NATURE NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 41, 16 August 1930, Page 17

NATURE NOTES

A VISIT TO TARANAKI

VANISHED FORESTS

(By B. H. D. Stidolph, E.A.0.U.)

So little remains of the native bird» life of New Zealand over vasti-aieas of the Dominion that it is necessary nowadays to visit many parts of the country; if it is desired to make an acquaintance with the majority qf native species? A! holiday in one; district, ;; UjJlgss. 5t be a particularly favoured one orndthologic^ ally, provides, usually, scant-/-material for putting on record. Visitors to New Zealand from . overseas rare-,, diseppointed at the paucity of native birdlife in this country. Few of these species have been able to,adapt, themselves to the conditions bjpughjr about by. the settlement of the po'unt-i'y. The forest has been cleared and-the'swamps drained and many of the birds inhabiting such areas,: especially, the' more highly specialised ones, arts; -naturally; affected, in the case of the bush- species,' being driven back to the inhospitable beech forests :.of theVhigher. range's of the : interior,, which contain.:fa r less food supplies for .".many "species tha%:-: tho richly endowed ■ Ipwland-tbiad"- forests. It:;- the settled parts -of ■ tfie- cbujttyy introduced species of aTr : kii}ds';Sfi6un(l. As an indication of the changes which, have _ been brought about .might ■ be mentioned a visit paid to 'the- Taranaki district. The whole of .the journey from Masterton-to New-WyHoutli, except for a distance;:.-.of f;four" - miles through the-Mdnawatu- Gorge, lies through f arming.-lands' now devoid of the: native, vegetation .ifwhicli formerly clothed vast tracts of'it. Oa the first. stage of \th.6 Ijbnrney^for'. instance, from-.Mastertoß to i'Wo'odville, the route passes through- More'-Aof "less hilly country, .with' flatsi.i-afbng the rivers, formerly known xaa.-ibe'.y&orty Mile Bush. Hardly a ves/tige;;of this bush now remains. Itr'was-- formerly the home of .the now almost"'if. not quite extinct huia and niany '■ "other native birds of interest. Thegorge by which the Manawatu Eiver wends its way through the mountain backbone of the southern portion of the North Island is likewise 'robbed of much of its rugged-grancfeur through, devastating fires and -the . construction of a railway on the "''north side and a highway on the other side. * Second growth is valiantly attempting, to- restore some of its V>st, beauty, but tlis penetrating call of the blue- vpr mountain duck is no longer heard:.'from-th» rapids many feet belowv the,"roaa. The only native bird noted. ..-. on the, first stage of the journey—there-were a multitude of introduced species such as-thd starling, sparrow, blackbird,'.■ and song thrush —was a harrier, -near "Kopuaranga, a locality in the "Bush" district. Before reaching Wanganui, situated near the mouth of-the worldfamous river, the white-backed magpi* of Australia was seen on several occa-. sions. At Nukumaru and. again at Waitotara, where the line runs alongside the sand-hills, the banded dotterel was seen, and also at the-lattert<place, where a large lagoon; is passed,-a grey, duck and her family';-were; '.disturbed. Near Waitotara a solitary; black-backed gall was seen, but a-few'miles, further on, at Patea, where the seaieoast comes into view, .and .where there are freezing works, there? were.Jargeiriumbers of this bird. The introduced'"hidiaric-TOyna,-was also noted in this locality,-?' .Nothing of interest was. seen:-on'"the .rim across the fertile dairyihg: : fends. 0f SSranaki, even Mt. Egmont, 8260 feet highy being enshrouded in clouds. ; . :..-.:: Native birds are fairly well represented in the vicinity of New Plymouth,, ;adjacent; to 'which;".ist,Jhe -^Mt. Egmont -National: Park of ?Bpme 80,000 acres;1 this: area1, including tie'»hole of the. mountain' for* a- .distapeß ; :of five miles frdm the summit; and: also the nearby Pouakai and. Patua ranges. Such species^ is the blue wattled crow, brown kiwi, and North. Island weka are found in the district. Although the writer was not fortunate enough to see any of these birds,.he did hear on^one occasion the deep organ-like :notes; of the crow. .Some"years ago the "weka was reported..to ,be-,:fairly: common, in tha immediate^ vicinity' .of ■ NeW Plymouth, but it has now, retreated to the. refuge of Mt. EgmdßLt, where-Mr. W.-, ; W. Smith saw.it quite recently.; The-beauty of Pukekura- Park, Which liesrfalmost in. the centre of the - town^ -: is.:' known throughout the length and breadth of New Zealand. 'It is a sanet'uary for such native "birds as tHe tut, .grey; warbler, pied fantail, grey-thick, bellbird, kingfisher,, shining cuckoo, and white: eye; An interesting/example of the adaptability 0f..: -am. : introduced species was furnished by the sparrow, which was-seen to sip.the nectar.from the flowers pf "tfie pbhutuka'wa, Th» most notable went on',; a visit to a seenie reserve of- aboui-:''• fifty- 'alcres, known as Eatapihipihi Bushj-fbur miles from the, town, was a chotus.of." shining cuckoos. Several-of;: theße-migratory. birds were heard viii. itlfe" heiajit of, the resefve indulging. in. a" terjr^.Snte^fcaining co'neert; of theia'! owji composition. The 'wedlejr-• Continued; f6r:"soirie: ininnties. ■ Tncidentally, it' is ' sometrhat surprising to note how seldom.this'bird is see;n,, although- it is.toftea;." heard. Other native birds noted" in thisteserve were the. tui,- kingfisher,- pied fantail, grey warbler, white-eye;: and" whitebreasted tomtit, while at another reserve adjoining a small lake known at Eotokare, close at hand, the bell-bird, kingfisher, and harrier were.seeji. Oa the outsTcirts of the town one or two pipits were noted, 'and-at' the Meeting of the' Waters ■■ Scenic Reserve, about four miles,out, the.whitehead, bell-bird, tui, White-eye,; grey warbler,' pied fantail, and a solitary; black-backed gull were the native species encountered. It was interesting .to record., the-pres-ence of the whitehead, essentially a, forest bird, in an isolated area of bush not more than seventy-acres in extent. At another good bush reserve of twenty or thirty acres, nearer to. JtJayrij'J: and known as the Huatoki: Scenic jjeserve, the screech, of the lohg^tailecT cuckoo was heard,;while: a:kingfisher; which had a nest sdmewhere showwll.its anger by swooping .af the..intrifder. The shining cuckoo, tui,.pied fantail, and grey warbler, were aisp noted: here. A flying visit was -paicl to Mt. Egmont... Inlthe'vicinity 'of the North Egmont Mountain-House, which lies at an altitude of about 3000 feet, at the end of a. magnificent bush drive of four miles, the kaka was heard, besides the bell-bird and grey warbler, while the tui, white-eye; ■"• white-breasted tomtit, and rifleman-wren were seen, introduced birds noted hero were the redpple^. chaffinch, and blackjfod.;.;;. The tftturijf.tO. the entrance ofrth"e,:.pafk was made on f00t....:. Two beautiful wood pigeons were disturbed, and many. riflemen wfeas, whiteheads, bell:birdsr tom--11t5,.: warblers, white-eyes, ,and ,~tuis noted. The pipit'l was encpuntered in the- cleareia ground- just beyond v the park; boundary. ~On the waterfront at New Plymouth black-backed jgulls::-and the daintier red-billed, gull:' are' not .uncommon,..while at the.'breakwater a solitary blue heron- -WaaKSeeni-Kv jiitroduced birds ■ seen in- the- :neigWb6uthood of New- Plymoiith were .the s,ehsfflnch, goldfinch, sparroW,;:ij]ackbMj:istarluig, song' thrush, Indian" mynaj'; greenfinoh, yellow hammer, skylark, ' Califoirnian quail, redpole.. ~..■-.

The Wellington City Empowering Bill has been amended by the Local Bills Committee of the.House of Bepresentatives. The proceeds:, of. th# sale of the Newtown ■ Library- site art to h« used by the- council for- library; purposes only. ■ ■■■■■'" ■'■■■■<'>