The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-06-04
GrosVenor's "Wild Acres" near
Bethesda, Nd, Holds the
Worlds Record.

population Is held by farm within
ten miles OF the national capital near
Bethesda. Md. II is owned by Gilbert
II. Grosevenor, the director and cdi-
tor and editor OF the National Geo
z graphic Society.
In 1913 Mr. Grosvenor bought Il
farm OF 100 acres. half in forest and
half in field. about four miles from
the District OF Columbia moving TO
that place early IN the spring.
Being interested In the work OF
the Audubon societies. he determined
to see what he and his family could
do to get birds around the home. He
had such success that Dr. II. V. Hen
shaw. chief OF the United States bio
logical survey Of the department OF
agriculture. became Interested and
delegated Or. Wells W Cooke TO Wis
II the Grosvcnor farm.
Census Taken.
DR.. Cooke found so many birds
there that he suggested census OF
those living on an acre or two ada
cent to the house. az he though tho
count would establish a worlds rec
ord. Up TO that time the record was
held by family at Chevy Chase. Md.
who had attracted thirteen pairs Of
birds to half an acre.
The prospect Of establishing new
worlds record was so inviting TO the
Grosvenor family that they took n
census Of the nesting birds on an
acre adjoining their house and barns.
with the result that they found nifty
nine pairs OF birds with young or
eggs in the nest on that acre the
highest number of land birds inhabit-
ing one acre that has yet been re-
ported TO the department OF agrIcul-
ture or to any Audubon society. a
similar census was made Of second
acre. and II was found that this acre
had thirty-threc pairs OF nesting
birds.
In an article contributed to Bird
Lore" the bI-monthly organ Of the
Audubon societies. OF the United
mating story OF the birds which have
come to dwell with them at wild
Acres" us his farm Is named.
Typical Maryland Farm.
wild Acres" is "a typical Mary.
land farm. with an old-fashioncd
farmhouse surrounded by an apple
and pear orchard. with vegetable
garden. hedges and omen fields. Sur
rounding the fields is tract Of nifty
acres in woods with beautiful
stream and several springs scattered
around in both the fields and the
woods.
The bird census taken In the week
Of June Is to Jun" 81, 1915,
showed that on the first acre they
had one pair OF nickcrs, one pair OF
blackbirds. one OF yellow warblers.
two Of orchard orioles. two Of cat
birds. one OF song sparrows, two OF
chipping sparrows. one Of phoehcs.
fourteen OF house wrcns, seven OF
robins. one OF kIngbirds, and twenty
six OF martins.
on the second acre there were one
pair each Of song sparrows. Carolina
wrcns iiickers. Maryland yellow
throats. brown thrashcrs. Catbirds,
one OF song sparrOws, two OF chip
ping sparrOws, one Of phOebes, four
teen OF house wrens. seven Of robins.
one OF kinGbirds. and twenty-siI OF
martins.
On the second acre there were one
pair each Of song sparrows. Carolina
wrens. hickcrs. Maryland yellow
throats. brown thrashers. catbirds.
chipping sparrows. sCrccCh owls and
towhccF There were also eighteen
pairs of martins. four OF house wrens.
and two of robins.
Reasons for Success.
81 attribute our success primarily, "
writes Mr.. GrOsvcuOr, TO shooting
the English sparrows and driving the
cats away. TO putting up many boxes.
to keeping fresh water handy at all
times. etc. We do everything we can
for the comfort OF our birds; for in
stance, we put on twigs little pieces
OF the oiled paper that our butter
was wrapped in. and We left mud In
convenient places for the martins.
Tho cntbirds used the oiled paper for
their nests, in fact, they used all
kinds OF scraps Imagine the delight
Of the family. when. on examining
one OF the Catbirds' nests In the au-
tumn, we found one Of the children's
hair ribbons and also a piece OF an
old dress OF the baby!
I'VE read great deal about how
tame birds become when they are
protected. but we were constantly
amazed at the Quickness with which
they perceived the care taken oil
them. Perhaps the most remarkable
nest was that Of phoebe, which was
built under the cornice OF the piazza
within reach OF my hand. We had
a little school in the morning Mt thu"
house, and ten children were contlr
ualIy running up and down the piaz-
N. shouting nj the top Of their
voices: bur the phoebe went on build
ing its nest. then Matched its eggs and
fed its young without fear, though It
could see everyone and everyone
could see It.
Birds Are Friendly.
II was also surprised to find how
friendly birds. even Of the same spc-
cles. can become. For instance. we
had fourteen pairs Of wrens on n
single acre, some Of the nests not
being more than fifteen feet apart.
We also had robins nests only twelve
yards apart The blucbrds, on the
other hand. do not like each other,
and would not tolerate another pair
OF bluebirds nearer than one hundred
yards.
THE first year we had no ilickers.
but there was a pair nesting in an old
apple tree on our ncighbors' property.