Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-07-30
This and That
By Charles E. Trace1uell.

Birds in heavy all-day rain lose some
OF their glamour
Ihe hooking bird is the wettest look
ing OF them all. He seems fairly be-
draggled. The white on his wings is
almost soaked out. AS for the rest
OF MIN, he resembles bundle of feathers
more than a bird,
Inc Saucy jay loses most of his blue.
but aside from that seems more or
less his Old peculiar self, giving forth
ms war cry every now and then de-
spite the rain.
Inc rooln is easily recognizable from
MS rudy breast. The male cardinal
seems almost the same as on a dry
Gay, except for the bedraggled look.
common sparrows are mere bundles
OF fluff, but hold their brown and
gray tones nicely.
All birds are equipped with oil glands.
winch spread a nice fine oil over the
feathers. The construction of feathers
also tends to shed water
Neither construction nor oiling resists
water any too well, after downpour
has lasted for eight hours And after
That, every bird must venture out for
1ood rain or no rain.
This venturing, 1t must be admit
TED, is not much, because the creatures
nave been pelted more or less all the
time, especially when the rain continues
all night, as it did recently.
Not many species seem to have
enough sense to come in out of the
rain" as 1t were. Nature made them
able to stand 1t, and stand 1t they do.
Our little English sparrows will seek
shelter beneath caves and cornices. So
also will the startling. Maybe these
foreigners" have more sense than the
native birds, in this respect, at least.
The rain crow might be expected to
be one bird who liked the rain. and
SO he does, but since he stays well
up IN the trees 1t is impossible to
see how we'll he stands it.
Certainly he does not send his peculiar
cry through the branches on a real
rainy day any way near as many
times as on fair one.
Recently friend within few blocks
told OF having two bittern in his
yard. He said they flew down to his
fish pond, and ate up all the goldfish.
A rainy day would be good for them,
Even the most obdurate foe of sum-
mer bird feeding should have mercy
on the feathered population in a pro-
longed rain.
1t Is easy to see, even in IL hours
OF rain, what terrible effect continued
days and weeks of such downpour
would have on the birds Of this earth.
Probably Noah was told to take no
more than one pair because there were
no more creatures left than that after
such a rain had fallen few weeks.
The birds, despite their oiled feathers,
would be the first to suffer, we believe.
because of failure of the food supplies
Insects and others of their ilk would
burrow in the ground, or conceal them
selves beneath leaves.
Insect-eating birds would have a hard
time of it, especially those fiycatchers
ana others which must depend upon
taking their nourishment on the wing.
Heavy and prolonged rains keep such
flyers down, and so deprive these birds
OF much If not all of their food.
In heavy rains, some food put out
for the birds, in sheltered places, on
porches, under overnangs and SO on,
and especially in feeding stations with
good roof spreads, do world. Of good
for all species.
At these times, the nesting birds
md 1t difficult to get enough insect
food for the babies. So little ground
beef or other meat during rainy day
is one OF the best things any one can
give the birds. Birds need our help
in heavy rains. In return, their be-
draggled appearance presents them in an
entirely new light to the questing
human eye. Some of the old favorites
will be recognized only with dificulty.