Clifford Hughes, age 12, of Watervliet, for his question:

Why do birds bother to fly north to nest?

In February your Andy was in south Texas, admiring the steep‑sided Pecos River. A host of graceful mourning doves was nearby, picking small pebbles to swallow into their crops. The party of birds was getting ready for the long flight north for the summer. Not far away, a party of handsome flickers had gathered. These beauties were preening their feathers in readiness for the long flight north.

In a few days Andy saw flocks of twittering finches, long‑logged killdeer, sparrows, grackles, blackbirds, thrushes, wrens, phoebes and red breasted robins. All were making their plans to fly north and spend the summer raising broods of baby birds.

We all know, of course, that Texas is so big nobody could every feel crowded there. And we must admit that a vast number of birds spend the winter in south Texas. There is plenty of room to fly about and swoop through the air. However, all these birds have to be fed. There are enough beetles, bugs and berries to feed one generation. But all these birds are planning on raising families. They cannot be sure of enough food, even in Texas to fill all the new hungry young mouths.

Besides, they know that summer brings vast hordes of insects and plenty of seeds and berries to the regions farther north. Winter in the south was warm and wonderful. But, in the spring every bird begins to dream of a fascinating nest bursting with bouncing babies. And the best place to raise this adorable family is where a plentiful supply of food is guaranteed.

Eventually, the birds do not know these facts as we know them. They do not have the ability to think things out and make plans as we do. The birds are Mother Nature's children and she solve their problems for them. We do not know how she does this. In some way shy tells the feathery creatures what to do and they obey her. We call this mysterious knowledge which the birds have instinct.

It is instinct which makes the birds fly south to Texas and other warm regions in the winter. They know by instinct then the proper time comes to fly north. Some of this knowledge is amazing. A pair of killdeers will return to the same spot in the same meadow in Michigan year after year. They will find this exact spot after flying over hundreds of miles of meadows, hills and forests. Two little wrens will return to the same barn year after year.

Mother Nature is faithful to the feathery little creatures who obey this mysterious voice of instinct. They arrive up north in tune to greet the first days of spring. Buds are bursting and the first insects have already hatched. The birds cant wait to build that nest and produce that hungry family ‑ yet most of them manage to find time to sing.

Maybe they sing for joy because they obeyed that secret voice of instinct ands once again, things worked out all right.