house is that the
birds which come to 1t may be watched
at close range.
1t is best to put the station on a stake.
by a window, so that the birds may be
seen easily.
Usually they do not mind in the least
any one looking out at them. Tt is
questionable whether they can see in.
due to light refraction.
While looking out at them it is best
to stand to one side, not squarely in
the window. Usually curtains may be
SO arranged that the observer is COM
pletely hidden
In this way the birds feel quite at
home.
Close inspection reveals marvels of
beauty lost at even 10 feet. No one, for
instance, can begin to appreciate the
beauty of the soft coloration of the
female cardinals coat unless within a
few feet of her.
The feeding station close to the house
should be small one, and preferably
kept untitled until morning, so that
wandering rats and mice will not be
attracted during the night
We know of one householder who
looked out and saw what he thought
was squirrel on his window sill.
Closer inspection revealed it to be a
rat, which had climbed up 4 feet of
brick wall to get to the seed.
Squirrels will come, but if there is
another station where there is more
activity, due to it being larger and hold
ing more food, most of them will prefer
the far-out location.
Often a window sill may be used. 1t
is perhaps best to leave the window
screen up all winter at the window
where feeding station is located. In
this way If one or two birds happen to
bang into the screen, no damage is done,
either to them or to the window.