AUGUST IS BIRD MONTH

Taranaki Daily News, 1 August 1931, Page 12 (Supplement)

AUGUST IS BIRD MONTH

SPARROWS AND GRASS GRUBS. “I brought down 53 thio morning,” said an elderly friend of mine to me one afternoon. I looked at him, as I did not know he was a shot, and was doubtful as to what he meant (writes Johannes C. Anderson in the Wellington Evening Post). He evidently interpreted my look rightly, and explained: “I throw out crumbs every morning on the lawn, and this morning there were 53 birds enjoying them.” I did not know before that he took the least interest in b ; -ds, and like the Ancient Mariner, ‘‘l blessed him unaware.”

“Of course, they were mostly sparrows,’’ he said. ■That doesn’t matter. The other day I was coming down by Anderson Park, and saw a flock of sparrows on the grass; 40 or 50, all close together, picking at something, working their way along the side. I spoke to the caretaker, who was at work on another part of the grass. “What are the sparrows after?” I asked him. “Grass grubs,” said he. “They often come down in flocks like that, work right round the side systematically and then in to the centre.” How many thousands of grubs did those sparrows account for? And that gardener was sensible; be didn’t shoo them off with a. gun as the college people did the seagulls.