FRIENDLY GULLS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 172, 7 August 1937, Page 6

FRIENDLY GULLS

Own Correspondent.)

Luncheon Companions of A&cklander SHARING THE FOOD

(From Our

AUCKLAND, Lasfr Night. . Seagulls, usually of a timid and warj disposition, has found a firm friend in Mr. H. Fowler, of 40 Woodward Road, Mount Albert. Throughout tHe autumn, . winter and early spring oi the past 11 years, they have daily shared his company and his sandwiches as he eats his lunch near the > water 's edge at the rear of the Kauri Timber Company 's faetory, in Free« man 's Bay, where he is emplDyed. , With unfailing regularity, between 30 and 40 birds settle on the xoof of a nearby shed about 10 minutes before noon every day. There they perch in a long, talkative line until the faetory ' whistle announces the lunch hour, when all swoop to the ground. Presently Mr. xFowler arrives, sits down against' a post, and opens a pac'kage of food* The seagulls, more voluble than ever, crowd around, On Hat and Shoulders One particular bird settles on Mr* Fowler 's hat; for five years he has oc cupied this position, and none other dares ^dispute his right. Two others have long-standing tenures to his shoulders, while the rest alight on his legs and boots or mill about near by., Hovering at the rear is Stumpy, a Sea* gull that has lost a foot. He chooses toi remain aloof to escape being buffeted here and there by his fellows, but he . shares fully in the good things that ara * . dispensed. When Mr. Fowler says, "Now,Rtumps, up," he darts into tha air to catch some fiying morseL The friendship with the birds began -> one day when Mr. Fowler threw a few bread crumbs to a seagull that was standing near him. This bird returned the next day and, In Mr. Fowler 's own words, "he fetched his mates along too. ' ' Such inroads ' began to be mada into his lunch that Mr. Fowler de-) cided to bring a parcel of scraps from his home eaeh day. Now the birds , recognise that parcel as soon. as if appears and eagerly await the distribu* , tion of its contents of bread crusts, bacon rinds, pieces of meat and; other oddments. Same Birds Every Day : Although there are hundreds of sea* gulls on the waterpront, Mr. Fowler/# visitors rarely exceed 40 and are; gen* ... erally the sacne birds from day to day* They migrate north about Septembe? 12, but always retum towards tha middle of February. Eaeh year one oi;^ two of the older birds do not appear,® but the complement is made up by-*the : i' arrival of a few younger birds. - Warm, sunny days bring a" full muster of the gulls, but only ar few arrive iu wet weather, worms grubs m rain-washed fields being " pre* " sumably a greater lure. Only the pres* ence of a cat or dog will deter them from alighting on the ground at" tha sound of the mid-day whistle. They do nofc mind other men* coming fairlyclose while they are feeding, but they will not accept food from the handa of any save Mr. Fowler. "I believe you can tame any bird or animal by showing kindness to it,'' said Mr. Fowler, in discussing his p'et# yesterday. He explained that hi never ' tried to grasp or hold a bird, for that made it suspicious and frightened. The gulls that visited him daily, however, had become so friendly and nsed to him that he often had to brush .them off him when he wanted to get up after finishing his lunch. /