42 



Bird Notes and News 



THE WATCHERS FUND. 



Over twenty Watchers have been em- 

 ployed by the Society this year for safe- 

 guarding nesting-areas of birds ; in 

 addition several Inspectors have been 

 engaged in following up bird-catchers 

 and in investigation work generally. 



The action of the Society in securing 

 full protection for birds on Brean Down 

 is referred to elsewhere (p. 33). 



North Britain as usual had a large 

 share in the work, the bird-hfe of the 

 Orkneys and Shetlands in particular 

 demanding protection from the ubiquitous 

 collector. The interesting island of Mic- 

 kery has also been " watched " again 

 through the kind services of Mr. W. A. 

 Nicholson ; the " Dreadnought " caution 

 boards remain sound, and are reported 

 to have an excellent effect in deterring 

 nest-robbing and bird-taking ; Terns, 

 Eiders, and other birds have nested in 

 peace. Extended work has been carried 

 out in other districts in Scotland. 



In England, two Watchers with occa- 

 sional help from a third, ensured a suc- 

 cessful breeding season for the Kentish 

 and Ringed Plover and Terns on the 

 Dungeness area. Fieldfares were re- 

 ported as seen on April 22nd and 23rd, 

 a curiously late date for these winter 

 migrants. 



The newly-protected area round Rye 

 in Sussex was also provided with a 

 Watcher. Some difficulty was expe- 

 rienced here in following up a gunner 

 on the wide open level ; and the Field 

 draws attention to the lamentable de- 

 struction of several rare visitants in this 

 neighbourhood. Next season Watchers 

 and police alike will have had more 

 experience to guide their efforts. 



Beachy Head, Cuckmere Ohff, and 

 Seaford Head constitute another im- 

 portant district which requires, and 



received, careful surveillance with good 

 results. 



The Watching at Fairlight was placed 

 under the care of Inspector Montague, 

 who did admirable work not only in 

 guarding Peregrines and Kestrels, but in 

 stopping the depredations of bird-catchers 

 which had been carried on there for many 

 years ; they were a rough set, and there 

 were one or two scrimmages before they 

 were disposed of. The Watchers Com- 

 mittee have to regret the loss of this 

 zealous and conscientious servant of the 

 Society. Formerly in the Coldstream 

 Guards, with whom he fought at Tel-el- 

 Kebir, ex -Sergeant F. Montague served 

 in the police for twenty-five years ; he 

 was a tall, fine-looking man, and his 

 premature death in June at the age of 52, 

 was wholly unexpected. 



Encouraging results are reported from 

 Cumberland, Cornwall, and the Isle of 

 Wight. The Newtown marshes in the 

 Island are all the safer for birds owing to 

 the rifle ranges, which have made visitors 

 afraid to cross the firing-line ; but the 

 proposed range right across the marsh 

 would probably have a contrary effect, 

 by bringing soldiers over the land. 



Members of the Watchers Committee 

 have visited the stations of the Watchers 

 during the season. One or two extracts 

 from their reports and from those of 

 Watchers will convey some idea of the 

 work done and of the necessity for it. 

 For obvious reasons the localities are 

 not named. 



We spent two days at and 



with our Watcher. Birds swarmed. The 

 area is quite small, probably some 1,200 

 acres, consisting of marsh, moor, tussocky 

 grass, and small marshy lochs. Although 

 there are no houses on the area itself, it 

 is very populous all around. On the first 

 lake were Redshanks, Peewits, Dunlins, 

 Ringed Plover, Snipe, Terns, Common and 

 Blackheaded Gulls, Sheld-drakes, four Teal, 



