Evening star., 1945-08-31
This and That
By Charles E. TrdceUeu
eastern AVE.

Your article the other night about
flickers prompts me to write you about
the three baby flickers my little girl
and l raised this summer.
I'VE found them at the park where
some tall oak trees had just been cut
down. OF course, had to force their
mouths open for the first few feelings.
But this really gave me surprise
in "a hours they were behaving like WELL
trained babies. We fed them every two
hours, according to your advice. AS
soon as they were fed they propped their
heads in corner of their box and went
to sleep.
1--WE heard no more from them until
just before feeding time again, and then
how they sauawked!
I'VE fed them whole wheat bread and
milk to which was added whatever high
protein food was handy, bits of meat,
egg yolk and grated cheese.
occasionally we added sand and
dirt. Then I read in your column that
cod liver oil is good for them and added
that to their diet. OF course, we gave
them water every day and even milk
from dropper.
they bobbed their heads as though they
were pecking at a tree. We noticed
their odd tongues.
I'VE always had to feed the largest
bird first, until he had his fill, then the
next largest and finally the baby.
I'VE were worried about turning them
out before they had learned to feed
themselves, so were relieved when you
told us few nights ago that birds
can't learn to feed themselves until
they are out on their own.
when our birds became strong
enough to fly out of their wooden box
and were fully feathered we took them
to the park and put them on an oak
tree, where they seemed at home and
hoped up to the first branch and
perched there to survey their new sur
roundings.
Yours very truly, J. J. b.
This letter shows how pleasant thing
1t is to do good deed in a naughty
world.
+ Many persons, of course, have en-
joyed this same sort of kindness this
summer.
4oh1lS 1Ob1lo, Jdyc, dIlu So
on have fallen out of nests, and usually
there is some human being around who
Is willing to try to bring them up.
Not always does the thing turn out
SO successfully.
In many cases, however, the birds
are brought through the difficult stages,
after which it is best to release them.
Release should come when the young
bird is able to fly and to feed itself.
Our correspondent mistook our adj
vice for insect-catching birds for gen.
eral advice.
Except for swallows swifts and the
various fy-catchers it is best to keep
young birds until they are fully able
and willing-to pick up food from the
ground for themselves. Swallows, etc.,
snap insects as they fy)
Usually the young bird feeds itself
because it wants to, but the process can
be aided q by stopping all feeding "by
The best way to do this, after the
bird is able to fly, is to place the Sc
lected food on the ground and let the
bird go hungry If he will not pick it up.
A way to coax him is to place a small
amount of sand and earth, we'll mixed,
on the ground, and then put the food
on top of it,
We hasten to assure our correspondent
that the f1ickers could take care OF
themselves.
Flickers are large, capable fellows, and
even If they had never eaten bite ex-
cept from human hand, could take
over at once when put on their own.
The fact that they kept bobbing their
heads, in full flicker fashion. from the
first moments, is proof of that.
AS a general proposition, however,
with most of the birds which may fall
from the nest hereabouts In spring and
summer, the best plan is to make sure
they know how to pick up food for
themselves before releasing them.