NORFOLK BIRD SANCTUARY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 8 November 1924, Page 16

NORFOLK BIRD SANCTUARY.

WOMAN’S VIGIL. The end of September (says a Home paper) will see the conclusion of an experiment in outdoor life on a wild and lonely island off the Norfolk coast which has aroused the keenest interest among lovers of bird life and of nature generally. Since April 1, when Miss E. L. Turner voluntarily began a. six months’ vigil as bird-watcher for the Norfolk and Norwich Naturwalists’ Society, she has lived on in a bungalow on the island. Sometimes, for short intervals, the longest of which was one of ten days, she has been quite alone, but usually a lady has been with her. No wilder or more inaccessible spot along the Norfolk coast than Scolt Head Island could be chosen for a summer resort. Seen from the mainland, it appears to consist solely of clusters of sand dunes and long, low stretches of marshes. The island is now the property of the National Trust and is maintained as a bird sanctuary. Its total area is 1200 acres, of which 250 are sand dunes. Fronting the North Sea there is a beach of sand and shingle stretching for three and a-half miles. THE WATCHER’S BUNGALOW.

The only habitation oh the island is a single-storied wooden bungalow which was presented last year by Mr A. W. Cushion, of Norwich. At Scolt Head itself the dunes are 70ft. high, and Miss Turner’s bungalow is placed on one of the topmost points. Near by, on a still higher point, is a flagstaff! from which during the day there flies a small Union Jack, which notifies to the watchers on the mainland that all is well on the island. When Miss Turner took up her work on the island in the spring, a code of signals was arranged by which, if necessary, she could Bummon assistance, but happily there has been no need to use it. When, with her companion, Miss Turner entered into residence in the spring, she lived for the first two or three days in primitive style. Though plenty of food had been brought over, there was no crockery. There were' nt > egg-cups, and so an inverted lemon squeezer and an empty jelly jar were pressed into service. In a*few days’ time three eups and plates were collected, but it was not until Easter that the crockery arrived. In the meantime, with the resourcefulness of the true nature lover, Miss Turner collected some of the largest oyste* shells with which the beach is littered, and used them as plates. ~ Though hers is the only house obi the island, Miss Turner has never been lonely, for she is too keenly interested in her work, and her days have been fully occupied. Often she has had visitors for the ‘ week-end, while the children from the neighbouring mainland know of no more delightful way of sperfding an. afternoon than getting a boatman to row q party of them over to the island, where they are shown round by their kind hostess.,. Many holiday-makers, spending their holidays in the district, have visited the island, and they have all shown the utmost desire not to disturb the work which Miss Turner has been doing. People to-day are taking a great deal more interest in the preservation of wild birds than was the case a few years ago, when instances of wanton destruction were frequent. The Royal Society for the Protection of Wild Birds is doing excellent educational work, as is the Norfolk and Norwich' Naturalists’ Society.

Miss Turner’s life on Scolt Head has been simple but intensely fascinating. Although the weather has k often been very bad, her experiences have been well worth while. Earlier in the season her day would begin about halfpast 5, with a. look round the island, with possibly a long search for some elusive bird. Later would come the real work of the day, when the watcher would visit the “Ternery,” which is a long shingle ridge with some newlyformed sandhills at the northern end of the island, where the majority of the birds lived.

An important part of the watcher’s work consisted of taking photographs of the various species of birds, including the regular inhabitants, those who nested on the island, and those who merely paid transitory visits. In order properly to observe the big colony of terns, which have nested on the island for many years, Miss Turner occupied a wooden hut at the "Teruery. ” This little shelter is about three feet square, and there long hours have been spent in observing the habits and behaviour of the birds. Here Miss Turner has taken many of the wonderful photographs 'which she has obtained, and on occasions she and her assistant have watched for as many as ten hours at a time. At present, she is keenly interested in following the autumn migration of the birds, a subject about which nothing has ever been recorded from tliisMsland.