Evening star., 1947-10-16
This and That
By Charles E. Trace1Dell
y - = I've % Wv
"LANHAM PARK, Md.

'LANHAM PARK, Md.
Dear Sir:
I have small request to make of you We
have gum tree directly in front of our front
porch where a certain bird finds his food.
He is there most of the year around, digging
for bugs or worms in the trunk of this tree
He looks so much like a penguin and maneu-
vers up and down with the assistance of his
tail, as a sort of third leg. or prop.
His markings are black and white and he is
or inches. more or less, in length.
He is such constant little creature
really must know who he is.
I'VE moved out here in the country two
years ago. We have a wide variety of birds
I am just beginning to find the time to take
real interest in them. Yesterday walked
down through stretch of woods I'd never
canvassed before.
1T was wonderful to view the changing
leaves, the fallen acorns from the oaks, the
squirrels chattering and munehing nuts and
goldenrod striving to reach little sun through
small spaces between trees and underground.
Sincerely yours, M. v. NJ"
II II
II our correspondent sees this bird use its
tail as prop, 1t must be the downy wood
pecker.
The white breasted nuthatch probably re-
sembles penguin more, but does not use its
tail in this manner.
The nuthatch Is better tree climber, be-
cause it is not dependent upon the use of its
tail in this way.
The woodpeckers prop the body with the tail,
and thus can strike harder blow with the BILL
The nuthatch gets only small insects not too
far in the bark, whereas the downy wood
pecker can strike deeper. Between them, these
birds do great service to our trees. The
brown creeper is another good one to have
around trees. He is often seen with the downy
woodpecker.
Bluejays, too, class as tree savers, because
they often hide bits of food in the crevices OF
bark. This attracts the other small birds, who
in finding this food, also dig out the countless
eggs laid in bark, and also take hundreds of
small insects, all of which would harm the tree
Nature is great whole with all its part
1nterdependent. Mankind often forgets that
1t, too, as group of living creatures, belongs
to this chain, and by its insistence on its own
determined will, at times tends to overthrow
the balance.
1t seems difficult for most men to realize
that what we may do, as group of living
things, may be dictated by circumstances be-
yond out control. But just as the Jennings,
at certain times, all band together and throw
themselves into the sea, in response to un-
known urges, SO mankind may invent atom
bombs and other instruments of horror in re-
sponse to urges that come from outside and
are beyond OUR knowing.
AHc AttAc uOWuy WOOQpcCkef, III responding
to the instinct of hunger, does good in the
world He not only is good to look at, but his
ways do no one any harm, and his habits in
the end do much good by keeping other forms
of life, notably the trees, from being devoured
by insects
The birds, as a group, are extremely valuable
to all other forms of life, including man. They
seldom transmit Diseases and on the other
hand do much to keep down forms of life
that might spread disease.
Their consumption OF weed seeds is a service
to mankind which 1t Is difficult to estimate
despite the fact that statistics have been made
to show just how many millions of tons are
consumed each year.
In this work the little downy woodpecker
plays an important part.
He may be attracted to yard, first by trees
and second, by suet.
He belongs to the group OF smaller Species
including the wrens. chickadees, nuthatches
creepers and titmice.
All Of these are insect eaters, and some Of
them scour the trees for this food winter
and summer. All Of them except the house
wrens stay here the year around.
These are what may be termed standard
winter birds in these parts. Every one who
establishes feedng station in the fan and
keeps it going winter will learn in time
to know and lovtitaese loyal aids Of mankind.