Birds of a feather: balancing conservation with hunting traditions in the early 1900s

Birds of a feather: balancing conservation with hunting traditions in the early 1900s
An illustration of northern bobwhite quail and noted 'lover of animals' Enoch Knight Sperry, born in Woodbridge in 1837.

It was a beautiful day to visit Cloverhill, as a couple dozen members and friends of the New Haven Bird Club gathered for an early morning Bird Walk on the former CCW property. The sights and sounds got me thinking about some notable figures who helped protect our feathered friends, both in the New England region and in our town’s olden days.

Cloverhill bird walk
The New Haven Bird Club walk at Cloverhill, October 13th 2024.

Let's set the scene: In the early years of the 20th century, the relationship between people and birds in Connecticut was both practical and deeply rooted in the rhythms of rural, faming life. Harsh winters could threaten bird populations, and local newspapers were filled with articles encouraging people to feed game birds and songbirds alike, to help them survive. One December morning in 1904, an article that appeared on page one of the Journal Courier described an effort here in Woodbridge by Enoch Knight Sperry (1837-1912). He was known as E. Knight, having been named after his father Enoch Sperry (who lost his life at the hands of an ax murderer in the woods near the family home on New Year's Day 1856).

FEEDING THE BIRDS
Now Is Their Great Season Of Need


E. Knight Sperry’s humane device — Appeal of Fish and Game Warden Bailey — Conditions Which Menace Bird Existence — Method of Distribution Proposed

In accordance with his annual custom, our townsman, Mr. E. Knight Sperry, brother of Congressman Sperry, has continued his receptacle in Woodbridge, on the Sperry farm, for the feeding of birds for the winter months, and many birds have found Mr. Sperry a friend in need during the inclement weather which we have had during this month. The arrangement is an ingenious affair, constructed from plans prepared by Mr. Sperry himself. Whereby food is set out for the use of the birds and at the same time protected from all animals and the elements. He also has a similar plan in operation on the game preserve in East Hampton in which is interested. 
December 22, 1904 newspaper
The New Haven Journal Courier's front page on December 22, 1904 carried a headline story titled 'Feeding the Birds'

The article continued after this description of E. Knight's “ingenious” feeding device in the woods of his family's home lot, now known as Sperry Park. The local Fish and Game Warden takes this opportunity to issue an appeal for help feeding the birds and provides details about the harsh conditions these winged creatures are facing during the winter of 1904:

In connection with this tender hearted solicitude of Mr. Sperry for the birds comes the appeal of Edward H. Bailey, of Danbury, fish and game warden, in which he says: I would like to call the attention of all the sportsmen in this vicinity, and all others, that are interested in the propagation of game birds, to the conditions that are existing at present, owing to the heavy storms that have visited this section within the past few days. With a view of determining just how the birds were weathering the storms, several parties, of which I was one, went out in the country Saturday and yesterday, and we have found that the birds are in a deplorable condition for lack of shelter and sustenance, and that if they are not relieved at once comparatively few quail will survive the winter.

While partridge are hardy and will look out for themselves, quail subsist on the seeds of weeds, etc., and must also have more or less grit matter to aid digestion. At present these cannot be found by them. To Illustrate the situation as we found it we sought out a flock of quail that we knew to have numbered nine but a short time ago. We found the birds but there were but seven left, and one of these was frozen to death. On opening the bird we found that it had eaten a number of sumach berries, which we understand is not one of the foods ordinarily eaten by quail. The others were in a pitiable plight, having no life and would run about like chickens, apparently having no strength to wing. 

Another party went out yesterday and found a flock of five quail very near town. These were also in a sad plight. One of the number was starved unto death and the sportsman brought it home, hoping that with care, he might be able to pull the bird through and release it when better conditions exist.

It is not alone a lack of food that will decimate a flock of quail at this time as there is another foe in the hawk. At this time quail have no cover and a hawk will exterminate a flock in short order. This can be obviated in a measure if those disposed to do so will scatter brush or corn stalk in a pile, leaving a small opening in under where the birds may feed and roost. This cover should be at least six feet square and about eighteen inches from the ground. A hawk cannot then see the birds. This should be open on all sides else the birds may be the prey of a fox.

The third menace is extreme cold, which cannot be combated more successfully than by supplying the birds with plenty to eat. 

All sportsmen hereabouts will realize what we have had to cope against in the matter of game propagation in the past several years. We have raised moneys and sent away and procured western birds. Those are the birds that we must now try and save if we expect hunting next fall. Quail are now at an almost prohibitive price, the quotations being standard at ten dollars per dozen. There have been years before when we could not get birds, and for this reason we must all band together and make strenuous effort to protect the ones now in this section. 

We ought, in my opinion, to contribute a few cents apiece, which would make an aggregate sum that would buy enough feed to supply all the quail in the section during the winter months. 

Another word as to means for distributing food. I feel that there are many farmers hereabouts that would gladly scatter feed to the birds if they were given the grain by us. A great many do so now and, have ever done, using their own grain. However, we would be glad to furnish the grain if we were notified of parties that would use it. 

I would gladly hear from any one that is aware of the location of any flock of quail, and I would undertake to see that they are fed.

These efforts to care for wildlife were not only seen as kind acts of charity but also had a practical appeal to the thrifty Yankee farmer. Birds played a critical role in controlling pests that could damage crops, so maintaining birds in their habitat was seen as part of the natural balance of the environment necessary to support farming in towns like Woodbridge.

At the same time, hunting game birds like quail also provided food, especially during lean winter months. For Woodbridge families at this time, hunting likely was not seen so much as a sport but as a necessity for survival. While today it might seem contradictory to both feed birds and hunt them, people of the early 20th century saw no such conflict. They understood that it was possible to care for birds, protect certain species during vulnerable periods, and still rely on hunting as one way to feed the people of their community.

And the Sperry family no doubt would have viewed themselves as fitting comfortably within this context. After all, E. Knight and his siblings were the last generation of the Sperry family born in the small house that once stood on the Sperry Park property, the foundation of which is still visible today. He grew up in the woods of Woodbridge — and in a Hamden historical society book, we can even spot E. Knight and his family in their younger days as they participated in an 1886 Fox Hunt.

1886 Fox Hunt
1886 Fox Hunt
These two images from a 1886 Fox Hunt include E. Knight, his second wife Mary Webster Sperry, and his daughter (with first wife Sarah Treat Sperry) Edith Amanda Sperry (1873-1943).

During E. Knight's lifetime, the boundaries between the principles of conservation and the practices associated with traditional reliance on the land — including raising livestock and hunting — were understood as part of a respectful relationship with the land and its resources.

As can be seen in a variety of local newspaper stories, the early 1900s was a time when the Audubon movement was gaining significant momentum, focusing on protecting birds from threats like overhunting and habitat loss. The era’s early conservationists were outspoken in promoting the importance of preserving bird populations, particularly in response to the fashion industry's demand for bird feathers, which threatened species like herons and egrets.

Early Audubon societies in New England, led by trailblazers like Harriet Lawrence Hemenway (1858-1960), advocated for legal protections for birds and raised public awareness about the need for conservation. By 1905, the National Association of Audubon Societies (today known as the National Audubon Society) was established, marking a turning point in American bird conservation efforts.

In fact, one tactic Harriet Hemenway’s chapter of the Audubon Society deployed in Massachusetts was the purchase of land to protect habitat — a practice still common today. In 1922, they bought 43 acres in the town of Sharon, Massachusetts to establish what is now known as the Moose Hill Wildlife Sanctuary. Today it encompasses 2,000 acres featuring diverse hiking trails through forests, fields, and wetlands.

Meanwhile, conservation organizations in Connecticut, such as the Audubon Society and land trusts, also continue to work toward preserving open spaces and advocating for bird-friendly policies to ensure that future generations of birds can thrive. Protecting open spaces in Connecticut is crucial for bird populations, as these areas provide essential habitats for breeding, nesting, and migratory stopovers.

And of course, birds still play a key role in maintaining ecosystem health — through seed dispersal, pollination, and insect control. With ongoing habitat loss and climate change, preserving forests, wetlands, and meadows is vital to ensuring their survival. And as the New Haven Bird Club's walk reminds us, open spaces — like the former CCW property at Cloverhill in Woodbridge — also benefit local communities by supporting biodiversity, offering recreational opportunities, and even encouraging eco-tourism.

Back in the winter of 1904, efforts to protect birds on the old Sperry farm in Woodbridge again made front page news, as E. Knight's declining health is also noted.

SAVING THE BIRDS

Owing to the deep frozen snow the hundreds of squirrels, quail and partridges in East Rock park are dependent upon the city park board for their sustenance. The board, since the last storm, has established a charity department under Park Superintendent Amrhyn's direction. Every two or three days bags of cracked corn, chestnuts, walnuts and millet seed are thrown upon the snowy blanket near where the little fellows' bases of supplies are located, and much to their delight. 

The same kind care of the game birds and song birds which has been exercised for years by our townsman E. Knight Sperry at the Sperry farm in Woodbridge has been prolific with splendid results. A Woodbridge man, who during the past week has visited the scene of the rack and larder provided by Mr. Sperry, was astonished at the numbers of birds that were congregated there when he arrived in inspecting distance of the happy scene. There were birds of high and low degree assembled at the rack, feeding away merrily and as if they were hungry, and rejoiced, too. No doubt Mr. Sperry's thoughtful and kind provision for the birds has saved hundreds of them from death by starvation. This must be a consoling thought to Mr. Sperry, who has been unable for several weeks past to get out of doors, owing to his having had to submit to a surgical operation of a somewhat minor character, which has prevented him taking a ride behind his fine horses out to the old Sperry homestead. The operation was performed by Dr. Verdi, assisted by Dr. Hartshorn, and with such good results that Mr. Sperry expects to be greatly relieved. Meanwhile the birds, unaware that their benefactor has been laid up at his home, have gone on right along enjoying his bounty with manifestations of sincere thankfulness.

E. Knight's dedication to his feathered friends continued to be an enduring devotion in his final years. Ultimately, in 1912 as his family prepared to lay him to rest beside his parents Enoch and Mary Atlanta Sperry (1795-1864) in the Westville cemetery, his obituary describes him first and foremost by his commitment to “the preservation of game birds and as a lover of animals” before noting his many career accomplishments, which included an appointment made by President Abraham Lincoln.

E. Knight Sperry obit
Obituary of E. Knight Sperry in October 1912.