NATIVE BIRDS. IN THE WAIMARINO BUSH.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 151, 26 June 1912, Page 14

NATIVE BIRDS. IN THE WAIMARINO BUSH.

SOME PECULIARITIES. (Specially written for The Post.) v (By H.E.G.) Away back in the heart of the King Country the camper, lying awake in his bunk at dawn of a summer's day, hears that most beautiful music— the morning chorus of native birds. Years after, perhaps, when the bußh has been given up for over, and he has settled down to city life, the sound of a solitary tui'» chuckle, heard during some week-end ramble over the hills, will bring back to him with a rush — the smell of tho camp fire, the fragrance of the forest, the ringing echo of the axe in big timber on a frcsty morning, and all Ihe memories of tho free camp lite. THE LEADER OF THE CHORUS. ' Foremost amongst the feathered choir nre the bell birds (makomakos), of which bo much has been written by New Zealand nature-lovers. These birds are brexont in thousands, and tako the lead in the morning melody. During tho greater part of the day, they fly noisily around in their search, i'or _ honey, imitating the tuis and improvising all sorts of curious noises. As the first Btreuks of dawn appear in the eastern sky, they gather together in scores in one spot and begin their beautiful song, producing different notes altogether to tho rest of their day's warbling. Each bird chimes in with hU four musical notes, and the- pffeot produced,_ when numbers of them congregate, is like the distant peal of cathedral bells. In Captain Cook's Voyages, mention is made of tho beautiful chorus of birds he heard whilst anchored in tho Sounds. THE TUI'S LIQUID NOTES. The tui is just as early a riser as the bell bud, and his liquid notes echoing through the bush help to swell the harmony. This beautiful bird seems to be holding his o^yll in spite of tho destruction of the native bush, and flocks of them are to be seen in the wattle and gum trees around .station buildings, fur away from their usual haunts. THE BUSH ROBIN. A very pleasing morning song is that of the bush robin (toutouwaij. -This little fellow has more of a true song than any of the native birds. Ho is quite common in the King Country, although rare in most other parts of the North Island, and is a great friend of the bushmaii on account of his fearlessness. He is always around at lunchtime to pick up crumbs/ and at the camp he will come light under the table, hopping about amongst the men's feet. _ In size he J6 about aB big. as a starling* slaty in colour, with a light grey breast. Along a survey line ho is always very much in 'evidence, tripping along after the theodolite to search for grubs exposed when the moss is turned over to provid« a firm set up for the legs. If another robin cumeß along there is always a strenuous fight, and tho little ohupß will ruffle their feathers, snap their beaks, and make great dives at each other. THE TIT, THE WARBLER, AND THE FANTATL. Tho little rtlnck and whtto tit (miromiro) will also follow tlio theodolite, although not nenrly .«o boldly n& the robin does. The female tit is of 'a very shy and retiring nature, and not being so conspicuously marked as tho malt 1 , is not noticed nearly po much. The grey warbler (riroriro) is just as common in the wilds 'as he is in tho town ' gardens, and delisrhts the ear with hi* musical little- trill. Tro pied fantail (tiwakawa) is also Inuiid in numbers, and presents, a charniiuj; Hpc-ctHcli' as he steers his erratic COlim\ tUll BlM > ' s ail Ollt, HU'OMi HlO lltllc tiUJfifiii "is L'lw&U »Mw illbCClß,

A BIRD OF THE WILDS. Now we come to a bird which is not often seen, except far away back in the wilda of the Taranaki and King Country districts— the blue wattled crow (kokako). He is a very handsome creature, resembling in habits and build the hma, for which he has often been mistaken. He is very dark brown, almost a black, in > colour, except for the brilliant blue wattles that adorn the base of the beak on each Bide. Ho possesses loiiK legs, long tail feathers, and a short back, something like a paraqueet's. In prowling about, the "kokako" uses his legs more than his wings, and runß along the- branches with great rapidity. The kokakos generally travel in pairs, and do not seem much afraid of man, hopping oply a fow yards away when disturbed. People hearing the notes oflho kokako for the first time think that it is the bell bird, as the low notes especially sound like a distant toll. A Bunny morning is the time to hear the notes of the kokako, four distinct flute-lLko tones given slowly and deliberately, with a pause of about a second betweert each. PIGEONS AND KAKAS. Pigeons (kuku or kereru) and kaka« abound in the Waimarino, and provide excellent, stews for the camps. The pigeon is really a beautiful bird, but, being such good eating and so common in all parts, his brilliant plumage is overlooked. If a kaka is wounded his shrill cries will bring around a multitude of his companions, only to fall victims to the hunter. Most bushmen can bring them within range by imitating their calls. Sometimes a kaka is captured and brought to camp, where in a , few days he becomes quite tame. A piece of wood is fastened to one of his ■ legs, and • he < causes a < good/deal of ■ amusement in his wanderings around thu camp. He is usually very mischievous, and pulls everything to pieces that cornea within roach of his powerful beak. THE CUCKOO BIRDS. Between September and *Mavch each year the two cuckoos, the shining (pipiwherauroa) nnd the long-tailed (kockoea or koheperoa), spend their time in > New Zealand after their long migration. . The shining cuckoo inhabits the banks of the numerous streams, and forms a conspicuous object with his striped green and white breast as he dashes after tho insects. Nearer civilised parts he often chases the artificial flies of the trout fishermen, while they are casting out into midstream. His whistle resembles the call of a Bhepherd to his dogs, seve- '. nil long-rising notes in succession, followed by a descending one. The long-tailed cuckoo lies very low during tho day and his eerie screech is generally heard about nightfall. Tho "makomakos" and tho "tuis" chase him, on sight whenever he appears during' the daytime, and give him a bad ran' to safety. Both the cuckoos are very hard to locate from their notes, as they possess ventriloquial powers. THE WREN AND HIS FRIENDS. < The smallest of the native birds, the' little wren (PounamuK is often seen, a' small bob-tailed fellow, fluttering up' the barrels of the big trees, peering in every cranny and under every leaf ■ in search of good things. Another bird, rare in most parts, but common in tho Waimarino bush,' is the whitehead (popokatea). These birds travel round in small flocks and are very inquisitive, ' gathering around, peering through tho leaves, and chattering away at anything that disturbs them. The "popokatea''' is about the size of a sparrow, similar in colour, except for the nead and neck, which are dull white. PARAKEETS AND MOUNTAIN- ', DUCKS. The parakeets (kakariki) are the most' striking as regards colour of any of tho birds, and both the yellow and red- ■ crested are common. Their brilliuntgreen plumage, picked out with red, , yellow, and blue, make* them very conspicuous. They are often kept in cagesin the country districts, and booh learn to talk. Along the mountain streams the blue mountain duck (wio) is often seen swimming about in the pools or perched on the big houlderft , giving the warning whistle, from which ho evidently gets his native name. THE MISCHIEVOUS WEKA. s Around the bushmen's camps there are always one or two woodhens (wekas) prowling about as Jong as there are no dogs around. They have a bad name on accouut of their thieving habits, and cause a lot of annoyance *by running away with the soap front the washing pool, and anything else thc^ can cany away. At nights the dismal cry of the morepork (ruru) is hoard when everything else is quiot. Tho bushineu reckon the ruru' 1 wages war on rats, ae-tlio skins of the latter are often found ott the tracks turned neatly inside out. This trail in the morepork's character is often disputed by naturalists. The kiwi, although plentiful on the western side of tho Waugimui River, is uot found on tho Wnimarino side. THE LAST SANCTUARY. Considering the number of birds, nud the fact tlmt there nro always hundreds of men who Bpoud nearly all Uwn'r time in tho bush, it is marvellous- that thero arc ho- very fow nests of native birds found. Now that tho W*aimai'iiio district is being settled and ihe bush is coming down, tho birds uve. losing their homes and food supplies, but it is to be hoped that they will bo able to find a wife retreat in th<> reserves along tho Wanganui River and the Tongariro National Park, whoiv tlwy will live t>> produce their Mveut melodies Ibv youis to . touio-

STORY OF THE MAIN TRUNK. Real history in a new country is made ijr railways, roads, and bridges — above 111 by railways, if the country to be ipened is of large extent. This is plainly risible in the "Last Gieat West" of North America, the western provinces of Cantda. which owe all their marvellous proJress of recent years to the coming of railways on an immense scale. Without lecebs by rail the best lauds in the world fen-nit! untamed, uncultivated, unproluciivc, uncivilised. Pierce them by the i'Oii road, and they <le\cJop naturally of Eie;r o-.vn accord. Tho i ail way is the frctitcit of all pioneers, for without it I Ihe b^^'t of human pioneers can do little j iy nothing. What good Lb the forest tor j limber unless you can get your timber to I haiket? 'What use are the richest soils, ; taless their products tan be transported ; feadily to the homes of .those ~nho rejutis them? The history of :<U new »nntrics bears this out. 'it is the railray that has made North America what t L? to-day. It is the railway that is nuking South America, Tropical Africa, Arctic Alaska, Australia, and New Zea-' iicd — the lands of the future. "Where Hie railway leads, all the civilised world loUows. A GREAT UNDERTAKING. New Zealand has its pioneer railways, j bid one — the Main Trunk line of the ] •forth Island — reproduces in miniature | Ihe story of the great transcontinental j tailroads of America. Like them, it has ; (rossed its Rocky Mountains, and open- ' Id many million acres of virgin soil and j bresfc. Unlike them, ifc has been an tuisonscionable time in the making, for the theels of the State grind mi-re slowly lhan the wheels of private enterprise, ft Las taken nearly forty years to link Imckiand and Wellington by a railway Irhich works out at about eleven miles a (•ear. Across ihe prairies of the Golden tVest they laid sometimes nearly as much in a day. But, if the wheels of the State grind slowly, they grind surely — inder the pressure of pojpular opinion — tod after many years -of premature promises on the part of politic i;;ns and hard lioneering work of surveyors, engineers, Ind humbler pick-and-stiovel men, the frork is done. THE BEGINNING. The Main Trunk took its beginning h Auckland. Under the provisions oi the Immigration und Public Works Act, 1870, the" Government let a contract in August, 1372 — nearly forty years ago — to tie finn of John Brogden- and Sons, a inn responsible for many of the early railway pioneering of the "colony, for the ras to use the railway from Auckland to Mercer. With this * section the Main trunk railway may be said to have Ifcarted. Such was the condition of tho tolony in those times that the first idea Iva& to use tho railway from Auckland to Mercer, then to tafe steamer up the tVaikato to Ngaruawahia, where railway (ravel would be resinned. There were fervid controversies about this as since