Evening star., 1945-01-22
This and That
BIZ Charles E. Tr1ce1DeH.
NICHOLSON STREET.
"Dear Sir.

Dear Sir:
"I am a constant reader of your
column. 1t is most interesting and
accurate.
I've had bird feeder now for three
years or more My regular callers are
sparrows, starlings, jays, Knockers and
cardinals. I'm particularly interested
in the cardinals.
Il noted in your column that 1t was
about time for the cardinal to begin his
spring mate calling I recalled from
other years that the cardinal was about
the first bird to sing in the early spring,
but had forgotten 1t was as early as
January.
You are right again, for yesterday
time this season.
Other observations you've made from
time to time about the cardinals have,
I've noted, always been correct.
True, the only time the male will
allow the female in the feeder at the
same time with him is during mating
season. At other times she sits patiently
on the fence nearby and waits until he
has finished eating.
During mating season, however, she
eats at the. feeder with him and he
even puts the seeds in her mouth.
Last summer while feeding their
young, saw a scene which I probably
will never see again. The male picked
up a seed, transferred it to the female
and she in turn put it in the mouth of
the baby bird.
Each year few sunflowers spring
up here and there in my yard, due to
the birds scattering the seed about.
Each fall, after the flowers have
bloomed and the seeds ripened, a small
bird visits my yard.
II never see it any other time.
due to their weight, the sunf1owers
droop over and this tiny bird clings
to the underside of the flower, pulling
out the seeds and eating as he clings
On.
HE is bright yellow, wings striped
with black, and little black tuft on
his head. In fact, he is so near the
color of both the sunflower and the
dark seeds that you can hardly see him
clinging to the plant.
Il only discovered him the first time
by the shaking of the plant as he jerked
out the seed
could you tell me the name of this
bird? He has sweet little song or
chirp.
Thanks,
Sincerely, A. P. B."
4 X +
Our correspondents bird was the
goldfinch, or wild canary.
She might be interested to know that
oIxr To ole f1e oIc
as who does not, for that matter, for
this is one of the finest of all songsters.
The other day we watched two great
hawks circle around over vacant lot
about block from our own feeding
stations.
AS We turned the corner and went
down the home stretch, the hawks
Strengthened out and made direct
line for the feeders.
BY the time we got home, there was
not a bird visible, except two male
cardinals and blue-jay.
In all probability the jay had set up
q mighty alarm at the sight of the
hawks, at which all the scores of smaller
feeders went into hiding.
This is one of the fine things this
smaller species to find. One would
not be so bold as to attribute what might
playfully be called humanitarian mo-
tives to him, but it works out in the
end to the same thing.
X X
The first time we heard the cardinals
spring song in our own garden was
about December 49,
Since the New Year eight pairs have
appeared, where from we do not know
but that makes no difference, for this
marvellous creature is always welcome
They make a wonderful sight, and
beautiful one, too, as they fly down
together in the 10-foot circle in the ice
1t fingers long time out our way
formed by circle OF chicken wire
around the feeding station.
To catch sight Of them all together
was worth watching for; as they all
new up into . bush It looked as II the
shrub were bursting into exotic bloom