Evening star., 1947-10-13
This and That
By Charles E. TraceUeu.
LAUREL, Md.

LAUREL, Mo.
Dear Sir:
IT wondered If you could possibly give me a
solution to my winter feeding station problem.
Last spring, due entirely. to your articles in
The Star, I nailed 10-cent pie plate to my
kitchen window sill, kept it full Of seed and
have had untold pleasure watching all kinds
Of birds feed there.
my days always get the right start when
the sound OF the window screen raised brings
hue from the birds waiting for their breakfast.
Our kitchen is on the northwest side Of the
house and gets all the rain and wind-the snow
piles up on the sill, so I'll have to have sta
tion that is well covered from the sides and
rear and yet has space enough for them to
climb in and eat.
IF you can tell me where might find plans,
I'll be grateful The bird books that have
just don't have a picture that would suit my
needs Very truly yours, r. McC."
Thers is no need for book to help one make
bird feeding station.
The window sill feeder. IN particular. is
simplicity itself.
All one needs is shelf with raised edge
or ledge around it.
This is fixed to the windowsin In suitable
manner, or put on post very close to the sill.
BY it's proximity to the window, it is easily
kept clear of snow and ice, and restocked with
food.
IL
and keep the food dry, posts can be put at
the corners and roof put over these.
Here we have the bird feeding station at its
simplest
There is really nothing else to it, but of course,
one may make it as complicated as one pleases.
That is human privilege.
The maker may put glass lid on it, or box
it in with glass on the sides and back othe side
closest to the window, leaving the front open
for the feathered guests.
This type of feeder may be purchased in
many places where feeding stations and seed
are sold, but in actual use it has been found
to grow cloudy and dirty, so that one cannot
watch the birds as easily as expected.
All in ALL the simplest device is the best.
The placement of this sort of situation Is
even more important than how it is built. The
roof may be peaked the whole painted neatly
in white and green, and still it will be misft
if the watcher inside the pane cannot see it
easily.
For this reason one must take into considera-
ton the favorite chairs in the room, or, in case
of a kitchen, the point within where one
usually stands.
Thus the station affixed squarely to the
windowsin may be too low to be seen comfort
ably from inside
This may make it necessary to use long
post, securely fixed in the ground, in order that
the feeding tray, with its posts and roof, is
lifted high enough to give one good birds
eye' view.
1t will be found that the simple tray, with
few holes in it, and with ledge around it
for the birds to perch on is about the best
general window sill feeder.
The fancy sort OF feeding station has its
| points, but as general thing, the simpler, the
| better.
This means that food thrown on the ground
| at some easily observable place day after day
| is just about as good as one can do
| It Is possible to have feeding stations or
| pulleys, and feeding stations with trick hop
pers for grain, feeding stations with glass jars
| and feeding stations that are supposed to dump
| squirrels of, but in such fundamental rela.
| ton as the throwing out of food and the eat
ing thereof by hungry creatures in feathers ane
fur, there is no substitutes for common sense
| The birds and beasties in the cold ask for moth
ing but food and water, and any way we hell
them Is the best way