NATURE NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 152, 24 December 1926, Page 13

NATURE NOTES

THE NESTING OF DUCKS

SOME EXPERIENCES

(By B. H. D. Stidolph, 8.A.0.U.) At about C a.m. one November day the writer was proceeding through ft remnant of native forest bordering the Ruamahanga River, To Whiti, near Masterton, when a grey duck was seen to fly from a white pine tree, uttering, as it made off, discordant quacks. Tho presence of the duck on the tree appeared somewhat puzzling, but the mystery was soon solved. A tiny duckling was seen to , fall fully a distance of forty-five feet, from a fork in the tree to the ground. Six more ducklings followed in quick succession. Immediately upon their ludicrousl arrival on terra Srma the youngsters commenced squeaking. All appeared unhurt, in spite of tho fact that one in falling Struck a, bough. The ducklings were caught to ascertain that they were uninjured, and wore then given their liberty. The adult bird, in tho meantime, was greatly distressed, flying in a circuitous course and uttering pleading notes. Later sho led her chargo safely to a backwater not far distant.

It i 3 not unusual for grey ducks to nest on. a tree; several instances have already been recorded. ' The late Sir Walter Buller, New Zealand's renowned ornithologist, mentioned that at one end of the little island of Motutaiko, in Taupo Lake, on a pohutukawa tree overhanging the water, and at an elevation of twelve feet from the surface, a pair of these ducks had for several successive seasons re-formed their nest and brought forth their young. Another interesting record of the nesting of the grey duck was given by the late Captain Mair, who visited Cook's Bock in Mercury Bayi CoromanderPeninsula. He found it difficult to land owing to the tremendous surge. that was dashing against it at every, point.. At length, making a spring from the bow of the whaleboat, he landed on his hands and knees on the sharp, jagged rocks, and climbed up the rock, which stands up some thirty-six to forty feet out of the sea, with a few 'stunted pohutukawa trees growing here and there. It has diminished considerably in'size since Cook's time, and this remnant cannot long resist the erosive action of wave and weather. Near the top of the rock, on the seaward side, was a sort of hollow, evidently artificial. Captain Mair was surprised to find a grey duck nesting there, with seventeen eggs. Ho almost,put his hand on the. bird before it took wing, making for a Bmall lagoon on the mainland, about a quarter of a mile off. "Barring hawks and predatory scabirds," Captain Mair observed, "the wily duck must have felt as safe there as did tha astute warrior of old who defied Cook from the top of his secure retreat."'

Dr. Phillips, an eminent American ornithologist, recently' completed a monumental work on ducks. Therein Dr. Phillips expressed doubt about ducks carrying their young in their, bills from nesting trees to the ground, or water, as the case may be. ■■ Mr. A. S. Wilkinson, the present' caretaker ot Kapiti Island, recalls an incident in this connection which he witnessed a few years ago in the Solway Collego grounds at Mastcrton. . He had a contract for clearing away some trees adjoining the playgrounds, and used a traction engine for the purpose. One day when he was assisting to pull out a wire rope with the object of attaching it to a largo branch, that had blown, down, he 'was surprised to see a grey; duck fly from under the branch. He was.moro surprised still when^ he noticed that the bird had a young duck in its bill. The bird flew for abou* four chains and settled close to a creek. On examining the nest he found several broken shells and one addled egg. Apparently the duck had carried all the young ones away without being noticed. The nest was on tho ground amongst the grass within a chain of tho main drive. There wore about a hundred girls attending school there, and some of them must have often been within a few feet of the nest. He had known of several nests of this duck being in trees, and often wondered how the young reached the water.

A charming glimpse into the domestia affairs of the New Zealand swamp or black teal was recorded by Sir Walter Bullfer in the "Supplement to the Birdi of New Zealand." "On' the Papartonga Lake (Levin)—where, owing to rigid protection, this . duck is very numerous!—a scaup .('wig'eon' of the colonists) brought out a brood of five young ones about the . middlo of December. The old bird .was, to be seen daily swimming about near -.the boatshed, followed by her little family, huddled together in a clump, as it were, and at the slightest appearance of danger the ducklings would instantly dive and reappear on the surface further out on the lake. Early one morning, on going down for a plunge in. the water] (Sir Walter Bullcr wrote), '/I had an. illustration of the force of maternal instinct in this'bird. On opening the door of the boathouse leading to tfie springboard, I surprised the duck and her brood disporting themselves in the water only ten or twelve yards out.; On my appearance the young birds in. stantly dived, whilst the old bird, eyi» dently to divert, attention^ from ita brood, came swimming up to within.a few feet of me with its month open and uttering a low cry. In the meantime the ybuug had got to ai safe, distance under water and then came to the surface again, when the. parent, seeing that the apprehended danger was pasty quietly joined them."