Evening star., 1946-06-01
This and That
By Charles E. TracepeU.

fortunately for the birds, spring and
summer are the easy food times. when
all hungry songster has to do is open
his mouth.
Just as residents of the Southern
Seas, in the old days, were pictured as
reclnlng at their ease, while coconuts
fell into their laps so the wild birds of
our area are able to get all the food
they need from mother nature.
This does not mean that their human
friends may not feed them-if they can
get enough of the foods they like.
Persistent all-the- year around feeders
OF our feathered friends found that
grains and seeds were becoming very
scarce, even before the railroad strike
These persons will find that it is not
at all necessary to put out food for the
birds until next fall.
But I like to feed them!" some one
says.
In that case, 60 ahead and feed them.
There is always something from the
human table they will eat.
Watermelon and cantaloupe seeds are
rellshed by cardinals and many other
myers, to say nothing of that high flyer,
the ubiquitous gray squirrel.
Just as there will always be an Eng.
land, at least according to the song, SO
IL may be presumed that there will
always be some bread on the American
taeie, II our leaders do not become
opsessed with political ideas and give
it all away.
Scraps of bread make excellent bird
food y
Bits of leftover meat and fish make
even petter, especially at nesting time.
There are few of the 300 species which
come mere that do not like aid at nesting
time
The hungry mouths of their babies are
always open, and little ground meat
or hsh Just fills the bill, and no pun
intended
1t is no fun rustling up grub for SO
many mouths. Every little bit of helm
given Is relished in more ways than one
1he father and mother birds are
hungry, too, and scraps of food, left
overs as they are called, go long wav
toward helping the birds of all ages.
1t Is an interesting experiment, to put
out olfferent foods and to find out lust
which ones of them are liked, and espe-
clally by which species.
very little determined work has been
done along these lines, since most of
us who like the birds are not scientists.
lacking the type of mind which relishes
planned experiments.
1t would not be very difficult. though
10 set down on paper the names of GER
tain foods, and afterwards the results
as we see them. 1t would take some
looking, OF course, but many persons
nave more time for watching than thev
think. '
conditions have so changed, in these
United States, due to labor and other
trouoles-labor is not the only human
FACTOR, and never was-that thousands
OF persons are forced to stay at home
instead OF sticking indoors and listen
ing to the hucksters over the radio. per-
haps it would be better to go over to the
window and watch the birds. These are
the fellows who have sense, in a world
c1 beWildering changes among human,
affairs. The birds are conservatives
which operate on the old lines laid down
by nature in the beginning.
some day, they may have the last
laugh after ALL In the meantime. SEN
slbie human beings, having read and
listened and discussed until they are
sick OF it all, 60 to their windows and
watch the birds.
There is soiace among them.
Friends of the feathered folk need not
oe worried If there is no food to put out
Tor them. 1t is nice to feed them. the
year around, but If there is no food for
them-and who knows whether there
will be any for their two-legged friends?
nature is still on the job. She had a
plan, a million years ago, and it has
worked out pretty WELL all that time
Maybe If we humans turned to nature
and did as the birds do, we would be
great deal better off, and happier, too
Being happier is being better off, isn't it?