Bird Notes & News 



ISSUED QUARTERLY BY THE ROYAL SOCIETY 

 :: :: FOR THE PROTECTION OF BIRDS :: :i 



Vol. VII. ] 



AUTUMN, 1917. 



[No. 7. 



Winter and the Birds. 



The winter of 1917-18 must necessarily 

 be an anxious time, not only for lovers 

 of birds but also for all who are acquainted 

 with the extreme value of birds in agriculture. 

 The long and bitter winter of 191G-17 thinned 

 down the numbers of many species deplor- 

 ably and disastrously ; with the result that 

 never has there been more complaint of 

 wireworm and other destructive grubs, of 

 flies, and of insect-pests of aU kinds than 

 during the past summer, when the fruits 

 of the earth were of such infinite conse- 

 quence to the nation. The heavy rains 

 swept away clouds of winged insects, but 

 the farmer paid heavily for this relief. 

 Chemical sprays proved doubtfully effective 

 and are stated to have led to many cases 

 of niness, one fatal case at least being 

 medically attributed to chemically poisoned 

 plums. Altogether, a good many lessons 

 as to the need for Birdlif e have been taught 

 this summer ; and no man in his senses 

 could view with anji:hing but dismay the 

 prospect of a similar decimation of wild 

 birds in the coming season. To the bird- 

 lover the loss has been even more saddening, 

 because so many charming species — Tits 

 (especially Longtailed), Stonechat, Limiet, 

 Goldcrest, the resident Warblers, Thrushes, 

 Wagtails, etc. — almost disappeared in many 

 districts. But for the inrush of summer 

 migrants the emptiness of woodland and 

 garden would have been far more striking. 



What can be done to help the birds this 

 winter, whether it be long or short ? With 

 what can they be fed, in view of necessary 

 economy of the national food-supply and 

 of the Food Controller's orders ? 



In the first place, their natural food rmist 

 be left to them in field and hedgerow. There 

 should be no filching of wild berries : hoUy, 

 ivy, mountain-ash, guelder-rose, dogwood, 

 yew, spindle-tree, whitebeam, hips, and 



haws, should all be scrupulously left to 

 afford meat in due season for the wild folk. 

 None of these should be cut back to destroy 

 the ripening fruit ; nor should garden 

 shrubs which afford food be dismantled or 

 ruthlessly pruned. If any doubt remains 

 as to whether some berry or other is eaten 

 by birds, the only safe plan is to leave it 

 alone and watch. As to holly, no question 

 now remains ; its berries may save the life 

 of many thrushes in winter's hardest time, 

 and in house or church mournfully represent 

 the life-blood of little birds dying out in 

 the hungry wild. Bird -lovers have in some 

 cases been mindful to plant in their gardens 

 giant sunflowers and other reservoirs of 

 succulent food ; rose-hips, especially well- 

 luiown varieties with large fruit, are valuable ; 

 and if gardeners can hardly be asked to 

 spare the weeds they can at least store 

 many of the seeding plants for seed-eaters' 

 delectation in times of need. 



Out in the open country comparatively 

 little can be done beyond leaving nature's 

 foods alone ; and householders feel a good 

 deal of alarm about giving so much as a 

 crumb to the Robin, since the Food Controller 

 is understood to prohibit the use for bird 

 or beast of any food of man. 



The precise legal restraint is that imposed 

 by the Wheat, Rye, and Rice Order, as 

 follows — 



" Xo person shall use any wheat or rye except 

 for the purpose of seed or except in the purpose of 

 rQanufacturing flour. . . . No person shall use 

 any wheaten flour, rye flour, rice or rice flour, 

 except in the manufacture of articles suitable for 

 human food, or use any article containing any 

 wheaten flour, rye flour, rice or rice flour except 

 as human food." 



" Wheaten flour " includes any flour 

 partly obtained from wheat, such as that 

 used for baker's bread. 



