Lisa Salmon MISS LISA SALMON, "The Bird Lady of Anchovy", has died at 96. After a brief illness, she passed away on Wednesday, August 2, in Montego Bay.
"Miss Lis" as she was affectionately known, was born in Kingston just after the turn of the century. She was educated at Wolmer's School for Girls. She then taught and went on to join the Woman's Royal Air Force, serving overseas during WWII. After her return to Jamaica she built her own cottage, Rocklands, in the cool hills overlooking Montego Bay. Here she settled down to her unique life style. From her perch high in the hills she wrote poetry, published a book of nursery rhymes for children, painted and drew pictures, did sculpture and watched birds. As her love for nature and concern about the need for conservation of the environment grew, she began to write letters to The Gleaner about the need to preserve birds and the environment in general. Her no-nonsense style raised the ire of some and the respect of others. She hosted school children willingly and toured schools giving lectures on the need to preserve our natural environment. Boys with sling shots would run and hide in terror on seeing Miss Lisa patrolling in her old blue Anglia, lest she swoop down and seize their precious hunting tools, and give them a lecture as to why they should not kill the birds.
Pastime
In the 1950s feeding the wild birds on her porch became more than a pastime, as word spread that she was able to coax beautiful humming birds to perch on visitors' fingers and drink a sugar water solution from a bottle. Miss Lisa's bird feeding station developed an international reputation for natural entertainment. Not only would visitors see an amazing variety of wild birds, but they would experience the unique privilege of having them come to hand to feed. Lisa was a tremendous conversationalist, and guests would be regaled with stories that covered topics ranging from nature to classical music to politics "all told in Miss Lisa's inimitable and fearless style, punctuated by her cackling laughter and interjections of Keep the bottle 2 inches from your middle knuckle or the birds won't sit!
She would hold court in her uniform of blue jeans and crisp white blouse. Entry was gained on her terms only at precisely 3:15 each afternoon, not a moment earlier. "This was her domain - she would snap instructions to birds and visitors alike, and all were expected to obey or face exile!" Birds sometimes got away with misbehaviour -"not guests! The birds seemed to sit on command, and visitors, whether prince, president or commoner willingly obeyed Lisa's every command in hushed submission, which, while enjoyed by the incredulous visitors as a part of the over-all experience, made tourist board officials and protocol officers wince.
Repeat visitors to Rocklands were plentiful and included many celebrities, among them American presidents and European royalty. Her show would end as abruptly as it had started; a few minutes after sunset she would summarily announce, "Well that's it, off with you, I'm going to bed."
Oblivious of her guests she would start putting away furniture and shutting herself into her cottage. The show was over and they were forced to leave.
Lisa was sought after by a wide cross section of academics. They respected her keen wit, intellect and years of observation of all forms of nature.
She was a treasure trove of information on natural history - a sort of Renaissance woman. Her scope of interests was wide and covered photography, gardening, shell and fossil collecting, ornithology, classical music, and environmental conservation.
Lisa received a number of awards and recognition from numerous organisations including the Jamaica Tourist Board, the Natural History Society of Jamaica, and the Gosse Bird Club. She was also the recipient of a Musgrave medal.
Lisa Salmon was a gifted, unique and somewhat eccentric character who was an environmentalist long before it became fashionable. The thousands who knew her as "Miss Lisa" will sadly miss this national treasure.
