The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-07-04
SCARCITY OF ROBINS.
Effect of Cold and Backward Season
on Land and Sea Birds.


came a cold and backward spring.
A severe winter with much snow and
ice exposes birds to great hardships
and if it is followed by late, cold,
stormy spring the eggs sometimes
lack fertility and in many cases few
young robins are raised.
During the winter of 1911 large
numbers of robins and some blue
birds remained in the North, notwith-
standing the severe weather of Janu-
ary and February. Cold waves and
snow storms extended far to the south
and must have destroyed many birds
which winter in the Northern, Middle
and Southern States. These condi-
tions did not much effect those spe-
cies which do not winter in the
United States but mainly pass on to
Mexico, the Antilles and South
America.
The spring flight of robins was late
and they were not so numerous as
usual and bluebirds were rather un-
common in comparison with last
year, says Edward Howe Forbush, in
the Boston Transcript, but when in
May the migration warblers came
along they appeared in goodly num-
bers. Some species, however, con-
tinued their flights later than usual.
Most of these warblers fly to Central
and South America and thus escape
the rigors of winter in the Northern
continent. The shore birds which
Fgo far south in winter also come back
in numbers.
The scarcity of bluebirds has been
reported as far west as Michigan and
south to Pennsylvania. Over wide
area quail did not winter well, and
if bluebirds and robins were Destroy
ed in numbers by severe weather in
the South we may expect some reduc-
ton in the numbers of woodcock
which winter in the same regions.
Many small birds are killed by
the Southern people. Last winter
many persons took advantage of the
necessities of the birds to kill great
numbers of robins, blackbirds and
bluebirds. The city council of Pitts
boro, N. c., rescinded an ordinance
forbidding shooting within the city
limits, that the people might shoot
the birds that were driven by stress
of weather to that town to feed on
berries and about four thousand rob-
ms were killed there in short time.
Quantities of blackbirds and bobo-
links have been killed in the Caro-
linas by negroes and these birds are
sold in Southern markets.
It is a remarkable coincidence, now
that robins and bluebirds are reduced
in numbers, that farmers are COM
planning loudly of the inroads of cut
worms, of which robins and blue
birds eat great quantities.
A scarcity of cuckoos in some To-
calities in Eastern Massachusetts is
accompanied by a great increase in
tent caterpillars, on which cuckoos
feed.
The ice which locked ponds and
rivers in January and February and
extended over the flats, bays and har-
bors and in some cases out to sea,
cut off the food supply of the wild
ducks which now winter along our
coasts in large numbers, since they
are protected by law at that season.
Some of them were starved and
many were facing death by starva-
ton when the ice embargo was lifted
by the coming of spring.
AS spring opened reports came
from many parts of Massachusetts,
as we'll as from the other New Eng
land States, that unusually large
numbers of wild fowl were return
ing to our shores and inland waters.
Even in Boston harbor, where ferry
boats play to and fro, and on the
Charles River, where trains are
constantly crossing the BRIDGES
focks of wild ducks appeared, ex-
hibiting a confidence and tameness
never before observed in these locali-
ties.
The numbers of these birds seen
later on inland waterways and ponds,
as we'll as along the coast, were such
as to give color to the general view
that they were not seriously reduced
in numbers by the winter, and that
the increase and tameness of the
birds was due largely to the cessa-
tion of winter and spring shooting.
Many wild fowl are now reported
to be breeding in New England
marshes and near the larger water