The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-11
BIRDS OF PREY IN The PARK.
BLt'E HERONS IND HtWkS ARE
~STEiLING THE DiCkLINGS.
Policeman who Ran Across the Visitors
HAD u Dcnird Hrinet to Hack - Bis
story ~ erprr kiIied Onr Narauder.
and Then stopped for Legal Advice.

story ~ erprr SKILLED one Narauder.
and Then stopped for Legal Advice.
Apark policeman with a dent in his helmet
and perturbation In his speech brought the
report to the Central Park Mena gerio
yesterday morning that there was such an
abundance Of big feathered game about
Swan Lake as would make President Roose-
velt's trigger finger itch il he had been
there to see it,
A big bird. he said. knocked his hat of
and almost caused him to stumble into the
water.
He wasn't sure what kind OF a bird il
was. In the excitement Of the encounter
he put il down for an albatross, but when
he reflected that such birds are seldom
found away from the sea he thought his
assailant must be a pelican or a crane.
He was on his way to the Arsenalto report
for duty when he heard a commotion among
the flock Of wild and domestic ducks on the
lake west of the stone bridge. There was a
great q,lack quacking and tapping of
wings behind a clump Of bushes near the
edge of the water. Going down to see
what the trouble was. he beheld some OF
the sixty odd ducks flying about in con-
siderable excitement. When he got around
the bushes and near the water he found
himself in close proximity to the cause Of
the trouble.
Two of the mother ducks were there with
their broods of young, and a big bird of
prey was trying to make a breakfast of
the youngsters. The mothers were en-
deavoring to protect the little ones and some
Of the brakes were helping in the protection
by flying about and striking the enemy
with their wings. The disturber had seized
one Of the little ducks in its beak when it
caught sight of the guardian in blue. In
is hurry to escape it struck the police
mans head as it rose from the shallow water
and took his hat off. The meeting and the
pa rting took place in such a short time
tina the policeman could not give a very
good description Of the marauder.
AS he was crossing the stone bridge,
however, he stood at the pardpet for a
moment and saw another big bird, with
long legs, standing on the opposite shore
and looking over at the flock of ducks az
though considering what would be best
for It's breakfast. When the policeman
had related his experience ~Headkeeper
Snyder got down his double barrelled shot
gun and went over to take observations
on the lake.
A part of the flock Of ducks had gone
up the northern arm of the lake and wad-
died up on the shore. The little ones were
gathered about their mother when a big
hawk swooped down from an elm tree and
alighted on one Of the youngsters. The
old ducks raised a quacking and started
to the attack, but the hawk flew back to
the tree with its captive. Snyder was
tree and let drive at the hawk. 1t was
probably a migrant from the wilds of New
Jersey looking for graft in New York. 1t
must have been used to hard knocks. for
the No. 3 shot failed to bring it down. The
keeper fired the other barrel. and this did
the business. The young duck was as dead
as the hawk when both reached the ground
The keeper made a tour o the lake
and counted the duck family. There had
bee, been twenty young mailards OF saturday.
grating flock some years ago. He found
that seven of the little ones had been carried
off. 1t didn't seem likely to him that one
hawk would do so much damage in so short
he saw a big bird with long legs wade out
into the water and pick up one Of the
~ducklings in its beak.
He was about to give it what he gave the
hawk when it came to him that the bird was
a blue heron, and he had been informed
that the herons were under the protection
Of the law and it might cost $50 to shoot one
if caught at il. He threw punches of sod at
it, however, and drove it away from the
ducks. While trying to force it to leave
lIlt ldht lie ulSCCNeItd TWO OlitI Ol tDe same
kind. The other two were busy catching
and eating the goldfish that are so plentiful
m the small lake.
The keeper put in a busy hour trying to
induce the three intruders to go back to the
salt marshes or wherever they came from,
but they seemed to know a good thing when
they met it and would only fly from one part
of the lake to the other. Snyder had other
things to look after and gave up the chase
FOR the time being.
In the meantime Keeper Donohue, who
has charge of the big lake furlher up the
park, reported to Director Smith that there
were two more blue herons up his way prey
ing on the young ducks there. They had
destroyed three of the young ones, the
keeper said.
This is the first time that blue herons
have invaded the park and 1t is feared that
they will cause great destruction among
the young of the song birds and the squirrels
as well as among the young ducks before
they are driven aWay.