Evening star., 1948-10-28
This and That.
BY Charles r. TruceveH

11tmouSe, chlckadee, nuthatch-
These are the three musketeers of the local
airlanes.
Friends at all times, these small birds At
perfectly into the smallest or largest garden
scene
Now they are coming back from the woods.
seeking safe places to spend the winter and
their cries can be heard around most subur-
ban dwellings.
Especially if food has been placed in the past.
these three will be sure to show up.
And no better outdoor friends can be found
No one can be offended at them, as some
honest but mistaken people. are with the festive
squirrels.
Every neighborhood has at least one such
person. Usually he is-sure enough-a man,
who feeds the birds, and thinks the bushy-
tailed rodents interfere with them.
Sometimes he traps them, and now and then
kills them.
Or he may 60 down the street, as some one
telephoned us the other day, with case full
Of squirrels in his hand
He was taking them to the woods, the voice
on the phone said
Would he kill them?" we asked
"Oh, no, am sure he wouldn't, he just lets
them go. What want to know is will nv
particular pet squirrel come back?"
How far is the woods?"
"Oh, don't know, but not far"
Ihen you may expect him to come back. In
self If he is alive, that is something"
"Oh, do people kill squirrels?"
Yes some Of them unfortunately do"
"Oh, am so afraid he will kill my little petl
I would know him anywhere. He was the only
one that would come to me when called"
well, watch out for him, then, and hope
that you will see him again some time. Hope
is good thing to have, If even just for q
squirrel"
The three small birds, the chickadee, tit
mouse and nuthateh, call all day long from the
shrubs and trees
The titnouse has harsh tone, befitting
such a belligerent looking small fellow.
Chickadee's call is softer. easily distinguished;
and as for the nuthatch, that fat ones cry is a
sort of "yank, yank," easily caught from the
airlanes.
These three birds often go around together,
although they seldom come to feeding station
at the same moment.
One of the best reasons for establishing a
feeding place on window sill or close to it, on
an elevation Of some sort, is that the watcher
WiUbe able to see this trio in comfort.
No birds offer more to the questing eye of
the home lover, for each somehow represents
the best that home means in our tongue.
Where there Is an established home this trio
CT small birds will come, if food is put out.
Sunflower seed, in mixture of other seeds,
with bit of crumbled suet, makes the best
lure.
Each of these tiny birds likes sunhower seed.
There is another small bird, real pal Of the
nuthatch, but he seldom makes much noise and
never comes to feeding place.
This is the brown creeper friend Of the
tree trunks, where he meets the nuthatch in a
search for insects.
Three good birds, then and one extra for
good measure, and you have as much, perhaps,
as bird watching in the suburbs can give you.
The chickadee is the one with the little black
cap, the titmouse the one with the crest and
the nuthatch the bird which spirals around
tree head down.
Each has his own ways, his own distinction;
every bird watcher has his own prefer
ence among them
Ours is the chickadee.
He has been called the cheerful chickadee,
and 1t is good description. His appearance,
the way he holds his head, his happy bright
glance, his every feather Is cheerful in the
best sense.