Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-06-10
This and That
BIZ Charles E. TrdceDeu
ARLINGTON. Va.

Dear Sir:
@Wrens are the most interesting and enter
tanning birds that come to our yard. They
must be home birds, as they do not seem to
travel far from their nest. There are fam
lilies In both of the houses have put up for
them What fun 1t is to watch them carry
sticks, some 10 inches long, and try to get
them through the opening Of their house.
While wrens are one of the most active birds,
they always take time out to sit q moment
and sing their joyful song. II 1t raises their
spirits, as It does ours 1t certainly Is re-
freshing pause.
zone interesting experience we had with
wrens the other day may amuse you. My
wife hung pair Of children's winter leggings
out on the line to dry. There was hole In
the knee and when she returned from the
basement few moments later, a wren few
out of the hole in the wet leggings. Later
we found a number of sticks inside the lining
where the wren had placed them. Also her
clothespin bag had at least six handfuls Of
nest material in it. I understand that the
male wrens have characteristic of placing
sticks in possible nesting places to discourage
other birds from nesting too near them.
I'VE thoroughly enjoy having our small
friends. the wrens, living in our yard and
look forward each spring for their appear
ance. Their cheerful song is most gen.
erous return for the housing provided them.
Sincerely yours. r. s. Pr
e .
Every bird has its own peculiar character
istics and each one. even the starting and
common sparrow. can be interesting, pro-
vided the observer Is sympathetic.
This sympathetic approach to the things
Of nature is why persons who have such SYM
pathy get more out of the birds. the beasts.
sy@co ND ell <hn
Just as each group of creatures has its
good side, so each has its bad. too. The dis
agreeable traits of humanity. for instance.
are so many that literally thousands upon
thousands of books have been written about
them
The good and bad points Of dogs are often
discussed. Cats have good traits. and bad.
but according to the cat haters. all Of their
traits are bad. Some people even pretend
that they cannot stand to stay In a room. or
even house. with cat. Cat friends will be
inclined to call that pure nonsense.
Most of our bird friends have good traits
only. there being but comparatively small
handful Of them that are generally regarded
as bad
The yellow billed cuckoo. for instance, does
destroy few trees. now and then. Hawks
do catch chickens, now and then. The star
ling, by reason of its congregational inclina-
tons. creates a nuisance. The English spar
row sometimes drives of native bird. The
grackle will kill the babies of other songbirds.
The cowbird lays its egg in the nests Of other
birds. and by so doing probably kills OF few
native birds for every young cowbird.
Sometimes the woodpeckers create local
problem by pecking holes In cornices Of
houses.
Jays and mockingbirds often dive at the
heads of humans coming too near their nests.
These are few Of the bird drawbacks really
not very many. after all, when you consider
that there are, in North America about 100
species with probably s. ZOO 600 900 specimens.
All of the birds are interesting and enter
tanning. but each species will seem just
little more so. when it builds a nest In
your yard.
The little nest, the little eggs. and the
little birds-these all exemplify the prime
necessities OF life.
II is a. good thing that mankind can still
admire birds. and derive from them much
cheer. There are so many elements In life
today that are disagreeable. Most of these
elements are self-caused. Sometimes 1t seems
as II each individual and each group of
humans is doing its best TO make life diffi-
cult For all others. Surely there Is enough
In nature and daily living to occupy us, with
out spending our lives growing at each other,
and our money and minds fighting each
other. We ought TO use our brains and our
money and our physical energy 70 wage war
on dirt. evil. disease and senescence. not On
each other. There Is enough 70 Be- dons.