NATURE NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 102, 1 May 1937, Page 17

NATURE NOTES

BUSH AND SHORE

OBSERVATIONS ON BIRDS

(By K. H. D. Stidolph.)

"Recently my. wife.and 1 spent som» days in the Hector region of the Tararuas and we noticed that native birds .were conspicuous by their absence," writes a i.orrespondent in Wellington. The possibility that the fauna of this country is doomed unless .some Jngenious method is speedily found for the extermination of stoats andfweasels was brought to mind while he an* his wife were in the ranges. "We heard a solitary 'tui. saw a wood pigeon, and hundreds of silver-eyes low down, and that was all.", he. states. The experience of this correspondent is not an isolated one. Many visitors to our bush are sadly disappointed a.t the great scarcity of■ bird-life, and-to a bird-lover it is decidedly depressing to find his feathered friends,so poorly represented. The fact is that New, Zealand, as the result of policies adopted by the white man,,is one ol the least favoured countries of the world as far as native bird life Is concerned, especially as regards, the. larger species that are-such a feature of wild life in other lands. NEW ZEALAND DOTTEREL. " Passing on to refer to other bird*. this correspondent states: "We were more fortunate a few davslater. when, at the mouth of the Otaki River, we «aw flocks of those bpßUtiful birds, the white-fronted terns We also saw paradise ducks shirnrnpring in tVie sun. and once a bird slightly smaller than a black-backed gull and with Its head oointed down as it was fiyina. in the 'characteristic fashion of a tern- • • We had some amusement In watchins the New Zealand dotterel on the mud flats at low tide" The pnecies of tern spen by this correspondent was orobablv the Casrjian tern, a b'rd that is found all around ihe New Zealand coast. Tn the colder months of the vpar it may be observed in Wpllington Harbour. It is trip ■la.ff^t pnecie' of tprn in this count™ ThP Npw Zea* 'and dotterel U seldom pppn Inthe Wpllington di'trirt. although it nt>nea.r<: to he mnrp rn""Tiin In the npiirhbr"'rhonH of Al>rtVliarld It i* larsjpr thnn thp. rnnrp familiar. tnnriPd fiottprel. with it? rMstinctivP rt-'-k hands on the brrast. and is moi-p nlainlv attired, the imner r>=rts b°ine brown <md the uno^r surfac chestnut Tn t.he winter, however, the under parts are white, t.ith an area of dark grey on the breast VISITORS TO KILBIRNIE BEACH. "This afternoon (April 16) on th« Kilbirnie beach." he continues, "there were four banded dotterels We particularly noticed that they were much waller than the New Zealand dotterel. Three were distinctly banded, but another that 1 watchprl with the aid oj a pair nf opera glasses seemed to be ouite white on thp breast without any sign of a band It may have been a young one. Whenever this one came near the w P ll-b=nded birds., i was chased down the beach. This was amusing but I would like to now reason. Owing to the very bitter wind I reluctantly had to leave them. There was also a flock of starlings on the beach, as well as the usual well-repre-sented hTack-backed and re*b»£* gulls." The fmpearance of the banded dotterel is of particular interest, as auite a lot is to be learnt about this bird's movements, which are somewhat of a puzzle, on account of its appearance- in Australia, in which country it has never been found breeding. The supposition is that the bird migrates from New Zealand. The fact is clear, however, that the banded dotterel is found throughout the year In New Zealand: and if a micratorv movement does take place, it is confined to particular birds only. Moreover, a flight westwards and •eastward, is contrary to the usual direction of biid migrations. BROS AT MURrTAI. Referring to birds on the eastern side of the harbour, this correspondent states: "Twice recently we saw this In the native trees around the houses at Murital, at the start of the track over the hill to Butterfly Creek. It is interesting and pleasing to see these birds among the houses. Last Sunday (April 101 our party was entertained by that ciuaint little bird, the tomtit, at the Butterfly Reserve. We saw a solitary whitehead. \™™- riro. fantails. and a wood pigeon. He adds that he has seen the pigeon wherever he has been In the bush during the last few months and it seems to be Increasing in numbers. The pigeon is a species that responds very' quickly to protection and if it is not disturbed soon establishes itself even in the midst of settled areas or around houses. The tui is s.lso capable of establishing itself in towns.^and. as has been pointed out in this'"column recently, has actually bred in introduced pine trees on several occasions. Quite a lot can be done by encouraging birds if suitable good-bearing trees are planted and if due attention is paid' to keeping natural enemies in check. In towns the worst enemy of birdlife is the domestic cat, and the annual toll levied on birds must be tremendous. INTRODUCED SONGSTERS. Another correspondent residing IB Karori reports the occurrence of a par-tially-albino song thrush, a bird with a, white tail. This correspondent goes on to refer to the song of the thrush, which he has heard for many months of the year. This bird, in fact, is an indefatigable singer and may be heard for fully eight months on end. The song thrush often sings in April but it is usually about June before it is in full song. From then on to moulting time it may be heard. , often perched on a telegraph or telephone pole and more rarely it may be seen actually singing on the ground. The blackbird is not so free and easy, and starts singing later than the song thrush, nor does this .bird appear to have so much leisure for idle fancies. The song, however, is much richer andmore mellow than that of the song thrush So firmly have these two imported species established themselves in the hearts of New Zealanders that this country would be a dull place indeed without their songs One can overlook quite a lot of their misdeeds in the orchard when their morning melody greet? the dawp of day