RIRO-RIRO AND PIPIWHARAUROA.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 242, 12 October 1929, Page 3 (Supplement)

RIRO-RIRO AND PIPIWHARAUROA.

LOVE MAKING IN BIRDLAND. (By BAKBAEA A. KEKK.) This delightful story is a true record of bird life as -witnessed by tne author from her-farmhouse lionie in a little valley in the Winteiiess North. ''Birds seem to know they will be free from-interference." writes the author. "For there are birds of all sizes and colours here—both native and imported, son?: and songlessi. creek, swamp and land— the list is endless " PETER PAN.

PART 11.

"Ola,- ray poor little egg," ehe cried, t "Ignoring his question?, and peeping into the nest to, count her eggs. She • gave an . amazed chirp, for instead of the four eggs she had left, there lay three of ]ier own and a large white one! In the parent warbler's absence apipiwharauroa> or shining cuckoo, had visited their nest, leaving an egg 6he Jiad laid. The nest being rather small tihe had pushed one of the w&rbler's eggs over the side, to allow more room for her own egg.

The mother warbler carefully settled , herself on the eggs, patiently accepting the cuckoo egg in tie place of the one that was - lost. The days passed by, then one morning the little mother heard a faint chip, chip, within a shell. How proud this made her —for it was her first fcrpod. Carefully ehe helped to free the chick. The father bird peeped in to ;«ee his first son, then flew excitedly around the tree, finally, perching above the nest and pouring out a 6ong of •β-uch joy and rapture * that it eeemed his throat must buret. During the day the "Dtfter warblers emerged from . their shells. Now It-was the father's turn to look after the children, who kept him .busy catching insecte to fill their wide, qaeer mouths. The mother still sat close on her nest, for wasn't the largest and most important egg yet to be ■hatched?

At, length a faint eignal for help lame from within the large egg. Very flurried, the mother helped to release the chick. .An ugly little creature lay revealed. The warblers gazed at it in pride, till the mother-bird told her mate to catch some tasty young insects for the new baby. And such aii appetite the pjpi-wharauroa had! Both father and mother warblers were insect hunting »ow, flying about until their wings •were weary, but still the baby cuckoo eried plaintively "More, more." Grey War.bjer hadn't much time for singing Bow. No matter haw many insects were brought, the cuckoo's mouth seemed bottomless. Besides, his own babies must be fed, although pipi-wharauroa made*ure that they didn't get as much fls he did.

The baby warblers became soft and downy, like tiny balls of grey fluff. Pipiwharauroa grew large and larger, till the rest was too small -to hold them all in comfort. One day, when the parent

'birds were searching for food, the pipi■wharauroa crouched low in the nest, gradually raising a fledgling warbler into the hollow of his back. Suddenly straightening, he tipped the little grey thing out of the nest. Squawking feebly, the tiny warbler fell, breaking [ lfcs neck as it struck the ground. On their return the old warblers mourned .pitifully, -but even as they sorrowed the cry of the pipi-wharauroa spurred them on to bring more, more. Patiently, the uneeliieh wee birds obeyed the cry.

The balls of fluff grew into /ine grey warblers, and soon learnt to fl/, returning to the parent-tree every evening. Through time they left the nest altogether and flew away to the great, green bush, where —for all one knows to the contrary —they way 'be flying and singing yet. The young pipi-wlvarauroa became a beautiful, splendid shining cuckoo, with glossy green and gold and- black striped breast. ■ How 'Jie shone in the sunlight, and how proud and vain he was! But he was a helpless creature, too, and until lie was larger than a thrus'n, he followed his foster-parents everywhere, they feeding ihim "with, insects and grubs. When I saw 'him last •he was still crying—"More, more."