NATURE NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 47, 25 February 1933, Page 9

NATURE NOTES

BIEDS IN THE COLD. LAKES REGION

v* THE ROCK WREN

[(By E. D. H. Stidolph, E.A.0.U.) Observations of interest on. the birdr, life between Lakes Te Anau and -W* katipu have been sent, by Mr: I*. Stapp, of ■ Pitarua Street, "Wellingirtn. One of the most pleasing records of birds in the Eglinton Valley was the occurrence of the South Island robin, described by this correspondent as "a • fair-sized bird of the tomtit variety,: but black in colour and larger.".. A long-tailed cuotoo was H«ard in-' that . locality, and later one "was -seen toeing chased by a tui and uttering frantic screeches. Near Lake Howden Mr. Stapp. counted/ three long-tailed cuckoos, but tuis were very 'scarce; The tiny rifleman wren was numerous there, and also near Lake Fergus. Although the introduced blackbird and song thrush- were numerous only three chaffinches were seen in ten days' 1 walking. A large number of Tedpolla were noted in the Upper Hollyford,where a pair of .blue ducks with a family of four dncklings were seen! taking a Bwim. Mr. Stapp saw ■ five other blue ducks on Lake McKenzie, where another family party was noted. The ducks were very tame. In -the Lower Hollyfoid lie saw qnito a. num- - ber of native pigeons, two of- them being engaged-in ''volplaning," ia which, the most graceful evolutions were performed; Very few silver-eyes, an Australian colonist, were seen on the trip. "On the elopes of.Homer and Ge*« trade Saddles," Mr. Stapp writes, "numerous little green birds bobbed about and uttered sharp cries. I understand they are''snow-birds/ a sort of green rifleman in ; appearance" This is the rock wren, a bird confined to.high altitudes in the South Island and related to the rifleman. When reaching for dry wood Mr. Stapp came across a recently uprooted tree, and in the thick moss amidst some twigs were) ' four light blue eggs, all badly cracked.' This -was probably ths nest of akedgtfsparrow. In. the McKenzie Basin, two. solitary fantails and several bell-birds,' which played around the camp all day- • were seen, Zeas were thick in tha high country, and quite tame and ! cheeky. He believes kakas were present. An'unseen bird imitated Mr. Stapp'a whistling of a well-known: military march which now has words set to its music. "I kept him at; it and tried to locate him, but it was no' good, as the bush was too thick, but I waited for the rest of • the party to catch up, and I repeated my call and = had them all thrilled when he an-.' swered." In all probability this was' a. kaka. .Paradise dneks were fairly ' plentiful, and their antics showed -that* ' they had nests or young nearby. Quito' •■ a number of wrens and tomtits wersT seen and one morepork. The German' " owl was plentiful near Invercargill and flying in broaa daylight. "He looks very pretty, with all Ms greyness" is the way this correspondent refers to this- troublesome bird. ' No' " sign of a weka was seen anywhere, although Mr. Stapp states they ara: common on the Mfiford Track. . Th» parrakeet was another missing birdr'' Very little has been recorded of the rock wren's taMts. Among the few New Zealand bird-lovers who lave' made a^ close acquaintance with. this; little bird of the mountains is Mr ' H. Guthrie-Smith, of Tutira, Hawke'a ', Bay. In the vicinity of Mackiimon'fi Pass, on the way from Te. Anau tii Sutherland Falls, Mr. Guthrie-Smith'; had the good fortune to discover a breeding pair. A single bird was firstnoticed on the top of the pass, and: then that bird, or another^ was detected with food in its- bilL ' Thai '- orifice of the nest pierced into a fib-; rons mass of overhanging roots. Partly ' •within and partly beneath this densely! matted live growth was built the nest. . Its remarkable bulk was composed of;. skeleton leaves, finely , shreddedl' grasses and feathers, On a comfort- 'i able cushion the feathers were laid - being most thick on the bottom of the' nest. Altogether, Mr. Guthrie-Smith!; counted 791 feathers in the nest, over seven hundred of these being those of. the weka.. There, were also manyii feathers of the kakapo and kiwi and'" a few of the kea and the pigeon? Un-" like the bush wren, Mr. Guthrie-Smith! i observed, the rock wren seemed to '<• prefer to make a thorough job of the' - nest from the start. Warmth and dryi ness were attained once for all by bulk!:' -.*. material, tho natural oil of thai feathers massed together helping to" any dampness that might pene-'' irate, firstly, through the live root*. moss, »nd, secondly, through the ex-1 tenor shield of shredded grass and skeleton leaves. During the incubation of the eggs and the rearing of the young, the bush wren, in contrast' to.the rock wren, constantly toot dry'feathers into and wet £eatliers out of tie nest. '" : ... ■ A rather hopeful note was struck by, -Mr. Gnthne-Smith in discussing the rock wren's prospects of survival. He< considers that it is one of the species ' likely to survive changes that from. the forester's and field naturalistV point of view hay« desolated New Zealand. The ravages wrought elsewhere by deer, rabbits, opossums, birds, and other imported vermin, he states, are unlikely to affect the welfare of the' rock wren. To this species, as to others threatened by .the inroads of; civilisation, climate remains a tower,' of strength in its protection.-~ln the wild mountainous country which forms the rock wren's home "fierce -gales* tempests prolonged, torrents of rain^ perpetual wetness spell salvation to' many an interesting breed," ie stateai;