Evening star., 1946-09-28
This and That
By Charles E. TrdceUelI
CHEVY CHASE, Md

Dear Sir:
Because have always enjoyed your
column, I wish to contribute what, I
think, should be q most interesting
story to all bird lovers.
Early each morning for the past two
weeks, 1 have been awakened by the
loud lncessant shr1eking of the blue
jays. They few over and through the
trees IN large numbers. greatly disturbed
Last Saturday evening I knew the
answer.
What believe to be chicken hawk
had caught one of the jays and was
complacently devouring it in a tree
about 200 feet from where I stood.
THE band of blue jays, and only blue
jays, flew about in great dismay. diving
and trying to attack the hawk, which sat
with the unfortunate jay clutched in
MS claws, paying little heed to the
distress of the other birds.
"As the story goes, to each his own ,
only the jays united against this enemy
which had captured one of its own
The hawk is still in the neighborhood
and the battle goes on each morning and
at dusk.
Cordially yours, B. D. p"
y
Birds for more than q block in all
directions will stay away from feeding
stations as long as hawk comes around
English sparrows, which often make
up considerable contingent at we'll
patronized feeding place, will be among
the first to leave, and the last to return.
THESE are wary birds. If they give you
such pointer, you can feel sure that
something Is frightening them, perhaps
hawk.
The hawk shadow is something all
birds know. Through thousands of years
there have been such large shadows
above them. In contrast, birds have
known firearms for only few hundreds
OF years. Electric dangers, for much
shorter time. Terribly poisonous dust
sprays, for an even less time.
The hawk shadow is as old as the
hills, as old as birds themselves. Hawks
are predatory to an exceptional degree,
but some of them are not as bad as
others, and this should be remembered.
Not all hawks are bad, that is, they
are not as bad as the worst of them.
Indiscriminate shooting of these birds
is unWiSe, since it upsets the balance
of nature, but unfortunately it is not
always possible to know which hawk
has been killing birds.
Identification of hawks from their
sllhouettes is not easy. Even when a
hawk actually flies down into yard and
takes his prey before ones very eyes
1t is difficult job to be sure which
one 1t is.
There is simple way to frighten a
hawk out of a neighborhood.
All one has to do is take a stand
in the yard with a rolled newspaper,
cane or an umbrella in hand.
Assume the hunting position, and
elevate the gun" to take in the hawk.
That wise bird-and he is both wise
and beautiful-has been shot at now
for centuries.
He knows what that posture means.
Usually he will fly away
Hawks, as a class, are intelligent. As
birds without taking into considera-
ton their predatory tactics) they are
beautiful, with posture equaled by
few others.
The hawk perches erect, with its
head held proudly Many a slumping
human might take hint from hawk
When birds absent themselves from
feeding stations, where they have been
happy for long time, the answer often
| is a hawk
Our correspondents letter clears up
the mystery of the lack of songbirds
at our own feeding stations, which are
situated about block due east. We
have not had bird for two weeks. after
| IA years Of many birds all day long
| The hawk probably flew In from the
| Rockville neighborhood. We have not
| seen it--but our birds evidently have.