Evening star., 1946-01-24
This and That
By Charles E. Trace,Oeu.
"BROOKLAND,

"BROOKLAND.
Dear Sir:
"A much belated but sincere Happy
New Year to you and also to Temp
Jones. He is man after my own
heart-I, too, have always wanted a
silent dog whistle.
II have found the greatest enjoyment
in feeding and watering the birds. but
(unlike so many others had never been
able to attract the squirrels.
Praise the Lord, the squirrels have
at long last discovered my yard and
are dining with me as constantly as
the birds.
They are the cleverest and most
comical little fellows I have ever known.
and delight to any one who botherS
to watch them.
my feathered friends seem quite un-
afraid and feed right along with the
squirrels, and, for the life of me, I
can't understand why people object to
having these furry ones at their feeders.
They are not unduly pugnacious ana
not nearly as greedy as pigeons.
However, 1 can't find It in my heart
to chase the pigeons as SO many do.
At first glance they appear gluttonous,
but one must realize that they are large
birds and need more fuel than their
smaller brethren.
Maybe I am just an old softie but
have as much affection for the starting
and sparrow as for the cardinal and
mocker.
THE only bird I won't have In my
yard Is the grackle This particular
bird has caused so much trouble right
before my eyes that I chase him away.
Il have brought small birds in, and
nursed them until they were able to
fly again, and on each occasion a
grackle had been responsible and had
pecked the smaller bird before I could
get out in the yard.
IF I'm wrong, correct me. I know
the grackle must have some good quail
tiles, and perhaps I haven't searched
hard enough to find them.
BEST wishes. and thanking you for
so much information and downright
good reading. Sincerely, E. w. M"
X X
The grackle is not around so much
in winter, but is likely to visit a thriv-
ing feeding station in the spring
Then he must be watched with sus-
picious eyes, as he is likely to indulge
IN the manning and murder of smaller
birds.
He specializes in tearing off the legs
and heads of nestlings Any one who
has watched this i'll deed from an upper
window and seen it done so ruthlessly
and quickly that help was impossible,
will feel as our correspondent does about
this bird.
He is not, however, a total loss We
must always remember that nature was
here long time before we were, and
that putting out food for the birds
does not give us a right to correct
nature
We have to take her creatures as
they come, especially if we have set
ourselves up to do good in what Shake
speare called naughty world
But even that need not make us well
come the grackle for more than a few
minutes. We should scare him away be-
fore he has any chance to do harm.
BY stepping into the yard every time
grackle is seen, these big glistening
birds will decide that other places are
better for them.
LILO WILL lilCdll OlldJ Cllc llOUSSllUluGT
will not be forced to witness the murder
of baby cardinals just after day break,
and be unable to get down the stairs and
out into the yard in time to save them.
Yet the purple grackle is fine speci-
men of bird life, glistening in the sun,
as he walks across the yard.
He eats grain, and that is held against
him, but he also devollrs many inimical
insects Since he feeds his babies on
insects, and these babies are large, he
needs to gather and destroy many bugs"
which otherwise would rise in their
numbers to plague gardeners and
farmers.
The grubworm is favorite of his. It
is said that when he finds number of
them he literally Grams his stomach full
If we take pains to keep him and his
family away from feeding stations, the
grackle is an interesting bird, and
rounds out the roster of the feathered
folk. There are so many good birds that
bad one, now and then, may be neces-
sarynt to keep the balance. -