Evening star., 1944-04-01
This and That
By Charles E. TraceDeH.
PORTER STREET.


"since coming to Washington, I have
been reading your column in The Eve
ming Star and have found it very inter-
esting. I notice the good taste which
you use in giving only the place and
initials OF correspondents.
"The window sill station has the ad-
vantage, for us, that we can see the
birds plainly and become acquainted
with individuals; for the birds, that they
can alight on or take off from the fire
escape, they are safe from cats, and they
can and do snoot the squirrel which
runs up and down the vines on the
chimney few feet away.
Our Oldest bird friends are a pair of
cardinals who have been with us for
three or four years. The female we
call Lady Whitefeather. She is remark
able, we think, for her unusual marking,
for she has white feathers scattered
over her body forming irregular spots
In her gray-green coat.
The sparrows love Lady. She can
scarcely come during the day without
gallery heralding her coming in excited
sparrowese. What they want, of course. is
for Lady to crack the sunf1ower seeds
on which their beaks cannot make
much impression while they scramble
about her feet for pieces that fall.
VERY truly yours, B. T."
X \ ~
Sparrows are seed eaters, and are able
to handle any food of this sort they NAV
encounter, either from nature or the
hands Of their admirers and friends.
Cardinals may seem to be feeding
other birds, when they crack open the
sunflower seed, but mostly all they drop
down is she'll
Sparrows are so greedy that they will
go after these bits of shell with all the
enthusiasm and vigor of their tribe.
Now and then, of course, they will find
a little real meat
The short and stout conical bill of the
sparrow is ideally suited to cracking
seeds.
This bird is something of a philos-
opher, however, and will permit other
species to do the hard work of life for
him, If they so desire
Cardinals are very neat in their she'll
ing of sunflower seed. They drop the
pieces of shell away from the feeding
place, either over the side of a tray, or
off a window sill
In the springtime, the male cardinal
will shell seed and proffer it to his
mate. This is his only condescension
to romantic love. Most of the year he
even refuses to permit her to eat with
him. Mainly he eats by himself, with
the patient female perched nearby,
waiting for him to finish.
Observers at some little distance. who
do not see the seed in the bill of the
male, think the two birds are kissing"
which perhaps is as good way to think
of this seed transference as any.
Spring arrivals, notably the bluebird,
the robin, and the wood thrush this
last not until April 28), take our bird
thoughts away from the cardinals, at
least for time.
Actually, there is no better bird, and
he is all the better because he and his
mate remain with us the year around.
The bright coat of the male, and the
softer coloration of the female, grace
every feeding tray and every window sill
where food is put out the year around.
II some food is offered in the summer,
especially from o'clock on until dusk,
the cardinals will bring their children,
and teach them that some people in the
world are not given to killing every
thing that flies.
Cardinals are pleasant birds to have
around. The fierce expression of the
male is mostly a matter of crest and
black ruff. Actually he is a good citizen,
and it is his voice which warns us, in
February that spring is really on the
way at last. The spring song of the
redbird is so characteristic, with it's
ringing, cheer, cheer, cheer" that it
cannot be mistaken for that of any
other species.
Though cardinals may seem to be
feeding other species, all they are doing
Is kicking out some of the unopened
sunf1ower seeds, and other seeds in a
mixture, and making them available to
fast scurry1ng sparrows and others.