The Washington herald., 1914-07-01
The Bird Village.
BY ERNEST HAROLD BAYNEs.
President of the Meriden Bird Club

education OF the people would in itself make legisla
ton less needed give better laws and laws that would
be kept 1t was with this idea in mind that began
three years ago to interest the people the little vii
lace of Meriden, N. H. in becoming better acquainted
with the birds. With the assistance OF the Kimball
Union Academy bird club formed with mem
bership of SIXTY for the increase and protection OF
our local wild BIRDS the stimulation of interest in bird
life and the gradual establishment of model bird
sanctuary
Starting with the idea that birds are very much
like human beings in that their material wants are
much the same-something to eat and drink and
shelter and place in which to their young-it be-
came our purpose to provide them with these things
so far could.
The food house that we adopted is an adaptation
of the type invented by Baron Hans Berlepch and
seems to be admirably fitted for the purpose for
which it is intended that we have given the official
title of Audubon" food music 1t has hopper roof
of wood, an upper food tray incosed by four glass
Sides and lower food tray which is open and
as advertisement for the upper, the whole being
supported by a pole which runs to the roof. After
the birds have eaten the contents of the lower tray
the more adventurous lead the way the upper
in which is kept permanent supply of food, protect
ed from the winds and storms by the glass sides about
it and the roof above These bird houses
of delight to the people well the birds for
through the glass sides the birds may be hop
ping about and taking the greatest satisfaction in the
repast that is provided for them.
Almost Immediately after the formation of our
bird club came the first snow and as food that is
thrown out to the birds in winter readily sinks into
the the boys of the acadamy attempted to pro-
vide feeding ground for them. At first they used
shovels to clear away a space, but discovered
that better method consisted in trampling down the
snow. After the boys had done this the girls came
out scatter scotland this practice still continues
Another method OF feeding the boys adopted con-
sisted of tying suet They secured large quan
tty of from the local butcher and fastened por
tions of it with several pieces of string that birds
could not take it away all at once, and high enough
from the ground to be of the reach OF the dogs
Suet is valuable substitute for insect food and
one which many birds appreciate.
Another and rather unique idea Of food tree"
seems also to take" very well with the birds. Into
large pots put things that birds particularly like
suet, hemp seed bread crumbs and other kinds of
small food-and when this is boiling hot a number
of the townspeople pour it on the branches of dis
carded Christmas trees and scrubby spruces and hem
locks that have been cut down and planted in the
garden. From this cafeteria each birds takes what
he likes best
The weathercock food house. the design for which
was kindly sent to me by Mr.. William butcher has
been successfully used also As the name implies this
food house with the wind and the entrance is
always away from the Storm The movement of the
house does not to disturb the birds in the least
Another contrivance that we have for birds in
winter is the window box Ours is plain glass case
with wooden frame which has at the top a groove
into which the window fits snugy and door through
which put the food The box is of course entirely
the garden side and projects into the room for
about foot. The birds to enjoy it thoroughly
and 1t adds such CHEEKY tone to the room that many
who have it have become enthusiastic and have
made similar boxes. Into this window box come
woodpeckers, buejays, juncos chickadees and other
birds they practically in the room with us with
only sheet of glass between and able to OBJ
serve them and to photograph them at our leisure
The birds have become we'll acquainted with the
people in Meriden and their friendly attitude toward
them that seems though there is limit to their
tameness and especially is this true of the chckadees
They alight upon clothing when we go out they
perch upon the barrels of our guns when we walk
abroad in pursuit of their enemies and they even come
to take breakfast with At first when they would
fly into the dinngroom they would seize the nuts scat
tered on the table for them and then be off, but in
order to them to stay longer with and to show
them how welcome they were we stitched the nuts
to the tablecloth-and they stayed
Another thing that have attempted to do for the
birds is TO provide them with houses and nest boxes
so attractive that they would stay with us to make
their nests and their young The martins had not
been seen in Merden in twenty-five years and one of
our aims was to attract them We made houses from
-four barrels and the martins did come back and al
though they did not actually with u.s. they went
so far to tear out the nest of the tree swallows
and | think that next year they will decide to build
The hummings birds would come with the lilacs |
and leave when they had faded but with the use of
bright artificial flowers in which were hidden vials of
honey and water we persuaded them to stay with us
throughout the summer
Bird Iaths have formed another interesting fea-
ure of work. and last summer We observed eight
ZEN different kinds of birds bathing at one of the baths
We placed fat stones in some of the baths so that
he birds can go into the water by degrees in others
he bottoms sloped gradually so as to vary the depth
-and birds dislike to step Immediately into deep
water. light lunch for them is placed near by. and
I is an amusing sight to watch them bathe, eat and
,athe again. 49,. .-.. l.
One of the objects of the club was the establish
nent of bird sanctuary and this has been made pos
ible by gift of thousand dollars from Miss Helen