Evening star., 1946-10-29
This and That
BIZ Charles +. Tracescell.
HARTFORD STREET s.E.

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Dear Sir:
For many years have enjoyed your
column especially dissertations on birds
and squirrels. Every year at about this
season I have hoped to see an article
on a custom practiced in Norway.
when the grains (oats, barley, or
wheat are being harvested, each house
hold sets aside one bundle for the birds.
ION Christmas morning this bundle Is
hung from some bare limb In tree
far enough from any other branches
that the rats cannot get to 1t.
"T1nis bundle of grain seems to suit the
birds (mostly sparrows) better than any,
thing else imaginable. The bundle at
tracts birds from all around.
They have food in the grain, but seem
mostly to enjoy the shelter Of getting
into the sheaf. After a couple Of weeks
the grain kernels are all gone but the
sheaf continues to attract visitors until
the snow melts.
by that time there is little left In the
tree, but there is an unsightly mess OF
straws on the snow.
yours, M. NJ"
There can be no doubt that the peoples
of other lands admire the common house
sparrow more than many Americans DO.
One might think offhand that a hust-
ling bird would appeal to land OF
hustlers, but apparently that is not the
case.
But admiration Of these waits from
afar Is growing.
There can be no doubt about that.
either.
This is coming about because Of the
movement Of these birds from city
streets to suburban areas, due pr1n-
cipally to the increase in the interest
in feeding the birds.
Wise in their ways, the spsrrows
flock anywhere there Is food.
Many still stick to the downtown, but
the bulk of them head for the suburban
communities.
Just how the word gets around among
them is unknown.
Probably it is no more mysterious than
the ability to fly. They take little trip
some day, and see other birds eating.
Nothing could be easier than to drop
down themselves, and once landed they
decide to stay in the neighborhood.
X
A prolific breed, there are many more
of them than there are chickadees and
the like.
Hence they tend to monopolize any
feeding station.
Some ardent bird fans resent this.
They want nothing but titnlice, chick
adees cardinals and the bike. Indeed,
it would be best if these alone would
come, but even if they drive all others
away-which they will not-there Is no
chance of them really hurting the others
except at nesting time.
Spring and summer may see the end
of bird feeding by the individual, 10
that no real damage is done any species.
That is one good reason for stopping
bird feeding in the spring.
Probably most enthusiasts cease
feeding with the warm weather, and
this leaves the few who want to con-
tinue unable to do any particular harm
by attracting lot of sparrows.
Norwegians and others OF the nortn
know the value of sparrows. Sparrows,
too. eat insects and insect eggs at nest
ing time taking toll Of millions for
food for their young
I They will do the same for us here, II
we have them around. Besides, they
are interesting, and beautiful IN their
way.
Some bird admirers maintain that the
female English sparrow is as good q
bird as there is.
Certainly il this species were un-
known here, there would be great ex.
element In attempting to identity any
seray ons ths* uight hsppen 70 ~ "a.