Evening star., 1947-04-11
This and That
By Charles E. TrdceweH.
ARLINGTON Va

Dear Sir:
AS spring arrives, am wondering
II should keep on feeding the birds.
II have had several persons tell me,
with more or less heat, that 1t is absurd
to put out food for them from now on.
"They say that 1t Is not only absurd,
but that it actually harms the birds,
gets them used to being served, so that
they are not able to find food for them
selves.
Il would like TO ask you II there Is
any truth in all this?
Il love to watch the birds eat, and do
not want to quit feeding them, even in
the summer. Very truly, /. M. G."
~ X +
There Is no chance whatever that
continued bird feeding will cause the
songsters to lose their natural instincts.
No matter how much food you put
out for them, there still will be the
centuries-old appeal OF fresh food, the
kind nature intends for them.
The birds may eat at your feeding
station all the year around, bat in
springtime and summertime there are
so many natural foods available that
they naturally turn to them.
Even the ardent all-year-around
feeder discovers that his feed bills in
the spring and summer months are far
less than in winter.
And no wonder!
What bird is going to- be spoiled" to
the extent of resisting the love of q
fresh, succulent insect, caterpillar, or
other crawling thing?
It is as absurd to say that birds will
be harmed by continued feeding as to
claim that a human being would be
spoiled" by his daily dinner table.
The birds will eat at feeding stations,
As long as there is food in them, but
in sprihg and summer they mix in with
this food much natural fare.
After a winter of dry foods, they will
be glad to get some juicy morsels.
The fresh foods, both insect and seed,
have been satisfying bird tastes for
countless centuries.
The birds are always on the lookout
for them
When spring comes. the first thing a
bird does is look for worm. He does
this even before he thinks of the possi-
bilities of the nest.
No bird Is such q natural born fool
"
Who would?
realize that the lure Of the fresh food
is many times as strong as that Of dried
out seeds and grains.
Then, too, the birds-an of them--use
insects for baby food.
No matter the species, the youngsters
are fed on worms, insects and insect
eggs.
These are culled by the millions to fill
the gaping bills of the new birds upon
the old scene.
It is here that the person interested
in watching the birds eat can help out,
by placing a saucersof ground fresh meat
where the birds can find it.
II such q "handout' is put In the
same place every day at the same time,
say O'Clock In the afternoon, the birds
will come to look for 1t.
Such platter Of meat, preferably
beef, since it is nearest to worm and
insect meat, will not only help supply
those gaping maws, but also give the
parents chance to pick up little good
food for themselves.
There Is no truth at all to the claim
that it Is inimical to bird life TO keep on
feeding them after spring arrives
Such ideas are indicated, one may feel,
by desires of economy, nothing else.
The only harm that can come to the
songsters by spring and summer feeding
lies in the use of too much fresh bread.
Too much Of this gives the birds too
much carbohydrates, at time when
they need less. Fat youngsters, too fat
to fly, may be bred by such feeding. II
good grains and seeds. and some ground
meat, are offered, one may rest assured
that they win be, in spring and summer.
merely supplemental foods. The birds
have been in this world too long to be
spoiled"