26 THE MAKING OF BIRDCEAFT SANCTUARY 



T^welve Years in Birdcraft Sanctuary 



Now that we have begun our thirteenth year in Birdcraft 

 Sanctuary, I have gathered a few facts from my records so that 

 you may judge for yourselves if Birdcraft has been a success. 



During tlie first year we had 16 species of birds nesting and 

 I found a total of 76 nests ; during the past year, 1926, we had 

 32 species nesting and double the number of nests were located. 



The visitors during the first year numl)ered 3,356. Last 

 year there were 10,109, including 49 classes of school children. 



Some species of birds have increased in numl:)er of nesting 

 pairs, while others have decreased for good and sufficient 

 reasons. English Sparrows, C*rows, Starlings, Blue Jays, 

 Screech Owls, Purple Grackles and Sparrow Hawks are not 

 allowed to nest here. While the Screech Owl and Sparrow 

 Hawk are beneficial in open meadows for catching mice, lieetles, 

 etc., we have found them very destructive to song birds in the 

 Sanctuary during the nesting season. In 1922 a pair of Screech 

 Owls nested in an old button-ball tree ; on the opposite side and 

 about four feet further down, a pair of Flickers nested. Both 

 raised their broods, but later on examining the cavity where the 

 Owls were raised, I found packed inside aliout nine inches of 

 bones and feathers, chiefly of song birds! 



Two years later I located another pair, the young were 

 al)out four days old and in the nest box I found a dead Eobin 

 and on the ground under the nest I found three more. That 

 evening I watched for the male Owl. Just at dusk he came to 

 the nest with a freshly killed Downy Woodpecker. 



The same has been my experience with the Sparrow Hawk 

 if allowed to nest in the Sanctuary. When mice were scarce 

 they were very destructive to the song birds. One of our most 

 serious problems from the beginning has been keeping down 

 vermin. First and last I consider the cat the worst of all and 

 in spite of careful fencing, 167 have l^een taken up to date. 



Last year we were overrun l)y rats. In 1923 we had a 

 plague of field mice of which I trapped 271. (-rows. Sharp- 

 shinned Hawks, Cooper's Hawks and Shrikes are also classed 

 among the detrimental. I believe that House Wrens in great 



