"BEYOND THE RANGES."

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 92, 19 April 1928, Page 18

"BEYOND THE RANGES."

VIRGIN BEAUTY OF UREWERA.

RARE NATIVE BIRDS.

OBSERVATIONS OF DEER STALKER.

"It is a pity the average young New Zealander could not be brought into touch with the natural beauties of the bush and the bird life of his own country," said a member of a deer stalking party who has returned from a trip into the Urewera country. Continuing, he said that commercialism had to a large extent ruined the accessible forests and the introduction of stoats, weasels, cats and rats had brought about the extinction of many species of our native birds, and, unfortunately, the ; end was in sight for the majority or them. It is only in such isolated places as the Urewera Country that the most interesting specimens of our native bird life are to be found to-day. The deer-stalking party went into the back country between Ruatalmna and Lake Waikaremoana, right into the heart of the bush, and away from the beaten track, where the scream of the kiwi was heard near the camp at night. The makomako, or bell birds, were seen in hundreds, and also tuis and paroquets. That rare bird, the kaka, was also seen. The rarely-seen blue mountain duck was stated to* be doing a curious thing this year. It has never been known to come much below the snowline. Its habitat is near the source of our mountain streams. It is a true mountain duck, but this season it has been having its usual haunts at night and coming right down to the streams in the open country, apparently in search of insect food. Whatever its mission the duck come down shortly after dark in pairs. The Maoris call the mountain duck "Whio," on account of its weird, whistling call. They are not willing flyers, and escape from their enemies by swimming. They leave the low country just before daylight and fly back, to the mountain fastnesses. The man who has seen the blue mountain duck in the daylight is a wanderer, the kind of man who hears the Voice, as Kipling says. "Something hidden. Oo nnd find it. Go and look beyond the Rancres." This bird is unique. It belongs to New Zealand and is not found anywhere else in the world.

The deer stalker, continuing his story, said in tjiat virgin bush the forest itself was wonderful. To him it was a bit of old New Zealand as he had known it 25 years ago. It was real New Zealand hush, and there were real New Zealand birds. There was no extraneous bird life, and no exotic growth, practically everything was native, even the packer was a Maori. They were in pursuit of red deer, and it was to him, a New Zealand pioneer, a new note —a stirring sound—to hear the roar of a stag in the virgin bush. The party walked from Ruatahuna to the Wairoa River in Hawke's Bay. They shot some stags and ate some of the meat. Altogether they covered a total distance of over 200 miles on foot. The sportsman said he came on two stags fighting in the loose gravel of the Wairoa River bed. They were fighting for the mastery of a small herd, and it was a fierce encounter, an old stag resisting the attempts of a younger beast to supplant him. It was not a sparring

exhibition, but a fight to a finish, and the deer stalker stood fascinated with rifle in hand. The fight was over quickly, the older stag pushing the younger out of sight round a bend in the riverbank with amazing speed, and when the party looked for them they had disappeared. Although a fair number of deer were sighted, nothing remarkable was obtained in the way of heada.