RARE BIRD'S NEST.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 296, 15 December 1933, Page 5

RARE BIRD'S NEST.

A SAD ENDING.

DESTROYED, DESPITE CARE.

THE BANDED DOTTEBSX.

The nest of a bird rare in New Zealand, the banded dotterel, recently came to a sad end after being carefully preserved and arousing keen interest among naturalists.

The nest, which is illustrated on this page, was discovered at the new Rugby Park, New Plymouth, and, knowing that Mr. W. W. Smith, a well-known New Plymouth naturalist, would be interested in it, Mr. J. McLeod, chairman of the Taranaki Rugby Union, wrote to him suggesting that he inspect the nest and the birds. Mr. Smith did so and identified the birds as the banded dotterel and stqps were taken to protect the nest until the eggs were hatched.

Within a day or two of the eggs being hatched it was decided to put a number of sheep on Rugby Park and at 5 o'clock one evening, just after the photograph was taken, a fence of barbed wire was erected around the nest to keep the sheep away. It had been intended to secure photographs of the birds themselves, and, it was hoped, of the young also, but next morning the eggs had disappeared and the nest had been destroyed, evidence indicating that it was the work of thoughtless boys. -

An interesting feature wae the way the nest was moved earlier by the birds during the period it was under observation. The first time the three egge were moved to a. nest a foot away, then a chain away and lastly a new nest was found a foot away. It is believed that the birds shifted the eggs by rolling them with their beaks.

The banded dotterel ie not common to-day and the loss of this nest has caused disappointment to people interested in bird life. The fact that one of the birds was a partial albino may

account for the nest being seen by those •who ransacked. it, for the nest would accordingly become more conspicuous. An albino is a rarity among banded dotterels. It generally nests along the ■borders of river beds and occasionally betakes itself, as in this instance, to remote isolated places, even to recentlv ploughed fields. The bird is often seen in the company of the kuaka or godwit A shallow nest is scooped out of the ground and then lined with bits of t\v\<i as in this case. About a month elapses from the time the birds nest till the chicks are hatched. The latter are able to care for themselves immediately.

The fact that a guard fence had been erected around the nest made it obvious that it was being taken care of and it was therefore a case of eheer destruction. The question arises as to whether sufficient is being done in schools in teaching natural history and the real need there is for protecting New Zealand's rare native birds.