NATURE NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 138, 14 June 1930, Page 17

NATURE NOTES

MIGRATORY MOVEMENTS

BIRDS. IN THE WINTER

(By K. H. D. Stidolph, R.A.O.U)

Considerable local ..migration take* place among both the native and introduced birds at certain times of tlie-year. On the approach of winter, for instance, many species are to be noted making seasonal movements.' One of the most conspicuous birds during such migrations i 3 the introduced yellow'hummer or yellow bunting, a somewhat-canary-like bird in appearance. JEvcry'year the yellow hammer appears in the suburbs of Masterton, in which - localities it is seldom seen in the breeding season. The first birds of this species to be seen this year appeared on Bth May, when one or two small-flocks, wer.e in evidence. The birds continued to be seen in small numbers until 17th May, -when a flock of several hundred birds, accompanied by almost as many sparrows, made an appearance. The birds gathered a large quantity of food on an area of ploughed land and the din of notes proceeding from hundreds of throats was • almost deafening. .Never before has the writer seen such a large number of yellow hammers and sparrowa associated together. The birds remained throughout the next day, but on tha following day all had disappeared and now only two or throe yellow hammers are to be seen in tho vicinity. - It appeared as if tfye flock added, to its numbers as it progressed through tha district, absorbing practically all th« birds of its species encountered'on its route. Curiously, although a careful watch was kept to ascertain if any cirl buntings, a closely allied species;; were in the flock, not a single one-was identified, although this bird has been reported in the Wairarapa- district. Towards the end of April ]ned fantails also made an appearance in sjiburban gardens after an absence of several months. Every year one or more, fantails enter the writer's house in search of flies, the birds sometimqa remaining inside for a considerable period. Oa 22nd May one bird "spent the whola afternoon flying about a room, in which it had apparently become lost.- It wm eventually induced to "find its way outside again, however, none the .worse for its experience, unless, perhaps, it was somewhat hungry, as flics were very scarce. It is surprising to >n6te ths localities which this charming and graceful little bird frequents on oecas-' ions. Although its. true homo ,ia in the bush in tho vicinity of .creeks, or on its outskirts, the destruction; of vast areas of forest have pot affected-its numbers and the bird is apparently as numerous now as ever it was.- It has been able to adapt itself remarkably well to tho changed conditions brought about by settlement until "now it is ia some. cases practically independent of the shelter of the native bush. The fantail, for instance, -has been found breeding in broom on the wastes'of tha river beds, a long distance from any; bush. The grey warbler, too, is a fairly common bird in such localities. Th« fantail appears to pay no heed to human beings when engaged in its fantastic aerial evolutions in search of insects. It has been seen in the heart of Lambton quay, Wellington, so engaged, and on other occasions a fantail has been noted on a crowded railway station and underneath shop' verandahs very much occupied in snapping up small insects. It is regrettablo that more native species havo not been abla to adapt themselves ""so to settlement conditions. During the autumn and •winter; months flocks of white-eyes' wander round the countryside, leading a merry; nomadic life until the approach of tha breeding season scatters its members into pairs, which retire to suitable nesting localities for the summer. Some of these flocks of white-eyes contain many hundreds of individuals, the jingle of their notes at once attracting the attention of the passer-by as. the birds make their way noisily from' tree to tree, incessantly on the move. These little birds appear to be fairly numer* ous this winter, but on occasions a veritable plaguo of them, make an appear* ance, as was the case on Kapiti Island in the winter of 1928, when thousands of white-eyes visited this island sane* tuary. Although only a small bird, th« silver-eye, ring-eye, or blight bird, an it is variously called, colonised NewZealand on its own account. It wa» unknown in the' Dominion befoj^ about 1856. It appeared on. the north side of; Cook Strait, according to the late Sir; Walter Boiler, for the first time with* in the memory of the .oldest native inhabitants, in the winter of 1856. It) was in the early part of June when its first appearance was noted at Waikanae. A fortnight later the white-ey« was seen in Wellington in large numbers, frequenting , the gardens, and shrubberies both in and around tH« town. The birds proclaimed themselves a blessing by preying on and arresting the progress of the noxious aphis known as American blight. As suddenly as the birds arrived, they departed-after; a sojourn of three months. During tha two years following the white-eye was never heard of again in any part of the North Island, but in the winter of 1858 it again crossed Cook Strait and appeared in Wellington and its environs in greater numbers than before. During the four succeeding years it regularly wintered in the vicinity, recrossing the strait on the approach of spring. Since 1862, when it commenced to brees in the North Island, it has been a permanent resident of this island. An Indian bird, the myna, which waa introduced into New Zealand many years ago, appears to be enjoying more! prosperous times in tho Wairarapa.-Its numbers in the district in recent years appoared to be decreasing, but the past season was apparontly a very favourable one for this bird, which, as a re* suit, has profited considerably and augmented its numbers. There is a tendency, however, on the part of th» myna to leave tho colder districts of • the Dominion for more warmer parts.