Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-06-18
This and That
Z. Tr1ceUell.
:, MILITARY ROAD
.r - = =. 113I1 AlS1- HOAU.-4-
Dear Sir. $50 's-rYtEsg ~4St So /,

L
Dear Sir: eT1vGa -.
Perhaps you can help me with a bit
What 7 want to know is il ther. *
any way to keep the birds of my clothes
line. O''
Il like the birds, and feed them at all
times, but they are not very grateful,
because they repay me by perchine
on the clothes line.
There is not wash day do not
nave to take In several garments and
wash them over again.
This may seem funny, to some. but
to the busy housewife it is no Joke.
Any suggestions you may have along
this line will be appreciated.
Very truly yours, M. D. s."
Truly this is problem seldom
touched on in writing about our feath-
cred friends.
We would hesitate to apply the word
migrate" to the songsters, vet at times
they seem that way.
Recently this column carried 4 letter
relative to the woes of the owner of a
nice roof on which the birds had in
sisted on placing bits of suet These
melted, and left spots on the roof. We
LOOK II That the owner was rather touchy
ABOUT his roof. Probably it was new
ana ne paid more attention to it than
usual.
Now comes one who puts out a spot-
less wash, and soon finds that some of
1t has to be done over again!
Our "feathered friends" are apain
responsible.
Whether one feeds or not. birds will
be birds. They love to fly around. and
ask nothing better to alight on than a
clothes line.
You might think, OF hand, that white
cIotnes' waving and Tapping in the
breeze, would frighten them away, but
no such thing-there is scarcely a mo-
ment wnen one or more is not perched
there.
The most amusing thing we ever saw
along this line-no pun intended-was
couple Of turtle doves lettering back
and forth on deserted clothes line.
First one flew in. These birds are
heavy bodied. They are not as light
as sparrow.
The first turtle dove see-sawed back
and forth, not able to balance himself
exactly, but grimly holding on to the
line. ''Ae
A second dove flew down, and settled
about foot from the first.
He, too, began to jiggle, and soon
both were swaying back and forth de-
termlned to keep grip on the rope.
But evidently the momentum set I'm bv
the two birds was too much. for both
shortly new away with the whistlinp
OF wings which is characteristic of
them. "a
sometimes birds do appear rather
ungrateful for the food put out for
them so generously by 80 MANY per-
sons.
1t may be that they feel thew are
stealing the food, and therefore ows
no tnanks to any one. This idea was
suggested by reader several years
ago, ana IT seems to have some merit.
AS to q remedy:
Eternal vigilance Is supposed to be
the price OF freedom, and it well NAV
De that vigilance is the only solution
to the problem posed above.
inspection every now and then will
not only show how many birds are on
the clothes line, but it will permit i'm
meolate rewashing, so that in the end
no damage is done.
This might not seem a yerv helnful
suggestion, but every one wants birds
around, and where they are welcomed
tney VIII act as birds do It is the same
with dogs, with cats, with all types of
nVng Things. Where they are made to
feel at home, they often take advan-
tage OF the situation, as it were, and
notning much can be done about it, at
least viii not be by those persons who
like them.