184



Mr. Aubyn Trevor-Battye.



SOME GREAT BUSTARDS.


By Aubyn Trevor-Battye, M.A., F.L.S.


Seven years ago when we came to live in Hampshire our

first care was to make a home for Flamingoes and Great Bustards.

We made it out of two pieces of kitchen garden, separated by a

gravel walk. One piece was to remain as the birds’ lawn, the

other to be transformed into “ hills, valleys and lake ” (literally

banks, hollows, and a little wading pool).


It was not an easy job, for we had to work down, first

through clay, then through chalky gravel and then through

flints, shaping the banks and levels as we went, till we found the

water. It took four men and two horses most of the winter to

do it ; and when they had finished it looked like nothing so

much as a working at Kimberley, but almost dirtier and more

depressing. As soon as it had dried out sufficiently the

gardeners came in and sifted it over with fine soil, and by the

summer it was covered with light short grass (Feshica ovina

var, tenuifolia).


It soon began to look quite a pretty little place. In order

that the birds might feel at home it was planted with things from

Spain and Morocco. Cistus grew there, Spanish and Moorish

Broom, Rosemary, wild Lavender, Asphodel, and the little Blue

Iris of the Hastern Mediterranean. The big outer bank was soon

covered by a dense low growing Sunflower (Harftcdium rigidunt),

smaller ridges by wild Thyme and wild Pink ( D . deltoides),

while elsewhere Bamboo, Tree Lupins and Bog Myrtle formed

excellent shelter. In one corner a forest of Jerusalem artichoke

made an admirable screen, useful even after it was dead. The

retreat was so arranged that blow the wind whence it might

complete shelter was always obtainable by the birds. The

banks were extra high against the South-West, the quarter of

our prevailing wind, which birds and plants so much dislike.


Then the Flamingoes came ; but as we were still without

Bustards we went off to Andalucia to see what we could find.

Though not successful in obtaining any captive birds we arranged

with Vicente Saccone, of Coria del Rio, to raise us some from the

nest.



