Evening star., 1945-02-03
This and That
By Charles E. Trdce,UeU.
"TAKOMA PARK Md

Dear Sir:
For many years we have been putting
out suet for the birds.
I'm the summer, the robins, thrushes
and, of course, all the woodpecker
family, bring their babies for samples,
and in the winter it Is visited daily by.
the nuthatch, and the hairy and downy
woodpeckers.
Lately it has been almost impossible
to obtain even a little suet. Is there
any other way to meet the winter needs
of the birds for fat? Could combine
lard or some other salad fat with any,
thing else as food for my woodpecker
friends?
Last summer a thrush which had
been coming to our feeder grew so tame
that it sat on my hand to pick up
raisin. I had noticed that it was much
tanner than the other birds, because it
would not fly when I tossed out the food.
"At first, when I held out my hand,
it would sit on the feeder and stretch
its neck until it could reach the raisin,
but the time finally came when it would
allght just for the fraction of a second,
pick up raisin and fly off.
Then, in about week, after I had
fallen completely in love with it, and
looked for its coming, the visits ceased.
For several days I saw no thrushes at
all-this, as I recall, was in July or
August
Then some thruShes did come to pick
up things underneath the feeder, but
none ever flew back to the feeder which
swings from our kitchen door.
If there is an explanation, I'd love
to have it.
I'm another who enjoys the blue jays
and the squirrels. So far as blue jays,
or squirrels, either, disturbing nests, I've
never seen it.
I'VE have one squirrel who loves pea
nuts, and who climbs up on the screen
door and rattles it to attract attention.
Our mockingbird-or birds-comes
constantly during the winter to get
raisins, which soak before putting out.
But when summer comes, he seems to
find food to his taste elsewhere, al
though he is about the yard always,
and nests there.
Thanks lot for your column. Would
you make just one more contribution
toward bird protection? I think people
who have cats should bell them. Not
one bell, but several, so that no matter
how cautiously the cat moved, there
would be warning.
Il agree with you that many cats are
good neighbors, but we have one in our
neighborhood who decidedly is on the
prowl A little collar of bells wouldn't
hurt him and might help the birds.
Sincerely, A. D. K"
Surely out of every pound of fat taken
to the butcher, furthering the war
effort, few ounces might be saved for
the birds.
Birds are among our finest natural
resources, and undoubtedly destroy
millions upon millions of hoxious insects
annually, thus helping agriculture. Mil
lions of weed seeds, too, are devoured.
All in all, our birds may be called, we
think, fighters for freedom, too.
Suet eaters will not take kindly to
ordinary fats. In fact, there are some
types of suet they will not eat, except
in a pinch.
But ordinary fats, including the kinds
mentioned by our correspondent, could
be thickened with corn meal, with some
seeds mixed in.
In this way the mass would have the
consistency the birds like, and it also
might attract some of the seed eaters,
too.
Oatmeal and suet, according to one
expert, are all that are really needed
for feeding all the birds. d.
There are so many other things they
will eat, however, that almost any one
can find something to put out for them
in the cold.
Bells may be secured, but no leather
collars. Belling the cat, therefore, is
best done with thin cord or ribbon so
easily broken that If the animal becomes
entangled with shrubs it will not be
! hung by its own efforts.