Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-12-27
This and That
By Charles E. Tr1ceDeH.
CHEVY CHASE, Md

~
Dear Sir: ~ 49, ~ r sssT7 -.s - ~
ct am growing daily poorer, buying
food for the birds but 1t is worth while.
I have nine cardinals, seven of them
males.
II have one chickadee, two pairs Of
white-throated sparrows, song sparrows,
nuthatches, and two goldfinches df they
have winter coats Of brown)
There must have been a hundred
birds at the feeder yesterday. They ate
five pounds Of seed, and half loaf Of
bread.
"One day what I am sure was a SPAR
row hawk was perched on fence and
gave me a good look at his reddish
breast and black bars on the tail.
HE then dove for the hedge and
made off to the woods beyond with an
English sparrow. He did not come
back, however, and the birds are Just
as plentiful. Gratefully, L. M. H"
Sparrow hawks might we'll be named
English sparrow hawks. for members of
this species form about their only prey
hereabouts.
This is fortunate.
A few of these beautiful small hawks
might do great ill to the bird world, if
their taste ran to other species.
AS 1t is, they seldom get any Others
and this makes for ease in the bird
world. 1t also should keep any one from
shooting this fine small hawk. The
sparrow hawk is beauty and his taste
for bird, now and then, may be for
given him. When it Is realized that he
seems to prefer the English sparrows
almost any bird lover may refrain from
growing red in the face over this parti-
cular predator English sparrows come
dime to the dozen, and one will never
be missed. 1--WE got him on my list"
says the hawk. HE never will be
missed"
We feel that these sparrows are easy
prey because they become careless.
Probably their group habits give them a
sense of power. Sparrow psychology is
mans psychology, that is about what
would result.
The taking of sparrow, now and
then, need not be held too much against
the hawk. Even the worst hawks-and
the sparrow hawk is not one of them
never kill one-thousandth the number
of birds killed annually by human be-
ings.
Even killer hawks do what they do
for food. Nature put the urge in them,
and, being pure children of nature, they
obey her commands.
The sight of such a slaughter, how
ever, is not good at feeding station
AS much as possible, the householder
should prevent it. If fair watch is kept,
sudden suspension of bird feeding may
be suspected.
IT the songsters dart into vines, and
remain very quiet, without sound or
movement, hawk may be at hand. 1t
is good policy, then, to issue forth into
the yard, and to look up into branches
of trees at height of about 20 feet.
Almost always the hawk flies in, and
takes up vantage point, from which he
makes his arrowlike dart at the chosen
prey.
This is the hawk way. He does not
merely dive into a crowd, hoping to
pick up one, but carefully selects his
chosen object, and darts for it, The
chosen object seems to be paralyzed, or
secure in the thought that though
others may be touched, he will not be.
This, too, is part of the living psy-
chology of all breathing things.
Even after a hawk has caught his
prey, there are few seconds in which
the victim may be rescued. This is par
ticularly true If the prey has been Sc
cured In a vine. Then the hawk must
disentangle himself. and take his catch
to the ground, where he stabs 1t re-
peatedly in the breast with his strong
beak. He does not relinquish hold with
his powerful talons The chances Of
getting the prey away from him are
about one out Of ten, or even greater,
but there Is chance.