A few Notes on Wading Birds.



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twenty-two degrees of frost spent in the open, not a whit the worse

for it. A small shed, open on four sides, which was put up for their

benefit, they would never make use of, possibly because they were

afraid of it and suspected a trap.


Great heat they cannot endure, and on a sultry day in sum¬

mer the poor birds may be seen standing for hours with their

mandibles apart in great distress and evidently only able to breathe

with difficulty. And this may be remarked in a wild state also in

very hot weather on the Bass Rock, where the cliffs get heated if

exposed for long to a bright sun, and the Gannets at once suffer.

A Gannet is very adept at catching a fish when thrown to it from a

little distance, but they are much less clever if the fish falls into the

water, or else it is some disinclination which makes them slow in

picking it up.



A FEW NOTES ON WADING BIRDS.


By H. L. SlCH.


My experience of keeping Waders is not very great because

it only began in 1911, with various intervals, owing to rats and

escapes. I do not think that there are many members who keep

Wading Birds, except as a mixture for varieties’ sake among their

other birds ; if there are they do not write much for the Magazine.


My greatest difficulty is to get hold of any birds of that kind,

and when got most of them arrive in such a dreadful condition that

they die before one can bring them round. Their wing feathers are

cut almost to the bone and do not moult out. Their breast bone is

like the edge of a knife ; their feet are often very sore and ulcerous.

They are only to be obtained from Autumn until early Spring; at

the worst time of the year and have not seen any water for weeks,

perhaps months ; if they get the least chance they will soak them¬

selves with water and shiver for the rest of the day or, worse still,

get a cold or pneumonia and die.


Food I found was another difficulty. I am getting over that,

but my birds are only the common species, not being able to get

anything else. Turnstones I have never seen advertised. My pond



