Evening star., 1945-09-07
This and That
Bu Charles E. Trace,peu


Running out of bird food the other
day, We remembered a box of whole
wheat cereal with weeyils in it.
This, we innocently thought, ought to
be just the thing for hungry birds.
But not hungry bird would touch it!
We waited and waited, expecting to
see at least an English sparrow come
to the feast before the weevils crawled
away.
Nothing is more disheartening to a
human, in the ordinary walks of civilian
life, than to open confidently a box OF
cereal and find it full of bugs"
The closer to untouched whole wheat
it is, of course, the greater the chance
of that happening.
Unref1ned foods are difficult to market,
just for that reason; the various cereal.
eating insects love them.
Denatured foods have longer shelf
life because the various insects do not
like them
For a good while we waited, expecting
bird or birds to come down.
Not one appeared.
There the unwanted cereal, with its
precious content of weevils-for birds
lay in the sun, getting good baking.
1t is not always possible to be sure of
what birds will eat
They are capricious, just as human
beings are, by no means as much so, but
enough to make it difficult to be sure
about them and their food.
The seed eaters usually are fond of
grains and seeds.
mil II
most everything the birds will, including
slices of bread.
Persons interested in feeding the birds
in their home grounds should expert
ment with such leftovers as they have
at hand.
Pieces of cantaloupe and watermelon
sometimes make for great laughter when
they are seized by squirrels.
These waggish fellows know, for a
certainty, that they somehow look ridic-
ulous with a slice in the their paws.
Before they bury their heads in it.,
they will turn around and give one the
wink. as much as to say: We'll, know
I look funny doing this but here goes"
Seeds of cantaloupe and watermelon
are liked by most of the birds which
come to feeders almost as we'll as the
favorite sunfiower seed.
1t Is good thing for every family
which is bird conscious to grow a few
tall sunfowers. They not only make
interesting additions to the average
yard, especially if they are grown at the
rear, or behind garage. but also they
make instant appeal to the birds.
One may believe that the songsters
prefer to get their seeds off normally
growing plants. Certainly such seeds
have the vitamins and minerals. They
have not been processed in any way
except by the sun and rain and soil.
Birds, along with most natural crea-
lures, have an instructive knowledge of
what is good for them in the food line
Humans have lost some of this sense
Even when their brains correct their
faulty eating habits, their taste buds
put them back into the old errors. "It
tastes good" has led many human into
dietetfc error, but never a bird. The
dog, closer to humanity, often errs in
his food selections. Cats are close to
nature, and are naturally meat and
fish eaters, and will stick to these foods
II they can get them. Milk is too laxa-
tive for them, except in small amounts.
Many 1eftovers which ordinarily 20
into the garbage may be used for
birds food. with little care and fore
thought. These should be cleaned and
made into small pieces, fit for handling
by small creatures. One who loves the
birds would never give them garbage.
In the usual sense, but only bits OF
wholesome food which otherwise might
be wasted.