Evening star., 1947-04-02
This and That
BIZ Charles E. TraceUeH.

That old bird problem, whether car
dinals bathe, has come up again. One
writes:
There has been much discussion in
your column over the years. as to
bird baths.
II wish to report that I saw male
cardinal take bath in shallow bowl
which had been placed low In the grass
in our side yard.
II watched him for several minutes.
As I looked around, there was not
another bird to be seen in the yard
where there are usually so many.
Perhaps Mr.. and Mrs. Cardinal like
privacy.
And the woodthrush-
"It was some six years ago that. I
discovered a nest of this beloved singer
on limb of a hickory tree about 20
feet above the concrete driveway. ~
1.-THE nest was only about II feet
from an attic window. I decided to
close the blinds almost shut, and place
my camera there to get some pictures.
II hoped she would not see it, but
she did. and was quite indignant, and
threw her eggs out and broke them.
I'm the years since, not one has
nested in our yard again, although 1t
is rather large and has hernlock hedges,
vines and trees, but they have nested
and raised brood next door where there
are few nesting places and several chill
dren playing noisily every day.
"Is that not strange? Thrushes do
come to our yard, however, and seem
very gentle, all summer long.
Yours truly, L. p. s."
n II
There is no making birds nest in a
yard.
One interested in them might as we'll
make up his mind about that
Have plenty of fine trees, plant shrubs
to please them, even put In blackberries,
and have hedges
The birds nest as they please. 1t is
their privilege.
1t has often been observed that noise
does not deter them. just as our cor
respondent points out. they will pass by
quiet yard. which would seem ideal,
and nest where noise abounds. ~
Song sparrows often build their nests
about three feet from the ground in
barberry hedges along the sidewalk.
The nests will be only foot away
from thousands OF passing hands, but
fortunately will be protected by the
thorns
One fact helping the birds is the lack
of interest in them of many persons.
Offhand, this would seem strange, per-
haps, but it is fact that many persons
and often of the wrong kind-are not
in the least interested. This helps
protect them, since many of these per-
sons, if their interest were keen, would
only harm them.
The best any one can do to entice the
birds to nest in a given yard is to put
up few birdhouses, and supply food.
1t is not always realized that food may
be put out in summer as well as in
winter. g
One much appreciated food service To-
the birds is a saucer of ground meat Id
the late afternoon.
All baby birds are fed on insects, and
ground meat approximates the natural
food, supplying protein both to the nest
lings and to the parents.
Any one desiring to photograph birds
should be super-careful in attracting the
attention of the mother, especially at
there is not SO much danger of driving
her away.
The woodthrush is not only one of
our finest singers, but also one of our
superbirds.
1t arrives here. usually. along toward
the last of April. April % is a favorite
date
The woodthrush is no longer forest
dweller. but comes to any place with
trees. Some quality of feather gives it
particularly clean look, and this, COM
bined with its quiet manner and beauti-'
full song, makes it one of the best Of all
native birds. But its best gift is that
Of beauty. Surely. it Is such q bird as
one might dream Of, when the word
'bird" is put before the minds eye.
And that one may have it right be-
meath ones own window. with no neces-
sity of going tramping through fields or
woods, Is a yearly blessing it will not do
to forget Can one bird balance the
atomic bomb? We do not quite know,
but. II any one can. the woodthrush
y It.