Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-06-30
There have been a number of unex-

plainable epochs in bird life of the
beach this spring which are worthy Of
note to the amateur ornithologist.
For instance, the purple martin is
supposed to arrive in this district along
about the 10th of April. This year, the
martin failed to show up Oh the beach
until the middle of May. Why this Is,
we do not know, unless it be that the
spring weather was SO cold and blustery
that the martin refrained from visiting
his summer haunt until the weather
had settled. The colony of martins
which havebeen at Grassy Sound for 80
many seasons, have forsaken their home
evidently, as none appear to be there.
1t is known that the sparrows fight
the martins, and n pair of fighting
sparrows can keep a colony of twelve
martins from renting their apartments,
because Of the sparrows' pugnacious
nature. In order to protect the hole in
the box wherein the sparrow has its
nest, II the sparrow Is so beset by the
martin that it cannot fight 1t off, the
sparrow will block the hole with Its
head and shoulders, leaving the tail
cal sticking out. and effectually block
ing the passage in the box. This fact
has been noticed and studied for the
past four weeks in a martin box, erected
at 4th and Surf avenue, Anglesea, the
sparrow effectually driving a colony of
eight martins away. The brown
thrasher, the wonderful mimic and
morning singer, which builds its nest
low in some protected thicket, loves
North Wildwood because Of the many
safe places wherein 1t can build its
nest. Erect a water tank in ones yard
and throw out stale bread every morn-
ing, and any cottager a have fiocks
Of beautiful red winged birds, and the
grackle OF black bird, cat birds, ~juncos,
thrashers and the beautiful winged
canary or yellow bird in profusion.
The humming bird Is now on his way
touring the North Wild wood honey
suckle vines and in spite of the bolster
u and persistent winds from the
ocean, these delicate and beautiful
creatures seem able to weather the stiff
gale without danger. A beautiful song
sparrow built her nest In a clump of
brown honeysuckle under a wire fence.
A huge black snake attemp pied to
steal the eggs, and a neighboring cat,
while watching for the sparrows, saw
the snake and bounced upon 1t, killing
it. The cottager, watching this ma
noeuver, saw the danger the sparrows
were in. and drove a plaiside Of shing-
les about the little nest, effectually pro-
tecting 1t from cats, dogs and snakes,
but not from terrestrial rains which
several times flooded the nest and
threatened death to the five little
"tintias." These birds were protected
and later caught by hand playing
around Grassy Sound, while the par
ents sat on the fence and chirped loud
ly.
See Charlie Chaplin in Carmen,
Tuesday, July A, and Dorothy Dom
nelly in Madame X, Wednesday, July
5, Stanley Booking Co. attractions at
Hands Regent theatre.
Visitors have remarked on the re-
markable phenomenon which has come
to pass at the old Hereford Inlet
during the past eight months. Last
fall a dixie was drawn around the
middle of Hereford Inlet, and owing to
the lack of heavy storms, the inlet was
effectually closed and Champagne
Island, comprising 200 acres, has been
annexed to the northern extremity of
Anglesea. This accretion of land
amounts in value to thousands Of dol
lars. and will restore to many old deed
holders their property wrested from
them by the eccentric movements Of the
waters and sands at Hereford Inlet.
900