Evening star., 1946-03-16
This and That
By Charles E. TrdceUeH.
DARLINGTON. Va,
Dear Sir:

1.-TWO or three weeks ago large band
of evening grosbeaks came into my
yard and have come back at inter-
walls since. I saw them again this morn
ing, and am wondering if this is not
rather late for them to be here if they
are migrating, or do you think they
possibly could have decided to stay
here permanently. I do hope so as
they are beautiful.
Il use the terrace at the back of
the house for feeding station when
the weather is nice, and recently
noticed coming to this station with
the English sparrows a somewhat
smaller bird, but apparently of the
sparrow family, but it is sort of red
dish brown on the back with white
stripes on its head and its breast is
covered with brown or black spots. 1t
has so many spots that when it looks
at you it has the appearance of leop-
ard. 1t appears to be travelling alone
and while it travels with the sparrows
it doesn't seem to care especially for
them. Can you identify it from this
description? Respectfully, H. L. NJ"
Il 4
Evening grosbeaks are a rarity here,
or early April.
They will head for the Canadian
woods, their breeding place There is
not much chance of one of them re-
naming here. Certainly none will stay
here permanently, unless the world of
birds has gone as haywire as the world
of men.
There is no telling, of course, what
science, the liberator, will do to either
the world of men or the world of the
birds and the animals.
The atomic bomb shows how mankind
is unleashing power which it is incap-
able of handling.
The effects of such released power
are unpredictable. They may work in
ways as yet unknown. Surely the out
look for man is bleak If he destroys
himself, let us hope that he leaves the
world to the animals, birds, insects and
fishes, and that they, in their turn, will
do better with it than we have.
AS for our correspondents sparrow
like bird, we think it must be a song
sparrow.
This small prince of the underbrush
is different enough to attract atten-
ton from careful watchers
Unfortunately, many of the song SPAR
rows have been slain by INSCRIPTIONS
and Indifferent observers in the belief
that they were common sparrows.
Plain ordinary sparrows deserve
better fate, but it is especially hard
When the song sparrow is slain.
Actually he does not look in the least
like an English sparrow.
His habits, too are different.
He Is much bolder in his contacts
with man, especially in the suburban
districts. 1t is an odd fact that the COM
mon sparrow becomes rather shy, when
ne takes to the suburbs. Downtown, un-
DER necessity, he will pick bits of food
from under the very feet of passersby.
In the suburban garden he and his
mates Will fly up every time door is
opened, and this despite the fact that
ne and they may have fed from the
station for months and even years.
The song sparrow, on the other wing,
Is seldom disturbed by the advent of
man, or pet dogs or cats.
He sings pleasantly from a post or
hops sedately along the lawn. He will
come within a few feet of a person
seated in a lawn chair.
He takes his bath, preferably in a
shallow dish not more than an inch or
two deep, time after time, not disturbed
in the least by gallery of observers.
We have seen a song sparrow dip him
self "a times. each time followed by
complete turning around in the bath.
and end by great shaking of the wings.
He is one OF the friendliest of all our
songsters. He stays with us in cold and
heat, and loves barberry bush to make
his nest and raise his children. His
pleasant melody in the cold is one of
the finest of all treats which the birds
give us, and one which, in view of our
incessant scrapping with each other,
we little deserve.