Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-05-07
This and That
By Charles E. TrdceUeH.
SILVER SPRING. MD.

Dear Sir:
I'VE have as a frequent visitor to our
feeding station bird about two-thirds
the size Of robin and blue "a royal
blue) over its entire back.
Its under surface is rust, shading
into gray. 1t is particularly fond of
raisins
Can you identify this bird for us?
Yours truly, r. w. B."
This must be the bluebird. Despite the
fame of the species, many persons today
have never seen one. At one time they
we're more plentiful than robins, but a
great storm in 1912 killed off hundreds
of thousands of them
Those which are left-and they have
recovered some in recent years-seem to
have taken up their main headquarters
in this region in the Wesley Heights
area.
In 16 years in Chevy Chase. Md, we
have seen but dozen of these beauties,
although our community is famous for
birds.
There is a sort of bluebird belt across
Washington, beginning at, Wesley
Heights, and running due east for per-
haps two or three miles.
blQeUlI Us ike llSiOS III WHICH U11eIS
are growths Of young trees. They may
be attracted by erecting houses for
them, on posts in the sunshine, and
much lower than one might expect
offhand to place them.
One eXperimenter in the Middle West
succeeded in Turing hundreds of them.
He said: THE best results are obtained
If the box is erected not over three or
ohnyo the Ground Y,refer-
ably nailed to solid fence post, facing
the south or southeast. You will be
more successful with fence posts than
you will if you nail the box to the side
of a tree"
Bluebirds, evidently, like everything
perfectly natural A fence strikes them
as just a part of things. Probably the
reason they do not take to houses on
trees is because of the number of birds
in them, also the squirrels.
The bluebird house is made according
to the following dimensions: Floor of
inches; diameter of hole, ~ inches;
hole above floor, 6 inches; height of
box above ground, to 10 feet.
The size of entrance hole necessary
for the bluebird permits the entrance
dlSU Vi LllSllSll SpdIlOWS dllu StdI lllkO
Experts on such things tell us that
in the last generation the number of
bluebirds has diminished about 80 per
cent in the Washington area.
We can well believe it. Certainly in
our yard, where 60 species have been
identified, the bluebird is one of the
rarest. We have had more scarlet
tanagers than bluebirds, and about as
many indigo buntings.
Bluebirds prefer hollow fence posts
above everything else. Probably f1ickers
peck out these holes, but at any rate the
bluebirds like them.
In making house for them, no perch
should be used outside the entrance hole
All such perch does is permit sparrows
to land on it and use it as vantage
point from which to harass the blue
birds. '.
Even squirrels will envy bluebirds
their houses, and will enlarge the en-
trance hole until they can get in.
The bluebird is the one bird every
body expresses wish to have around.
It's present rarity, combined with its
beauty, is one of the factors for this
popularity.
Use as literary figure. as in Maeter-
linck's play, in which the bird is a
symbol of happiness, no doubt partly is
responsible for the popularity of the
bird. But above all it is fine creature.
It's coloration, its beautiful song, its fam
lily life, and the early presence every
year, all make for the love which most
persons have for it.
Some of them remain in the Washing
ton area the year around, mostly In the
Wesley Heights area. A few are to be
seen all winter In Arlington County, Va