Evening star., 1948-02-14
This and That
BIZ Charles E. Trdce1Dell

correspondent thinks country birds are diff
ferent from birds in the city or suburbs.
please tell v. r. G. of Sandy Spring, Md, to
try scattering seed for his Cor herr birds on
the ground" this correspondent says.
when we moved here year ago, on our
weedy, woodsy Tx acres, we had the same
trouble
"The birds stayed aloft and aloof.
"It was only when we seeded the lawn that
they finally came down.
Though I identified over 80 different kinds
last year, the only ones ever to come to the
feeder were two song sparrows, lured by cake
crumbs.
"It seems that country birds are, for some
reason, suspicious Of feeders For over month
we have been scattering food on the ground,
or snow, and have an ever-increasing number.
"At first, we had about 20 juncos and one
pair of cardinals Now we have over hun
dred juncos, five pairs of cardinals, song
sparrow, white throat and several tree and
field SparrowS."
This country correspondent has good word
to say for both common sparrows and starlings.
Until last week, we had not seen an English
sparrow here, but now we have two, very cheer
full and well behaved.
"On the two coldest days, we had two star
lings, and no bird ever had better manners"
Country people, as a class, do not hold much
truck" with modern bird feeding, as practiced
by city and suburban dwellers.
Many farmers, who really ought to know
better, call bird feeding nonsense. Farmers
work hard, and they haven't any time for
folderols. They see the pesky birds eating
their seeds, the crows after their corn, the
squirrels consuming tomatoes
All this city and suburban interest In the
small creatures of nature may be all right they
feel, for people who work in Offices and get
amusement out of feeding the small things
that come to their little postage stamp yards.
But when a man has to get up at 2 or
and cows and the like, he Is not SO likely to go
into ecstacies over titmice and chicadees, and
who can blame him?
It may well be that birds in the country
know nothing of the modern bird feeding
station.
They have to fly in, to become acquainted
with such new-fangled things.
Suet in the hunk, neatly nailed to tree,
does not readily occur in the rural districts
The BIRDS too, are creatures OF habit
The bird feeding station, or tray, at first
looks to them like some sort OF trap.
They always make tentative tries, before
they fly down, and 1t is only after all suspicion
is allayed that they finally come to look for
ward to food at, the same place every day.
This column for years has said that the
first and among the best of all feeding de
vices" is the good earth.
It is always possible to throw seeds. grain
and bread on the ground, or even on the snow.
Even when such food sinks below the sur
face, the birds find it,
We have thought that they do, indeed, rather
enjoy digging for it.
That is only natural, of course; if humans
were equipped with claws, no doubt they would
get some pleasure out of scratching for their
food
Finding food in the cold must give any wild
bird thrill.
Those who have put up feeding devices and
still get no customers, should by all means try
putting some food on the ground.
Often place beneath shrub is excellent.
The same place should be used each day, 20
that the birds know where TO look