NATURE NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 25, 30 January 1932, Page 11

NATURE NOTES

i birds ym'MM bay

THE WHITEHEAD AND RIFLEMAN

(By B. H. D. SKdolph, TtA.O.TJ.)

"The people of Wellington.have ft wonderful asset in Day's/fily, -with its' beautiful native bush,'?/'wrijtei| si Wellington correspondent, "and not tha least of its attractiveness is the opportunity of observing several species of native birds without the necessity of ascending the hills: f or, any. distance. Granted that the imported species have established themselves in consideraWo numbers, the: keen observer will not have to look, very far. to find the more attractive.natives," he,states. "Tuis, moreporks, riflemen wrens, grey warblers, whiteheads, fantails, pied tits, shining cuckoos, long-tailed cuckoos, and native pigeons are'all likely to bo seen or heard, and in this connection the observer who has a fair knowledge of the. different calls has a great advantage. In the writer's experienc* the calls of the grey warbler "and shining cuckoo often attract the attention of those who have no idea of theif origin. Both are very attractive, although the warbler quickly become* monotonous.' - ".

"Omitting the tui, f antail, and pied tit, this correspondent, . continues* "two really attractive species which can. be .seen almost any day at the bay; are the rifleman wren and whitehead.' The call of the former !is a very faint 'zee, zee,'and it might almost be taken, for an insect in. that respect, but the whitehead is a very pretty whistler with a variety .of notes. One call which ends up -with a particularly, joyous ' pretty joey • is 7 especially attractive. The rifleman, which has been, seen in small flocks almost daily this season, may. be recognised by its very small size, green back, greyish-white breast,.slightly upturned bill, and extremely^ short tail. When at rest, Which, is very seldom, it continually lifts its wings. In its-ceaseless search' \ for insects it runs up and. down tha bark of trees like ar mouse. It is very. fearless, and can of ten be observed at a distance of six or eight feet. Tha whitehead is a larger bird, about tha size of a sparrow. The body colour is, at a casual glance, roughly: like the latter bird, with the head and neck of a greyish-white colour. From this feature, the bird derives: its- name, -and it makes the species easily : recognised. Like the rifleman, it is strictly a bird of the bush and an insect-eater. Similarly,'it is of a comparatively: fearless disposition, and- also moves about in flocks, a single bird being seldom seen. Of the; imported species, blackbirds, chaffinches, thrushes, starlings, and, of course^, the. sparrows are plentiful, and. are more likely to: attract notice than the native species. The writer I can vouch for the fact that a moderate knowledge of the latter greatly adds to the pleasure and interest of a visit te Day's Bay," states this correspondent ■ in conclusion. ■ ■ ■ .:

•TXntil recent years, fe#. nests of thai whitehead had been found. In the latter part of 1923 : Master ,C. Miles, o* Taumarunui, found two nests of this species within" a- short' distance' of the town, but unlike most schoolboys, he refrained from disturbing ' the -V nests and instead took fulli noites. The first nest was commenced about* 15th September, arid was completed' within five days." The nest, which was placed in « manuka, only three feet from' a shed,was built of:moss and leaves,';bound together with cobwebs. The cup was composed of' pieces ■of i manuka and ribbon-wood bark, and was,: lined with, fern-fur and feathers. b The, nest was not fastened to the twigs in any way but simply rested in a fork. On 23rd September the first egg was laid, and five days later the neat contained four eggs. Both the; female and, male birds sat on the nest; but dS the two, according to the observations of this juvenile naturalist, the male' was much more timid. The female would allow twigs to be moved within one -foot without flying away. The: young birds wera> hatched in about sixteen days. Unfortunately, about'2sth October the nest was destroyed, presumably by a cat. However, on 3rd November Master Miles located another nest in a manuka clump, and in'construction it was thoi same as the last' one, r except that no feathers were used. One egg was found, ii a fork of the: tree and was very slightly cracked. It wa? replaced so a* to encourage the birds.' Tor four days the birds did not approach the nest* and it was thought;that they had deserted it, but about 9th' November a second egg was'laid,-and a "third" a dayi or two lateri Sitting commenced about the 12th, but on the 15th: the' •fiest was destroyed by some' marauder." The eggs' were white spotted and marked with,' reddfah brown, and were slightly smallee than sparrows'eggs. '

Tho nest of the rifleman wren is a£ -.eyen:,«teateE.,iari : ty r ,thaii v that of the .whitehead. .. It..is ..quite a bulky affair for so small a bird; - and;:is usually; placed in a Jollpvy: trfi^ijSot much U knowij;_of the breeding"-habits of this little bird, feme y^ars ago, when thai writer spent a few days in the beautiful Tauherenikfu-Biver'i Valley, in the' ;Tararuaißaages,;at a spot where grassy, flats border the'river, a pair of riflemen were encountered. The birds be. came very excited and were carrying insects in their bills'to feedthe younfo The nest was !secu'jjely hidden in x hollow rata stump lying on the river* bed. The entrance hole was so small that it was more like a Bpider's thai a bird's nest.-. ; ;