NATURE NOTES

Evening Post, Issue 86, 11 April 1936, Page 11

NATURE NOTES

BIRDS, BUSH, & INSECTS

OBSERVATIONS AROUND LAKE

(By E. H. D. Stiaolph.)

Where are the birds? That question arose in the mind of the ' writer the ' other day when a visit was paid'to the picturesque bush that borders the "Western Lake Road, a few miles south iof Featherston. For over a mile - the road runs through- a beautiful area of tnative forest, fortunately in a fairly (good state of preservation, that , (stretches in places from the shores of \ {Lake Wairarapa right up to the hill|tops. Berries of several kinds were seen in abundance. Some small kahikatea trees alongside the road wera brilliant with the thousands of vermilion black-tipped fruits and tha I only birds that appeared to' be eating \them were a few silver-eyes. At other I laces in the reserve there were many si'irubs and plants of various species cUrrying a rich crop of- berries— doprosmas of several kinds from tha kjiramu with its thick, large clusters iHf' reddish orange berries to the soibilled mingimingi with its pale transBu cent drupes; the mahoe with its a^ms crowded with black or dark blue berries; the pigeon wood • richly a 4 orned with orange fruits;. and the cfejofeage tree with its ornamentations oC white berries. Even with this abundance of food birds were conspicuous by their absence. ...

)The only native birds seen'in the lo'dNity were the grey warbler, the bell-bird, the harrier, the silver-eye, anct the kingfisher. Of these the grey wsf tiler seemed to be the most numerous . Common as it is, it is one of the naHive species that New Zealand could ill Uifford to lose, as it is entirely an insect eater and renders - inestimable sei^-ice by checking the hosts of injui [itius insects that threatens to, overwhelm the work tff the orchardist, iorJrter, pastoralist, and gardener if therr had a chance. Two or three bellbirni were heard breaking out in a short, impetuous song but not a single tui Hias seen. The silver-eye,was presenii^m small numbers, and one party, witlk the addition of two or three wartiTers, was, greatly perturbed at the actit'uiis of a kingfisher in the midst of thesfi- little birds. As the. kingfisher is n t>t above making a meal off a silve, t-eye on occasions, no doubt the. alarn 't was well founded. Even introduce^ birds were very scarce, there being' only an odd magpie, starling, or chtf-ffinch about.to break the quietness o t the bush and its surroundings. The*'vi;st expanse of the. lake itself was \« ithout any . sign of. wild life whatever. ' ~.... ,

The y-carcity of bird life. was more surpri ring still when it was found that insects t were very numerous. A sunny grass flank alongside the road was alive grasshoppers, of all sizes and col*:irs, brown, pink, green, black, and grej ', and many intermediate shades. , Cicadas were present in their hundreds', and there was a real din from thtdir rasping "song." But tragedy was in : dtheir midst, joyful as they might f fe& 1- Every now and again one would fIV tottering to the ground and die or pc rhaps it would breathe its last han %i ng on to the foliage. Dozens could be « sen dead on the grassy bank and some J had had the contents of their carcass svjl ked dry or eaten' out. The most rertu rkable incident connected with the id icadas was a demonstration of the art cf swimming. By some mischance 01 »'- fell into the lake about 20ft from ;^he shore and promptly started to (jV.'im! Its leSs were' moved in good iaM 1 ion, and, accompanied by a fluttering: of the wings, the cicada made rapid progress. ohV.the water. When fisheidt out, as it neafed the shore, it at once Ik* * flight,.and, after flying twenty or itf iirty feet, settled on a Willow. ;; ■ i • ■:■ .'.'

In its lowB« reaches as.it flows., into. Wairarapa l*e the' Waiorongomai Stream spn sads out into a vast shingle bed that co vers many acres of ground, although 10.-'ng before the water itself reaches the i.^ke shore it disappears into a subt^rfranean passage; Doubt, less in flood tl me there would be a big quantity of -water flowing normally into the lake.; Like many'other shingle river beds it J» appeared to be deficient in wild life.- Very few birds were seen.. A soliti '.ry pipit seemed to be exceedingly mi serable as a cold wester--ly wind w yas J -lowing Tight down the course of the Utream and the bird had to crouch do-Ma,amidst the stones to save itself fi»m being blown off its feet A pair Of paradise ducks fle\v 'up from an ■adjoining paddock, and, after circling (round, settled again further down th fe river, the male bird calling "hook MV and the female responding wii« "queek." There ,^3 no cause for »alarm, unless they re«ntPfi the anl'earance of a harrier !ha was training at a .*od]glot» speed, with «H wind, behind it, and appeared oveitt.aad like "a bolt front the., blue.", . ,;.' ■. .. ,_,.-. . ■

Where are tl&lbirds?; : ln>thercoun+rips accordin Ei to one who has visited S,sS Realities toihat visited the other da* I; would contain a good variety of bird life. Around the ; shores" of the l>fce would be seen many kinds of wade rsi and other species; in the paddocks .Jinany beautiful and ornamental jayK magpies and other varieties; and in* the bush plenty of feathered friend, to welcome the visitor into then;, domain Compared with most, countries, not' taking account of small insular areas, New Zealand' must be orteMOf the poorest countries in the woJld for bird life.' Although food m3y appear to be m plentiful supply' at certain periods of Se year, aj?i Meritiy there are some weeks or-nSnMis.qf .^at scarcity, and on that a<sc^unt many birds find it impossible . tijUiv* In; , cas, e' many of the' fti -tiv.e species ; that do survive are hand ly ever seen even by residents, unless!■ they visit.remote districts far removal from settlement and well may tourists wonder that - they do riot see the ttiiwi. How many residents of New Zealand have seen the -kiwi in its natrfco haunts?