Evening star., 1945-11-02
This and That
By Charles E. Traceueu.

November is the best month to begin
bird feeding.
But do not be upset If the songsters
do not come to eat at once.
They have their right to their own
ways of doing things and you may feel
assured in advance that they will avail
themselves of all their rights.
One of these is suspicion.
1t may take the birds in your neigh
borhood only day to spot the food and
to come to it.
1t may take them three days.
They may hover around for a week
even before settling down and feeling
at home.
In some exceptional cases, as much
as two or three weeks will be required
for this happy result.
Just what causes different birds to re-
act differently cannot be stated posi-
lively. Sometimes there Is another feed
ing place in the neighborhood and it
has been going full blast all summer.
1t will be no wonder that the birds
stick to it and are somewhat chary
about visiting a newly established place.
Sometimes the color of new feeding
device is against it. Birds commonly
Suet cakes which are too white will
tend to keep them away.
In some cases only the stress of very
cold weather will make the birds visit
places which are not exactly to their
liking.
IT is impossible to tell, in most cases,
just why the birds do not come, but the
thing to keep in mind is that time cures
all things, as the proverb has it. In
time all the birds which winter in
neighborhood. will find their way to your
newly established station, provided it is
kept stocked and there are not too many
dogs and cats around.
Fortunately for the songsters which
stay with us the year around, the
tendency is for sidewalk and street play
and so they are not ordinarily bothered
or frightened by the activities of the
little ones.
This means that the back yard, under
average circumstances, is the best place
to set up feeding station Whether
it should be close to the window or out
in the yard is a question which bothers
some people.
The truth is that 1t makes no partic-
ular difference. 1t is possible to watch
the birds at any point with the aid of
binoculars or even with old-fashioned
opera glasses.
There is one good point about having
feeder close to window and that is
it brings the birds close for easy in
spection. Such close inspection is better
than even the best glass. 1t is easier to
see the beauty of the feather formations
and to grasp just what beautiful things
birds are. Sometimes even ardent bird
fans tend to forget the beauty Of their
favorite except in formal way. The
actual breath-taking quality of mother
cardinal with bead of ice on her head
is something which must be seen at
two or three feet or not at ALL
1t is good idea to experiment with
the placing of bird feeding station
and to let the birds decide which place
they like best This will require time of
course, and some patience.
1t is a good thing in homes where
feeding the birds becomes routine to
put the job up to some interested men,
ber of the household. In this way the
thing gets done, whereas if it is left
to the entire family 1t may not, as is
the common experience of too many
cooks
Putting in fresh seed and grain and
placing water is best done at some one
time every day. Then the chore is over
for at least "a hours and II not many
birds arrive it may be done for longer.
Keeping the local birds happy and con-
tented is a job entered into now by
thousands of people, who not only main
tain these insect killers at top form,
ready to go ahead full speed with spring,
but also provide for themselves some of
the finest amusement in the world. 1t
is satisfaction TO know that birds
around place In the cold manage to
eat hundreds Of insect eggs which they
find on shrubs and trees and during
the warmer days also find many insects
themselves. Feeding will not prevent
them from taking this live food.