Evening star., 1948-09-30
This; and That
By Charles E. Trdce1UeU
BETHESDA, Md.

BETHESDA Md.
Dear sir:
II have been feeding the birds and am much
interested in them. What really surprises me
is the number of people I find who do it, Be-
lore l started this interesting work did not
realize anyone paid attention much to birds,
but now find so many people do.
1T seems to me such pleasant interest and
has given me contacts with many neghbors
thank the birds, too, for that.
Yours truly, M. A. L."
Ak &
The amount of interest in birds is amazing.
The fine thing about it is that it is not a
specialized interest, requiring technical train
ing, but it is open to all alike. The number of
plain folks who feed the birds which winter
with us is growing every year, but the extent
OF this interest always surprises the person
who comes into it for the first time. 1t is
more than an organizational activity, for there
are thousands of persons who do not belong
to organizations who, nevertheless, are keenly
interested in the songsters which stay here all
winter.
Bird feeding is home occupation one open
to the young and the DID, the vigorous and
those not so well, to men, women and children
on equal terms. 1t is carried on from inside
the house, where the watcher is and outside
the house, where the birds are. The lawn, the
front porch, the back porch, trees, shrubs-all
are utilized. Nothing goes to waste in sense,
either inside or outside. The bookshelf con-
tributes and so does the old bird bath in a
corner of the yard.
If The grass has not been cut it may mean
some seed for the hungry birds. Old annual
flowers and berried bushes make their con-
trlbutlons. The kinds of food which may be
used are varied and the types of feeding sta
tions almost as much so. Birds put on no airs.
They eat from box lid as readily as from the
most elaborate feeding station. AS a matter
OF fact, they like nothing better than to eat
from the ground. but homemade or purchased
feeding devices have several ADVANTAGES one
of which is that they help the birds put on a
better show 4.
Perhaps there are few living creatures which
attract SO much attention from so many diff
ferent types of people as the birds. They
| create common bond among very dissmilar
types. This is one of the happiest features of
bird feeding, true sport which harms no one
and does good to many, not only the BIRDS but
especially the people engaged in it. There are
so many people who hate so many things
There are always people who say they hate
cats, who do not like dogs, who do not see
what anyone can find entertaining about
aquarium fishes. Feeding the birds, however,
seems to be singularly without any hate COM
plex. The certain percentage of the popua-
tion which has no interest in this occupation
at least has nothing against it, as far as we
can discover.
1t is true here however, as in most other
tnlngs, one only gets out OF II Wnat one puts
into it. If you put in just few scraps of
bread, now and then, you will get OUT Of it
probably no more than few scraps of interest
few crumbs put out now and then will dc
the birds some good, no doubt of it. but 1t is
| day-by-day feeding which is a real help to
them. And it is this same daily interest which
transforms hitherto uninterested person into
bird lover We never have liked that express
sion, bird lover. There ought to be another
one, but until some one invents 1t, bird lover
will have to do.
Those who cater to the birds on a continu-
ous and generous scale often get as much ex-
citement out of discovering new bird in
their yard as many another person might from
spectacular achievements. Most of us were not
made to discover new worlds or even make
over the one we have. We must leave those
jobs to others, who. by the way, often seem
to be singularly inefficient. The great major
ity of us must plod along, day after day. doing
the best we can, at the same time trying to
get as much honest happiness and interest out
of life as possible. This is modest goal In
terest is achieved in many ways. The happy
life for some is the wholesome life and nothing
is more honestly wholesome than this feeding
Of the birds In winter.