THE VALUE OF THE MAGPIE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 January 1940, Page 4

THE VALUE OF THE MAGPIE

(To the Editor)

Sir—Regarding a letter signed "Old Maggie,” which appeared in the "Times-Age” about the magpie, I have thought for years that the magpie was the farmers’ second best friend, but now I believe he is our best friend. The starling is a useful bird but I believe, perhaps, the magpie beats him by being about late at night and thereby eating up the grass grub when it comes out at dusk, that is, about November. There is no doubt magpies and starlings keep down grubs and caterpillars. Caterpillars will destroy an oat crop in a day or two. Forty or fifty years ago I have known them to strip paddocks. I do not think they are as bad now, since the starling and magpie have become established. The Farmers’ Union and Government say produce more, but if the birds are reduced, our production will suffer. There is a saying, "Give a dog a bad name and it will always stick to him.” It is the same with the magpie. Are magpies hard on native birds? We have tuis in the gums almost all the year. My men counted twenty-seven in one flock last year. As for sparrows, I wish the magpies would keep them down. My men have caught 80 in one catch in the winter time. The sparrows have a lot of nests in the gums. Even if magpies did kill a few native birds, what good do the native birds do? I think I am as much a lover of birds as most people but when it comes to £.s.d„ I think a bird that does good should be protected and not destroyed. There is no doubt the stoat is '.the worst enemy of birds. I think he is the most favoured animal. He can climb trees or go almost anywhere. There is no doubt he has reduced the numbers of ‘ our larks. I have seen the feathers of perhaps 25 to 30 birds under a heap of ironstone. I think he can mesmerise animals. A rabbit cannot get away from a stoat when this animal is after it. But I say most decidedly they should be. protected, as they kill a lot of rabbits. Starlings do a wonderful lot of good, but they eat fruit, and magpies I suppose do harm but they do a lot of good as well. Their bills are shaped to go into the ground, hunting for grubs. It is stated that when the grubs come out of the ground in November eggs are laid in the grass. I am not going to say they do not lay some, but I will say this: Some years ago I saw a patch of grass dying, about two feet across. I knew it was the grass grub that was killing it. The next year there was a patch about three feet wide, outside the previous year’s patch. It was bare with the grub. The next year there was another strip outside the latter again of about 18in. The grass was not very badly coloured. The next autumn we had a great rain, and a beautiful ring of mushrooms came up on the outside ring. I have often wondered why mushrooms came in rings. I know now. Grass grubs are the cause. If the eggs were only laid on the grass, how could the grubs be in the patch for three years? The area mentioned was alongside a track which was used almost every day. There is another thing I would like to know. Why do birds smash up. sheep’s manure in, say, March, after a heavy rain? They must be after grubs.—l am, etc.,

WM. RAYNER. The Cliffs, Masterton. January 27, 1940. .