By Amy Pollock
A CONCERNED Newtownards resident has told of his disappointment after finding almost 40 bird feeders destroyed at Kiltonga Nature Reserve.
The bird feeders, which were fixed with screws to the fencing throughout the 1.1km nature reserve – referred to as the duck pond by locals – have in the last two weeks been broken and dumped into the overgrowth behind the barrier, unable to be retrieved.
Mr N Armstrong, who regularly walks the trail and also purchased and hand made over half of the bird feeders, said the vandalism is ‘cruel for the birds’ and ‘defies logic’.
“Whoever did this, they’re only depriving the birds,” he said.
“I’m very passionate about the birds, I buy the food all the time and I love to see them. I think they know your voice, because when I come round to feed them, they’re sitting there looking at me and waiting.”
Following conversations with fellow walkers in the area, Mr Armstrong said there have been sightings of a man tampering with the bird feeders, with his alleged reason for removal being due to rats climbing up the fences to eat out of them.
“I heard through the grapevine that whenever the person was taking [the bird feeders] down and made the excuse that he saw rats, there were some members of the public who were walking there giving off to him for taking them down.
“The unfortunate thing about it is you can’t be here 24 hours a day, so you don’t know what’s going on,” he said.
He added: “If a rat can get onto that fence, then he deserves it – he’s hungry too – but I’ve never seen one there.”
Ards and North Down Council’s parks team assured Mr Armstrong that it has had no involvement in the scrapping of the bird feeders as these are usually maintained by the public.
A council spokesman confirmed: “The council does not erect bird feeders on any of our sites, nor have we removed any from the site mentioned. However, at Kiltonga, we have installed a bird seed dispenser that allows visitors to purchase suitable bird food at a small cost.”
Mr Armstrong said he hopes that highlighting the issue will prompt the person responsible to correct their actions.
He said if necessary, he will undertake the job of remaking and reinstalling the bird feeders, ‘for the sake of the birds’.
“I made some myself, and I got a gentleman to make some for me before too, so I will put some more back up if no one comes forward or nothing happens.
“My only concern is for the birds,” he said.
