Evening star., 1947-02-11
This and That
BIZ Charles E. Trdce1Oell.
SILVER SPRING, Md.

SILVER SPRING, Md.
Dear Sir: .~
quite while back some character
wrote in to say how amused he was at
people who fed birds in the summer.
Nov, we used to stop feeding in
spring, but last year they kept coming,
and we kept on feeding.
"They snatched hasty meals while
building and nesting, then they ate a
little and took some away with them.
'The next thing we knew they were
there with their babies The downy
Woodpeckers, cardinals, robins, titmice,
sparrows, starlings and blue jays taught
their young to feed themselves right
outside our windows.
II suppose they could have gotten
along very well without our help, but
seeing the amount of food those babies
put away, I think mamma and papa
were grateful.
Il wish people who dislike sparrows
could have seen ours last summer. If
baby bird of any species flutters up
with open mouth, he gets food. 1t doesn't
matter whose baby he is. He doesn't
have to be sparrow. He gets food.
mfr. Amused can be amused, if he
likes, but I'll bet we had lot more fun
last summer than he did.
Enclosed are several photographs
taken at our feeding shelf. They were
taken through the storm sash, and the
ones of the downy and red-bellied wood
peckerS were taken through two paneS
Of glass. Sincerely, e. H."
This may seem bit early to be think
ing about spring and summer, but the
seasons have way of creeping up on
us unaware
One day it is winter, with snow on
the ground; within a few days, the air
is balmy, and every one thinks of spring.
Birds think first, as shown by tenta-
tive songs weeks before the vernal sea-
son really comes.
Male cardinals, formerly bossy to their
mates, especially at feeding stations,
become very considerate, offering them
choice seeds.
This action is sometimes believed to
be kissing" by those who are not close
enough to see the sunf1ower seed passed
from bill to bill.
The person who likes to feed the birds
will find February not too early to think
about continuing the sport through the
entire spring and summer.
This procedure not only keeps the
nesting birds around, since offered food
is great help to both parents and
young, but also provided the most appre-
ciated lure of all in the fall
Wien migrating birds, and others
moving South bit. see many feeders
below, naturally enough they fly down
to investigate.
They would not be-we were about to
say. "human"-if they did not.
The point is, that they do come down,
and some of them stay.
AS matter of fact If one desires to
begin feeding the birds next fall, the
best time to start is this spring.
Not only are the birds accustomed to
it, but the human element in the scene
knows just what to do, and how to do it.
While there is nothing elaborate about
it, feeding the songbirds does require
certain amount of brains, a little time,
and bit more money.
Intelligence, time and money-there
you have famous combination, out of
which, over the years, come many
things.
Fortunately for feeding the birds, the
sport takes not too much intelligence,
just little time, ana not lot of money
Ways may be found of cutting down on
the expense. But ali these matters re-
quire working out, and the individual
discovers that here, as in all matters
worth while, there is nothing like the
personal approach.
So those newcomers, especially to the
suburban areas, who become interested
in bird life, will do well to think about
the possibilities of feeding the birds in
their own yards. and then they may
decide that they need not wait until
fall to begin.