Evening star., 1944-03-20
This and That
By Charles E. TrdcelDelI.
TX STREET.

Lear Slr.
I'VE live in the suburbs and I have
gotten many fine suggestions as to how
to enjoy ones home surroundings from
your helpful column.
Last year we lost our door yard tree,
1t was honey locust and 1t just seemed
to give up and die. I had it cut, but
they left stump three and half feet
high. On this we placed an ordinary
rough board and made rustic feeding
station.
I'VE put out only sunfower seed
Three cardinals have come to live with
u.s. They rarely come at the same time
Often the female waits in the tree until
the male gets his seed and flies away.
Just now we note that he is more cor
dial to her and is beginning to permit
her to feed with him, and the other
morning he actually cracked seed for
her and gave her the kernel.
"On snowy mornings when the board
is covered with snow our cardinals sit
in nearby tree and chirp vigorously
until we brush off the snow and put
out their seed. We have droves of chick
adees and titmice. We have several diff
ferent types of woodpeckers, and several
birds that we do not know.
Il have never seen a bluebird at the
stand. presume they do not care for
sunf1ower seed and I wonder what
could do to attract them.
Gould I put bluebird house in the
crotch of small tree about four feet
from the ground? Do you think they
would move in?
II had a little house painted white
with a. red roof It looked pretty, but
the birds never came. This time I am
planning to put out one with no paint
at all, just let the wood weather itself
Cordially yours, w. M. T."
If this correspondents home is in the
Wesley Heights section, or in Arlington
County, Va, there may be some hope of
attracting bluebirds The former is in
what has been called the bluebird belt.
In most suburban sections this fine bird
is a rarity. There are few birds talked
about more and seen less. This comes
about because at one time it was very
abundant in this vicinity, and most peo-
pie have not got over the memory.
A great sleet storm in 1912 killed hun
dreds of thousands of bluebirds, and
since that time the lessened number has
been noticeable, but still most of us
talk about bluebirds as if they were as
plentiful as robins.
Not only are they few in numbers,
except in certain favorite localities, but
they are shy birds, at best, and many
factors, including increased building and
the spread of the sparroWs, have miti-
gated against them.
In any entrance into which bluebird
the
Not only are the latter more persistent,
but there are so many more of them.
Lack of food in the downtown has driven
hundreds of English sparrows into the
outskirts.
Placing the bluebird house is prob
lem. Experts say that on fence post
about four feet from the ground is best
Placement at the same height in tree
crotch makes it easy for cats and chill
dren to annoy the birds. No one should
be disappointed who cannot lure the
bluebirds. They are truly difficult to
lure, at best There is no food which
will attract them. At this season they
are looking for nesting sites, and they
have their own code of house seeking.
Just what it is is difficult for a human
to discover. Sometimes bluebird will
come to a house, look it over carefully,
spend day at the site and then dis
appear. Perhaps cat walked across the
yard. Or it might have been a dog.
Since dogs and cats even today, are
everywhere, it may be felt that the blue
birds ask too much of their housing
agents. This is difficult day, in human
adiustments-hoW can the birds ask so
much?
The scarcity of bluebirdS and their
nervous ways make q difficult problem
for all those who would like to have a
few Of them around. 1t is impossible to
make over the other birds ana the four
legged creatures just for their benefit.
We believe that post is a better place
for bluebird house than a tree Clothes
line posts, as used in many backwards,
are excellent, but of course should not
be used for utllltarian purposes, after
the houses have been put on them.
If SparroWS drive the bluebirds away,
the householder should accept this nat
ural adjustment as philosophically as
possible. Life is a competition for birds
as well as for men, and if we enter the
natural scene too forcibly we will end
up by making quite as big a mess out
OF 1t as we have out of tn. human
theater Of action.