Evening star., 1948-01-21
This and That
By Charles r. Traceapeu

Adaptability Of birds to changed conditions
has been strikingly shown by group OF spar
rows visited recently by small hawk.
On the first two days, the sparrows lost q
number OF their band each day to the sparrow
hawk, or kittyhawk, smallest of his group.
On the third day, there was tremendous
banging and humping of bird bodies against
the window screens, as the feathered arrow
flew in, but he failed in his mission.
Not a sparrow did he catch that day
Now, every afternoon between and o'clock
the hawk darts in, but misses.
The same humping against screens takes
place, but no bones are broken-or window
paneS, either-as the sparrows fly to safety
It is good idea to keep window screens
in all winter, if bird feeding takes place close
to the windows.
The screens act as netting to swift darting
songsters.
The thump they make may be heard all
over the house. but no wings are harmed.
4
This was the first time In many years that
hawk had made determined attack on our
birds.
From time to time one would fly in but
never before had come back day after day.
The first thought of course, was to shoot
him.
This is usually the first thought with hawks,
and usually it is wrong
Most hawks belong in a good class There
are only few that deserve death, for their
work IN the world is very old. They need no
apology at this time. The plain fact is that
most human beings like to kill and they have
killed too many birds, as it is.
The next idea is to scare the hawk away
This may be done by rapid advance into
the yard, often with no more than rolled
newspaper or umbrella, held in the proper
gun position.
Hawks are wise.
They know what guns are.
Usually they take the hint, but this present
hawk does not.
He has found way to get him dinner and
his brains go no farther than that. Hawks
are not philosophers in feathers
They are just-hawks.
The interesting thing is how the brains Of
the band OF sparrows have thwarted one hawk.
Instead of all remaining in mass around
the feeding station, between the hours of 8
and 4, the birds begin to thin out and take
up positions in the shrubs and rose vines
nearby.
Thus, instead of dozen being on the feeder
and another dozen on the ground beneath
and three or four dozen grouped gracefully in
the rhododendrons that surround the feeder,
the sparrows are scattered and partly concealed
Evidently they are keeping better watch,
too, for the rapid humping Of the feathered
bodies starts suddenly and almost before one
can look out the window every last bird has
disappeared.
The hawk flies in-but now he fails to 20 like
an arrow to the mark, because the mark
Las used its wings in time.
II
Here we have an interesting example of the
adaptability of bird intelligence.
The watcher at the window need not get too
excited.
Nature Is working.
Sometimes the bird watcher becomes red In
the face over squirrels, or pigeons or hawks.
Mainly his spleen is wasted. He had better
leave these matters to nature, who is responsible
for them. She knows a thing or two and in
structs her creatures wisely, in the main.
Birds and hawks have been living together
for centuries, Just as cats and birds have been
living side by side for ages. Defensive mechan-
isms, one may feel sure, are far better than
one is inclined to think, in doubtful moments.
If this were not So there would have been no
songbirds left.