NATURE NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 33, 8 February 1930, Page 7

NATURE NOTES

ATTRACTING THE BIRDS

WORK FOR MUNICIPALITIES

(By R, H. D. Stidolph, R.A.0.U.)

Local bodies in New Zealand sadly neglect bird protection, except, perhaps, in the ease of, some of the larger municipalities, whose, actions in that direction are, however, more passive thau active. Au illuminating instance of what is done in other countries by local bodies is provided by the action recently decided upon by the authorities of the Danish Capital,. Copenhagen, of which one of, the characteristic beauties is a string of small, lakes in the centre of the city. Two artificial islands in these lakes, have; be^eu maintained for some years as bird sanctuaries, but as these have proved inadequate the municipality has decided to construct a larger island, which will be planted with sJoe, hawthorne, arid willows, and perhaps ft, few taller trees. Plenty of shelter will be provided; and tho birds will find good natural conditions for building their nests and hatching their young. There is room for. considerable enterprise .on the part of local bodies in New Zealand1 in the way of bird protection on such -lines as is indicated by the action, of the Copenhagen Municipality. Unfortunately some county councils in this Dominion, instead of endavouring to protect bird life, are-more-or less active agents in the destruction of birds. Some bodies, for instance, offer rewards for tho largest number of birdsV eggs returned in. a specified period,' and no stipulation whatever is made as to the species. In this way the eggs .-.of several useful insect-eating birds are collected together with those of imported species. The fact that the native species are protected by Jaw appears to be ignored.

In the British Isles sanctuaries are now maintained by many different bodies besides private individuals.1 Probably the most notable aro .the London Park sanctuaries. In, certain 'areas weeds aro allowed to flourish, the grass to remain wet, and the .section left to grow wild. Woodpeckers use nesting boxes in Richmond Park, and .in 1922 twenty species of birds,, among them the tawny owl, the carrion crow, the rnoorh'en, pheasant, chaffinch, and. spotted flj'cateher nested in-Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, and several rather rare species were included among the visitors to the grounds. Outside London,' Norfolk is the most .active region in bird protection. The Broads district and the whole of the foreshore between high-water mark and the boundary of cultivation come within the category of protected areas.."..Not' far from Suoultou the landlords■': protect one-or tho'last breeding grounds of the vanishing stone curlew. In, the old days the sanctuaries in - Norfolk were I governed by separate bodies, but 'these have now-been united under the jurisdiction of the .Wild Bird Protection Committee appointed' by.the- Norfolk j and Norwich . Naturalists'., Society. Largely as the result- of its efforts arid those of landlords tho bittern has been saved from extinction, and;so closely guarded is the bird now .that even the collector of broken bits of; shell must not approach its .haunts.. .-'Other. bh;ds which have been saved ; by-strict protection in this antique ferriland of winding waterways are the bearded tit j and Montague's ; haiTier. The tidal mud flats of Breydon Water, outside Yar-j mouth, famous for the spring and autumn vists of "'.'spoonbill, god wit,

black tern, and many migratory birds of the duck and •wading , tribes,... are now under the direct authority of a committee. Many areas, the haunt of terns and. other..'birds, .are. .also, under supervision, and in these conditions the; bird inhabitants are increasing. , The Royal. Society for ;the. Protection of Birds possesses severar sanctuaries and employs ■watchers to look after others. The National Trust has a larger-num-ber of properties than any. other society with kindred aims. The Society, for the. Promotion of Native Reserves also possesses three sanctuaries. The Fame Islands oft"' the: coast .of North-.1 umborland, formerly ..preserved, through local subscriptions by the; Fame Is-1 lands Association, have now been J secured from private ownership and are I the nation's in perpetuity. .. - .' ,j

Considerable pains are. taken by bird-lovers in England, 'America, and elsewhere' to attract' their feathered f-ieuds to their gardens Ijy installing nesting ' boxes of various" designs to induce the birds to take up tlieir lodgings in them. Feeding tables rare also distributed through the gardens, and another, necessity is.a bird bath,, which ■helps' to .■attract' tho Wild birds more than anything else. An American birdlover'records the fact that in one sum--mer's day he had over fifteen difEereut species of birds around his bath, awaiting a'turn to ,bathe. This same natura l'-t never has to spray his fruit trees, and he attributes tliis altogether to the protection the birds give to the trees, by waging continual Avar on'the manyinsect pests. A person who,attracts birds to his garden in this -way must' o' necessity take steps to. protect them' f,om tlieir enemies, SjUch as cats. It is computed, for instance, that cats, kill' millions of birds every year. Wellknown' authorities agree that cats, kill more, birds than are killed' by alL:other, animals combined. A cat in' the., country, at, a very conservative, estimate, will kill ten birds per year-r-actually it is more liko fifty.' Nearly'l'every farm in the country possesses, at least one cat, and in many cases several, so that the enormous number of birds which,are killed annually by these ani-

mals, isi at once apparent. X)f.':course, it is absurd to suggest that n 3 birds should be killed by natural enemies, as if that were so, the birds themselves would probably become too numerous, but measures can certainly be taken to keeji .the numbers,of:natural'enemies within bounds. Bird-houses -.are .used by ,some municipalities .in street^ trees; besides extensively in parks. . Although their.use is justifiable in certain conditions, the writer prefers. to ' see '. the birds nest under more natural condi-. tioris. Active measures- can -be' taken to attract birds by affording them protection, shelter, aiid food. Food-bearing trees and shrubs can be planted, and if there is 1 ample food and shelter in the-neighbourhood the chances are that, the birds will breed there. .