Evening star., 1947-11-07
This and That
By Charles z. TraceDell
"GAMBRILLS, Md.

"GAMBRnLS, Nd
Dear Sir:
This morning our household awoke to the
chirping Of OUR annual fall visitors as they
stopped for refreshments on their way to their
winter haven
There were approximately 200 robins darting
and swooping about the dogWood and holly
trees 1t is rather exciting time for us, as we
love the cheerful springlike sound of the robin
song.
This year they came as in previous years, a
vanguard of around 10 to IL birds, more or
less, arriving on Monday few more on Tues
day and then this Wednesday morning the
entire flock.
1--WE welcome them but hope that they leave
some of the evidently tasty dogwood berries and
tulip poplar seeds for the many birds who win
ter hereabouts. VERY truly yours M. j. l."
~
Gathering of robins for the southwark flight
may be termed suburban phenomenon.
The birds come together In hocks and feed
together before starting out.
The birds may fly around for a time, drop.
ping down on plain open yards.
They deploy themselves over the grass, tax
ing up positions about 10 feet apart, while
looking for worms.
shallow pan of water Is much liked by them
at this time.
The formal bird bath should be kept well
filled at all times, not only to afford bathing
facilities to these robin groups, but also to give
water to other migrants.
X X
Raisins sprinkled through the grass are the
best possible food for the migrating robins
1t is fun to watch them discover them and
eat them greedily. Soft-billed birds, the robins
cannot handle seeds and grains.
If raisins are put out for them in the early
morning, these wandering groups will be sure to
find them
Other songsters may eat them first, of course
starlings, cardinals, the Knockers that remain
here, and common Sparrows like raisinS
Gathering of the robin clans is a real sight
for most persons, since they have never thought
of these birds banding together in this fashion.
In the late winter or very early spring, they
gather together In the South in great masses
sometimes as many as 900 BIRDS according
to estimates.
These groups break up into bands of several
hundred of the sort seen by our correspondent.
Ordinarily they do not do much singing In
the late fall, but the unusually long dry spell,
combined with the inch of rain that finally fell
put the robins left here in a very good frame
of mind.
Robins like it wet This brings their favorite
food to the surface
In coming to the surface the worms get wet,
themselves, and no doubt their integuments be-
come somewhat softened, thus affording the
birds tastier, more tender morsel.
Too many people merely accept the robin
That is, they tend to overlook It's good quail
tiles, especially its song.
The sounds the robin makes are on the order
Of free, wild singing, nothing formal, but strict
ly out Of the heart of nature. These sounds
fit in so well with all the other outdoor noises
that it is safe to say that so per cent of bird
lovers even, fail to hear them.
It takes determined listening at first, to
find and recognize the robin song. it Ats in SO
we'll with the other birds cries. But once this
recognition has taken place, the listener has
lifelong possession. one of mingled sweetness
and pain, for there is something very touching
about this birds warbling; like the music Of
certain nations, while it Is essentially gay, it
also bears tragic implication. easily sensed by
the imaginative listener. Walt Whitman caught
it when he wrote many Of his still too-little
read poems.