Evening star., 1946-09-16
This and That
BIZ, Charles E. TraceueU.

Why do birds absent themselves from
time to time from a feeding station
where they have come constantly to
feed for many days?
Why do they seem to pick Sunday
for their favorite day of absence?
These are questions constantly asked
and seldom answered satisfactorily.
The reason is that there are so many
reasons, especially in the fall, when
bird life everywhere is upset by the
stern necessities of migration
Absence from a formerly going feeder
may be due to variety of causes, rang
ing from the presence of undue or un-
usual noises in a neighborhood, to that
of a hawk.
The necessity of getting ready for
migration will explain, in some cases,
the absence of migrating birds which
have been with us all spring and
summer
The time has come for these birds
to return to the winter feeding grounds
and to do so they make tentative trips
to the woods and fields, deserting old
and tried feeding stations.
This is a natural thing for them to
do. They must get their feathers in
shape and above all they must meet
other birds and get ready to 20 with
them, for most species, in the return, fly
together.
Among the warblers, as many as 40
species will band together, flying along
tremendously. These bands are good,
because what one bird sees in the food
line, the others can get.
They finally part company and not
often are seen together, since much of
the flying is at night. But the fact of
their getting together explains some
OF the minor disappearances
ANY noise in a neighborhood of a
feeding station may drive birds away.
Such sounds as popping noises remind
the birds Of guns. Birds have had sew
eral centuries, now, to become attuned
to the harsh sounds of explosions The
sounds may be block or several blocks
away, still they frighten the birds.
1t is not realized by the average
home bird lover that hawk over a
neighborhood may have a similar
frightening effect. The big fellow may
not even come down, but those shadows
above are far older than the popping of
guns. They mean something to all birds,
with thousands of years, as compared
to hundreds, behind them
The inroad of hawk is silent, EXCEPT
for the final snatch. Unless the watcher
happens to be right there, he may miss
1t altogether. The visit of the hawk
remains unknown to him.
But the songbirds conceal themselves
and remain hidden for hours, some
times for several days, before they
venture to come back to the feeding
place.
AS for birds remaining away from
well-stocked feeding station on Sun
days, there can be no question about it.
1t is a well-known fact, just as much
as the similarly odd fact that blueiays
often pay visits on Fridays, although
they may not have been seen for
several days.
This Is hard thing to explain, in
deed. There would appear to be no
real reason for it. Religious explana-
tlons are out, since the birds know
nothing of religion in any form.
One might think, off-hand, that the
unusual somnalence of neighborhood
on Sunday morning might in some way
influence the songbirds to be hesitant
about coming down for food. But when
the birds do not even come when the
people begin to stir around, what are
we to think of that?
And there is no real reason why a
lack of people should keep them away.
You would suppose that the less people
IN evidence, the more birds, since it
is likely that the birds. If they think
at all, believe they are stealing the
food that is put out for them.
Maybe there is rhythm in the affairs
of birds as in those of men, 1t is
natural, evidently, that every seven
days there should be halt in activities.
Let no one say that birds do not know
time. They understand it very well,
probably better than we do. Time is
still the great mystery, but the birds
know how to appear at just the same
time every morning. Bluejays, in par
ticular, have habit of showing up at
some one time, say tbs o'clock in the
morning, day after day Other species
have been found to operate on strict
time schedules. especially during nesting
s<ason.