NATURE NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 138, 7 December 1935, Page 17

NATURE NOTES

BIRDS IN A PINE BELTS

INTRODUCED AND NATIVE

(By R. H. D. Stidolph, RA.O.U.) In the transformation of forest areas into farming lands there are distinct phases in which the bird-life of the district concerned flows at varying ebbs. In the original bnsh there are many native species that- are doomed to disappear following; on the milling of the trees and clearing operations. The once numerous bird population then almost entirely vanishes, and if a clean sweep is made only two or three species of a ground-loving nature are left to fossick among the remains of the forest giants, while in the skeletons of trees that, stand' stark and barren perhaps the starling finds: a convenient hole for breeding purposes and later its squawking youngsters add then? clamour to an otherwise silent and mournful scene. It is at this stage that the bird-life-is at.a very low ebb. The planting of shelter belts of intro duced pine and other trees, however, provides a home and food for many species, mostly introduced; but once again the bird inhabitants become more numerous, and in a few instances one or two native species return to nevsr surroundings, never again to enjoy; the thrills and wonders of the un« touched forest. .• ■ A pine plantation in the midst of a farming area visited the other day was found to contain a good variety of bird-life. From one end to the other there was a > surprising -• number of nests of the song thrush, a familiar English' bird,- and- one-which is nciw perhaps'the most plentiful of any bird in New Zealand. The 'song' thrush, abounds in all parts of, the country from the sea shore; to the. mountain forests, and during the breeding season its large and conspicuous mudlined nest may be found vi all manner of situations, in a' few instances even, on the ground. Most of the nests seen in this pine plantation had young, soma almost fully fledged and others just hatched. In one case only did a nest contain eggs, and even in this instance one egg had hatched. A near relative of the thrush, the blackbird, is another widespread introduced species that has flourished exceedingly well in Nevr Zealand, though its-:.numbers "are' riot nearly as great as those of the thrush. Although the bird itself, was present, no new nests of the' blackbird were found in the plantation, .but its breeding season is riot yet over. ■: Another inhabitant of this pine belt is the chaffinch, a gay and bright introduced bird, which, like the thrush and the blackbird, is now widely spread and is one of the commonest of birds. Its nest is usually placed in a foric ,right against the main trunk. The nest is one;of the marvels of bird construction, beautifully made on dainty proportions, and. exquisitely decorated with pieces of lichen. The eggs are almost as-pretty as the nest, varying in colour from clouded green to reddish, with conspicuous blotches of chocolate red. Last year/ another bird, the greenfinch, was present in this plantation in considerable numbers, but, strangely enough, this year there are only compartively few. The same decrease in the numbers of this bird was also noticed in another pine plantation some miles distant". It is hard to understand-exactly why this species should.be.so^much scarcer this year, as the winter not a very severe" one. 1 It;cari vi>nly be assumed that the greenfinch , undertakes some migratory movement, and it is possible that the birds frequenting the plantation this year are not the same as those present last year, which may have moved to other districts. The greenfinch usually places its shallow-shaped nest in forklets towards the end of the branches, although in some instances it is located against the main trunk. The nest shows little variation in general structure no matter where it is built, and in many cases has a decidedly untidy appearance when viewed from below, so much so as to lead to the belief that it is an old and dilapidated one. The cup is almost invariably lined with wool, and is quite cosy and warnv As many as six eggs are sometimes laid, and it is difficult to imagine, if all the eggs are hatched, how the nest can accommodate six young. In place of the dozen or. two nests found last year only two nests were seen this, year, one being empty and the other containing four newly-hatched youngsters, clad in smoky-coloured down. These young birds were in strong contrast to those of the hedge sparrow, two nests of which were found to contain chickens not long hatched, but clotlisd in almost jet black downy The hedge sparrow always keeps well down i:i a tree when selecting a site for its nest.

In the midst of* all these nestfuls of young birds a morepork was found perched in a dark retreat, among the pines. It stared and blinked-, at the intruders into its domain and took flight, passing by silently and with wings outspread, to settle no great distance away. . No doubt it would find many a dainty morsel' among the young birds that have just left the nest; but it must not be imagined that these would be its only food. The morepork is a great destroyer of beetles. It may sometimes be seen at dusk beating around the foliage of a tree and seizing beetles, then retiring to a convenient perchto enjoy a feast. It eats after the style of a parrot, holdings its food in its claws. Although-the morepork usually selects a hole in a tree for, its nest it has been known to breed in pine plantations, where an accumulation of debris has formed, and provides •conditions approximating the gloomy darkness to which it is usually accustomed when thinking of domestic duties: The morepork is still well represented almost throughout New Zealand, and it is one of the few native birds that have been able to adapt itself at least to some degree to the conditions of settlement.

A young American seaman named William Gill achieved- notoriety the other day when he was sentenced te four weeks in gaol for "gross miscoh* duct," because he made a derogatory remark about Adolf Hitler and whistled the Internationale. Gill was'arrested on a ferry boat.