FEEDING BIRDS IN WINTER 55 



735. Chickadee. 756. Wilson's Thrush. 



748. Golden-crowned Kinglet. 758a. Olive-backed Thrush. 



749. Ruby-crowned Kinglet. 761. American Robin. 

 755. Wood Thrush. 766. Bluebird. 



The numbers refer to the second edition of the Check-List of 

 North American Birds published by the American Ornithologists' 

 Union. 



The only frequent winter visitors I have in St. Paul, 

 on a somewhat crowded residence street, are chickadees, 

 downy woodpeckers, nuthatches, blue jays, and Eng- 

 lish sparrows. A few days ago, however, a flock of 

 evening grosbeaks ate the seeds on the only seed- 

 bearing box-elder I have on the lot. The number of 

 birds you can attract is largely governed by the local- 

 ity and surroundings. In the middle and southern 

 states regular feeding will probably attract a greater 

 number of species than can be attracted in the 

 northern states and in Canada. The best feeding 

 places are those that have several bird roads leading to 

 them. Fringes of brush and timber along streams and 

 lakes, street trees, and hedges are such bird roads. 

 Feeding places should not be disturbed by cats, dogs, 

 noise of factories, etc. A uniform, continuous noise 

 disturbs the birds less than an intermittent noise, and 

 people passing at some distance annoy them much less 

 than people stopping. In the autumn collect the heads 

 of cultivated and wild sunflowers, just before the seed 

 begins to drop, also collect hemp and ragweeds, the 

 seeds of maple, ash, box-elder, birches, and other trees. 

 The stalks of sunflowers, hemp, and other plants stuck 



