Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-02-12
London's Winged Denizsns, Their
Ways and Haunts.
THEY LOVE TEE THAMES SIDE
Great Variety Of Migrants That
Frequent the Metropolis.
WOOD PIGEONS PARKS

From the London Spectator.
Two interesting questions are raised IN
the Edinburgh Review. the first being
whether the birds now found In our great
cities have been Enclosed" In their pres
ent haunts. while the second is the practi-
cal one whether we can expect them TO
continue there or to diminish. The writer
answers the first in the affirmative and. the
second in the negative. He thinks that
those still living in London can hardly re-
ceive additions from the country as the
country birds would simply be unable to
find a living I'm the town. We believe this
view to be correct, and to hold good In all
cases of resident birds. except the star
lings and few which enter London by a
very curious highway. Starlings are some
of the very few birds which regularly mi
CRATE from towns-not necessarily large
TOWNSHIP the fields. revisIting each more
than once In the year. Now, of all things
starlings love to feed on newly mown and
watered lawns. The area OF this kind of
turf has greatly increased In London late
ly. Several acres must be added every
year In the parks. public gardens. county
council open spaces" and in the little
squares and plots Of big buildings. These
attract the stariinss in great numbers.
There are also few visitors from the
country which come to stay by the one bird
road still left open. which is the natural
entrance gate both Of residents and mi-
grants.
The Birds Highway.
This is the greatest of all open spaces,
open from side TO side and end to end
namely, the London river. Down this the
migrants pour when leaving the Thames
valley above London, and by IL they re-
turn. In frost and cold the home birds also
follow the tidal Thames downward. Black
birds. finches, thrushes, wagtails. rocks
and robins, and even kingfishers. enter
London by its river gate every year.
Whether they stay depends on the accom-
mediation they find on either bank. Where
the old-fashioned willows are left, as they
were until recently from Putney TO Ham
mersmith, by Chiswick Eyot, and where
public gardens or strips OF shrubbery adj
Join, as at Battersea, the Chelsea en-
bankment or higher up at Fulham palace,
some of these birds doubtless stay. Ii is
almost certainly by this route that the dab
chicks and other Wild waterfowl, of which
such pleasant account Is given in the
Edinburgh, arrive In st. James Park. the
Serpentine and Battersea Park Every
night dwellers by the river may hear the
calls of moorhens and other waterfowl fly
ing up and down the stream, and W. ere
they find suitable quarters they are GER
tain to prolong heir visit, otherwise they
fly back before dawn to their previous
quarters.
In the Willows.
Wherefore we hope that the Thames con-
servatory commissioners, who maintain a
vigilant guard over the riparian beauties
of the upper Thames above Teddington,
will retain the ornamental fringe of osiers
and willows when they replace the lower
line of the tidal banks with stone, and so
enable London to tap some part of the
stream of birds which passes up and down
the course of the river. The conservancy
should also acquire the same powers for
protecting birds on the water and banks
below Teddngton lock which they have
used to such good purpose above it.
1.-The number of species which inhabit
London must go on decreasing London
grows larger and more smoky, and the
parks more artificial and more frequent
ed" This is SO. But must the parks be-
come more artificial? We believe that In
each there will soon be reserves or will
dernesses" artfully natural. with plenty
of turf. shrubs and water, made partly to
encourage the birds. especially those
which. like the whitethroats, are insect
eaters. There is nothing in the gathering
of human beings which IL In itself dis
tasteful to most birds. They are a friend
ly race. as witness the conversion of the
wood pigeon But the physical difficulties
In their way are want of proper food-in
the case Of some species want of nesting
places-which can be provided. and the
want OF running water, OF constant sup
ply near their haunt. This is often for
gotten, but is a real drawback.
They Love Water.
Set small hose running in any Lon
don garden. and in two minutes a black
bird or a robin is there. first drinking,
then bathing. and then seeking food on
the moistened grass. Wood pigeons will
crowd to a shallow bowl of water set on
the leads many hundred yards from the
parks.
The introduction of such beautiful and
luxurious vegetation as adorns the Sub
Tropical Garden at Battersea Park must
also encourage the migrant warblers, and
with the increase of klngfshers on the
Thames, due to their preservation by the
conservancy, they can hardly fail TO re-
appear in London waters, as they have re-
Gently done in Battersea Park. If in the
rush at luncheon time the feathered citi-
zens find themselves inconveniently crowd
ed, there is also ample vacant space for
another ''city Of birds on a different level
from the ground floor. We have never
made such use of the fiat roofs and gall
lerfes of our great public buildings as we
might. There we might construct hang
ing gardens and keep endless flowers,
ferns and tiny fountains, and let the only
permanent inhabitants be the birds, the
intrusion of any others. especially city
cats, being penal without benefit of clergy.