Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-12-28
This and That
Bv Charles E. TyaceweH
MCKINLEY STREET.

MCKINLEY STREET.
Dear Sir:
Birds are fastidious creatures. and am
trying to keep out and in use during the
winter bird bath.
Would you get out and battle in ice
cold water in freezing temperature?
Neither would I. But there are Us) q
that will, and do.
when dressing early the other morning
I saw them cycling the hard frozen bird bath
in great disfavor. When got into the yard,
I took 1t over to my garage. and inverted 1t
on the roof so the sun would warm 1t and
release the ice.
mot until almost noon did this occur.
"Then, though the Thermometer out front
still stood ct only 81 degrees, filled 1t with
nice cold water
"Whoops! Into 1t went the jays with great
glee.
when they were done. a miscellaneous
lot followed, and in few minutes there was
but little water left
Can you beat It?
Sincerely, q. W. E."
Joy Of birds in winter bathing Is touch
Ing.
1Hcy Qcuduu tIlcu UdtIlS, AIO IL LlllS
doesn't class them with the cleanest Of
beings. then something is wrong with CLASH
fication.
Not that our songsters have our human
Ideas of cleanliness.
Knowing nothing Of germs or water pol
luton. they must accept what water they
find as they find It. For them there is no
doubling the universal goodness Of nature.
They have no theories, as we have, to con-
fuse their little minds.
They just dip in, and enjoy themselves
not in the silly way of winter babies"
who show off in the cold.
Cold is their element, as long as they get
plenty Of food. Nature has so made them
that they can stand the cold and wind and
rain and snow and ice without apparent suf-
fering.
When they do suffer, as sometimes they
do in sudden sleet storms. they die almost
instantly. and are taken back again to the
breast Of the nature that made them.
This has happened, especially to the blue
birds. At one time hundreds of thousands
of them died in sudden spring storms. Years
we're required to bring them back. and even
today we do not have as many bluebirds as
we ought to have.
AS general proposition, birds find no
difference between winter and summer bath.
ing.
AS matter Of fact, sometimes 1t seems as
If they like a splash in the cold more than
In the heat.
Perhaps this is because they find it more
difficult to battle in winter than summer
Not only are streams frozen, but shallow
pools and pudones, the places they like best.
are dried up by the winds.
And people in general their friends. often
forget them in the cold, not so much as to
:ood, but particularly as to water
Bird baths are allowed to go dry and
stay that way. Faithful friends, unfor-
getting In one way, forget the other good
thing they can do for them.
Without the assistance Of humans, jays
and others usually manage to crack the ice
In bath.
They work persistently, and once they get
through 1t is not long before they manage
TO take bath.
Their own body heat, ranging from 103
to Ill degrees, In the various species. helps
In this as it is transferred to the ice as they
work over it.
Squirrels, with their sharp teeth and claws
help.
The wild creatures know their own bust
ness better than we think they do some
times; they do not need our ministrations,
perhaps. as often as we suppose they do
Sometimes our zeal in their behalf Is bit
misguided, but it is always in good cause.
and for very worthy creatures, our friends
and helpers in sunshine and in shadow.
Let US not forget them In the cold. Let
us remember them with water, as well as
food. and always with intelligent interest.