Evening star., 1947-10-21
This and That
By Charles E. Traceuell
BETHESDA, MD.

Dear Sir:
THE cardinals continue to be the real Joy at
my feeding station. While we have most of the
species that winter here. the redbirds never
1all to be peers OF them all, as far as I am con-
cerned.
Their beauty, their actions their amiability
their very presence contribute note of happi-
ness to the turning scene of the autumn garden,
with It's falling leaves, browning grass drifting
smoke fires
"The cardinals are the first to arrive each
day, and the last to 60 away I wonder If all
your readers realize that putting out seed for
these birds almost at dusk, or just little before
can be among the most rewarding OF actions?
we have four male birds that arrive every
evening just before dark. I never see them at
other times Of the day. I never see their mates,
either; II the latter are around, do not recog-
nize them.
"The four males are in good color, and agree
among themselves never to fight. They fly in
one by one, until there are four splotches of
color on the bare earth where they feed
They continue long after dusk has fallen, and
upon one occasion remained until it was really
black outside. I could hear their pleasant chip
ping in the cool air.
IF there were nothing more to bird feeding
than these wonderful birds it would be worth it,
and l. for one, and know there are countless
more, thank you for calling my attention to
what I was missing before.
Sincerely, T. J. D."
Well deserved praise, this.
The cardinal is one of the best Of birds
1t Is leader among the flocks, rarity, If
there were not SO many of him.
Almost every garden has two or more, while
in some places as many as "a pairs have been
known in one garden.
The writer was fortunate one winter to have
IL pairs complete, every day.
This was a sight long to he remembered
Usually the redbirds in the yard number from
four to half dozen, but that one winter the
larger number cameI
Just why they all congregated there has re-
NAMED mystery, since feeding conditions
have remained the same since.
No doubt unknown conditions are factors,
but since these can never be known, there is
not much reason to worry about them, one way
or another.
The thing to do is to accept the birds with
gratitude
The main thing is to realize that the female
cardinal is as good as the male bird, from the
watchers viewpoint
That ls she is all cardinal-and that is say
ing much. Her coloring while not as fashy,
is beautiful, and her ways are those of calmness
and grace. Her mate Is all male, and that means
that at times, at least, he is by nature slightly
contemptuous of the female. But the pair get
along very well, in the main, although in
winter he must eat first; in springtime, he is
bit more civilized, and, with the true males
inconsistency, wants her to eat first; he even
proffers her q seed, with great gallantry; it is
this action which careless observers sometimes
speak of as kissing"
Cardinals are believed by some people to do
little bathing, but closer watching will show, we
believe, that they are as clean in their habits
as other birds, but rather more reserved; that
is why they may not always be caught in the
act
The sharp chip, chip of the cardinal will be
heard first among the birds on winters morn
ing; the same sound will come later than al
most any other bird call in the evening That
is why late filling of the feeding station is
good, so that the cardinals may feed late as
they like to do, and be well supplied the first
thing next day.
These fine birds mix well with other birds,
and make wonderful contrast with the plain
brown and gray sparrows, or almost any other
species, including the chickadees and titmice,
or even the big clumsy starlings.