The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1920-10-22

! liz MtittieHIl!S nave lItIt wv sV'iIle
there on knoll shaded by great live
oaks. H. II. Dunn in the New York
Times quotes Mr. Mcllhenny in sub
stance as follows. regarding his ~
wears of effort in behalf Of the pres,
ervaton of bird life:
'Eack in 1881. when was living. ms
now, on Avery island. | used to he IN
tereSted in the birds and in the plume
hunters. who. travelling in the'
long, unweldy, laleen-saiied luggerS
would come into the hayous. the decks
of their boats covered with the skins
Of thousands of American egrets. snow
heronS, and other birds of beaut'fn'
plumage, shorn from the birds III the
midst of the breeding season. Win
whole nests full Of young left to per-
ish of hunger and thirst in the broi''nr
sun of the Gulf coast. AS | grew on
err, these birds. once so plentiful. ne,
gan to disappear. until in 1Ss.s and
1854. | determined to do what ! cOu'G
TO save the few remaining birds OF
the vast tlocks which once had fed al
most at the doors Of the homes OF III!
family on Avery island.
Just below the house there was u
wet spot-Willow pond-part'y COW
cred with willow, buttol,woOti. syra-
more and other water-loving trees AMI
an abundant growth of marsh grasses
where each year constantly decreas'
ing number of pairs Of green herons.
least bitterns. cOots and blAckbisus
nested. This marsh ! increased to
small lake by means OF dam-since
those days the dams have been In.
creased five times. until now the p00I
covers IS acres-but am getting
ahead Of the story.
Hunting through the marshes much
Of the spring Of 1898 l found tw"
nests of the snowy heron-where there
had been hundreds Of nests ten years
before. The snowy heron. by tile way.
and the American egret boh supply
the fairy plumes known as 'aigrettes'
and so much in demand ut that time.
when they could he soil. legally. for
wome,l'S he:d,lreSS. In each of these
nests were four young birds. These ]
took and put in large cage ! had
built ut one end of the pond. Soon
they would perch on my shoulder AMI
eat out of my hand. In November !
set them free.
Next spring six of the eight came
the spot where the cage bad heen.
One disappeared. ard of the five re-
naming, two pair feared eight Young
The Is left that fall and all returned
the next March. Five pairs nestled
raising 20 young, and SO on, Year by
year, there has been Il married. in
crease. until today there are III least
o.ND pairS--a.ttT hirdS-of these
snow heronS nesting on Willow pond.
believe this is the only place il:
North America where these heronS
nest in any numbers. though | have
recently shipped 800 pairs Of these
and of the Louisiana and litt. blue
heruns to another wid-life refuge jus,
being established III Florida.
To-day there are also breeding III
Willow pond. some 5000 pairs of lit
lie blue heronS. lONn pairs OF l.ouiSi-
ana heronS. 800 pairs of green lIeronS.
80 pairs of purple gal|inuleS. 80 pairs
of Florida ynilinuleS. p pairs of least
hitttrn 10 pairs of h,ingrailS. ana SO on.
in the course nt time. | am sure,
this whole - miles of gulf coast will
have become so completely Sanctuar!
tn the wild birds that they will i.. as
tame throughout rs 800 square miles
as are those in Willow pond