Evening star., 1946-03-18
This and That
By Charles Z. Trdce1DeH.
TAILS CHURCH. Va,

Dear Sir:
You're all wet! Much as I enjoy your
column, disagree as to some points.
For example: Recent spring cleaning
showed that l9 out Of my 20 birdhouses
Ton two-thirds acre. were used last year.
"Bluebirds and sparrows will build
IN the same apartment house, doors
only inches apart, and get along with
out nghtlng, but one sparrow and one
blueblrd (either sex) will always remain
on guard.
This makes it bit harder to feed
the babies, but often they'll live close
together when they don't have to.
Birds seem to like white houses as
well as any. and touch of red or blue
does no harm.
They really seem to prefer the To-
cations nearer our house. We feed the
year round.
This year, for the first time, blue
birds Owo males) picked at suet on sew
eral occasions, and they also mixed with
ground feeders, but I'm not sure they
picked up grain. What do you say to
that?
More power to you!
Sincerely, ]. B. W."
This column is built directly on the
observations OF the writer, plus the find
ings OF thousands of readers, with a
bit of information from books thrown
IN for good measure.
Most persons find that a multiplicity
OF birdhouses on small lot, say so by
100 1eet, do not give as good results as
two or three.
These, as stated here many times, are
preferably painted dark brown, gray or
green. It Is true that touches of
brighter colors do not hurt, but in our
own observation we have never seen
birds nest in a bright red house, as
stated.
There are two of these in a neishbor's
yard, and II anything has ever nested
In them in six years we failed to see
them. ct was good red paint-those
houses are just as red today as the day
they were put up)
The point against white birdhouses is
not that birds will or will not nest in
them, but simply that they are
"stare-y," especially If many of them are
used. A few are enough, but if care
fully placed, so that they are sur
rounded by plenty of leaves, they do
very well, and are acceptable to most
birds.
Colors, after all, are mainly to be
considered from the human viewpoint.
The pure creatures of nature take colors
as they come, and generally make the
best Of them. It is the human eve
which Is offended or pleased. And no
two humans eyes are exactly the same
even on the same person!
Our own personal viewpoint is that
20 birdhouses in two-thirds of an acre is
about Is or 26 too many, but If the owner
likes his trees and bushes all cluttered
up with birdhouses, why, bless his
heart! And we are glad to hear that
10 OF them were occupied It would be
interesting to know how many of those
gave good homes to English sparrows.
Sparrows are good birds. We like them,
and think they have as much right to
homes as any.
AS for bluebirds and sparrows nest
ing side by side, that would have been
branded as mature taking" when T. r.
was In the White House. But it is a
possibility. We have always said that
our bluebirds are not as delicate and
timid as some persons who hate SPAR
rows would have us believe.
Bluebirds at a feeding station were
probably looking for insects or worms
which had bred in the chaff of the grain
as discarded by the songsters.
As rule, they do not eat grains or
hard seeds. Birds of America" states:
The bluebird has not been accused, so
far as known, Of stealing fruit or prey
ing upon crops" Elaborate studies made
by the United States Biological Survey
showed that So per cent of the bluebird's
food consists of insects and their allies,
while the other 80 per cent is made up
Of various vegetable substances, none Of
which Is from cultivated Sorts In August
and September grasshoppers comprise
more than half Of this beautiful birds
intake.