DOTTEREL HYBRIDS

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30275, 30 October 1963, Page 20

DOTTEREL HYBRIDS

Discovery In Ashley \ Two dotterels which wots apparently hybrids between the New Zealand banded and Australian red-capped species were seen in the Ashley riverbed on Saturday by members of the Canterbury region of the New Zeeland Ornithological Society. The hybrids, which were almost certainly descendants of a female red-capped dotterel found mated to a banded dotterel in the Ashley a few seasons ago. were distinguished by having a chestnut mark on the aide of the head and only partiaUydevetoped breast-bands. Ths society had a field week-end in North Canterbury, visiting-the Ashley on Saturday, Lake Ellesmere on Sunday, and the lower part of the Rakaia Gorge on Monday.

In the Ashley a count was made of waiter-birds from the Gorge bridge to the sea. Birds seen included about 2000 black-balled gulls. 000 blackbacked gulls, 300 banded dotterel, 250 black-fronted terns, 100 each of pied oystercatchers, pied stilts, and ducks (including grey and mallard), and 14 wrybills. On Sunday morning a search was made for pukeko nests by a drwin at the edge of Lake Ellesmere. Nineteen nests were recorded, most with eggs, some with chicks. In the afternoon the waterfowl reftige ait Hart’s creek was Investigated and several more pukeko nests found, together with nesting blocks of black swan and nests Of mute (white) swan and Canada goose.

On Monday In the Rakaia Gorge, three or four miles above the Gorge bridge, the ornithologists found a dozen nests of wrybill and banded dotterel, the wrybills tending to nest near the middle of the bed, while the others kept to the edges. Later a colony of nesting black shag was visited near the bridge. The various expeditions were attended by an average of about two dozen persons, including society members from as far away as Dunedin and Wellington.