Evening star., 1945-12-19
This and That
BY Charles i. TrdcetDeu.

ARLINGTON, Va.
Dear Sir:
"It's a long time since I've written
you about my bird study here, though my
interest in 1t and in your daily column
In The Washington Star continues
unabated.
The downy woodpeckers, the nut
matches, and the titmice are common
visitors at our feeding trays, but today
for the first time the cousins of the
titmice, the black-capped chickadees,
Joined them, and we're hoping 1t won't
be the last We see of them.
I'VE number at this season about a
dozen varieties Of birds at our feeding
ground, and the icy weather had them
working hard at refueling. To our Joy
the cardinals have remembered to come
back, and we have four bluebirds, two
males and two females, to add their
color. Two of the bluebirds have definite
white tipping their tail feathers. Is
this common? I have never noticed it
before.
I'VE put out sirup cups for the hum
mingbirds last summer after seeing them
around morning glory vine on the
front porch, and they had hard time
deciding whether natural or artificial
nectar was more anuring. 1t doesn't
seem to me that sugar and water sirup
can supply as much nourishment as the
flower nectar.
we have such a perfect setting for
bird study here as our house is right
on the edge of q wooded glen, through
which runs 4 little brook. On three
different occasions I had the Joy of
watching a family of bluebirds, large
flock OF cedar waxwingS, and a pair of
dappled sunshine of our shallow brook
How much folks miss to whom q
bird Is just bird!
Cordially yours, D. H. g."
The adult male bluebird has white on
the abdominal region and undertail
coverts, as does the female; but the
latter also has blue wings with the
inner quills and innermost greater
coverts edged with pale brownish-gra
or whitish, the outermost primary edged
with white.
There are many colorations In all birds
which are hard to see unless the song
ster is posed in just the right way, or
has the wings elevated, or is flying at
a certain level.
Then, too, there are many variations
in feather colors All birds agree more
or less with their standard colorations,
as observed over the years by competent
persons, but from time to time slight
variation may creep into an individual
strain.
This is often seen in English sparrows
10 trHfr ~ 10
either in wings or tail, or both.
Readers may recall that for about four
years this column carried every now and
then the doings Of our friend Whitley, a
female English sparrow. Her wings were
almost half white, with good edging
Of 1t on the tail.
Several of her children had white on
them.
Such variation may or may not run
true thereafter.
| Food probably has little or nothing to
do with it. Food merely makes such
colorings as are present brighter and
| purer.
The fact that hummingbirds, pure
children Of nature, do not invariably
eat from natures cups, but instead
| prefer white sugar and water, shows, one
may believe, that they have no more
food sense, as regards what Is good for
them, than man.
Yet because both hummers and al
other species lead such open-air lives
they can "get away" with denatured
foods, not suffering as does man from
foods which have been deprived of their
vitamins and minerals, in order to make
them keep better and ship farther.
Our correspondent Is right about birds
being more than "just birds" They
have been called Jewels of the air.
| They were the first singers. and lead
| regular habits which might be initiated
| by many humans In q world Of wal
they go their way, In the main being
peaceful and minding their own business