NATURE NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 148, 25 June 1938, Page 17

NATURE NOTES

HARRIERS DEFEATED

HARE'S DODGING TACTICS

(ByR. H. D. Stldolph.)

The cleverness of the hare in dodging greyhounds :is familiar to "those who patronise coursing ' meetings,' though perhaps not many are aware that the hare's tactics are.of great service when hard pressed by other foes beyond the confines of a plump ton. Ah interesting episode in the constant battle for life among wild animals was provided the other day, when the writer's attention was attracted to the movements of several harriers.' When first noticed three or four' harriers were "resting on the ground and another was perched ori'a fence post. Within easy reach, and "apparently only too eager to take advantage of the meagre shelter the wires provided, was a hare, crouched under the bottom wire/Every movement it made was challenged by the watchful harrier, which swooped down towards it, only to find it* efforts thwarted by the fence wires, which prevented the hawk from making a faultless attack on the harassed hare. Evidently tiring of this game, the hare decided to make a bolt for it, and'ran. briskly towards the middle of the .open paddock. A second hare, which had riot hitherto been noticed, did likewise and it was then that the' fun began. ~

SWOOP.ANB DODGE. As soon as the two- hares started to run, four' harriers • took' part in the chase. The animajs. had not proceeded far before they found ihe hawks swooping down, towards them. At every swoop, the hare.attacked would promptly change its direction, and the movement, was executed so smartly that the harrier concerned would find itself on the ground instead of in the back of its quarry. .Even though two harriers would sometimes. .swoop at one of the hares in quick succession, never once.did the ruse fail, and it was really comical to see the harriers, fully expecting to have ..the hare within their grasp, standing disconsolately viewing it as itcrouched only a few feet away. Once or twice, it the hare was able to get. some distance from the hawks, which perhaps had remained on the ground meantime, it would sit up on its. haunches to take stock of the situation. Either from annoyance at' being outmanoeuvred, or angered from vain 4 hopes of haying a feast, two. of the harriers would sometimes come to grips, though, without, much harm. Progress across the. paddock was necessarily slow, though for the hares it was a case of keeping a level head. Ten or fifteen minutes passed before the hares. succeeded in reaching the shelter and comfort of a., growth of tussocks, where they were able to vanish from view' and gloat over their achievement.

A KILL. The hare, however, is not always s« fortunate, as cases are on record in which the harrier has killed this animal, even single-handed. Mr. Edgar F. Stead, in his book, "Life Histories of New Zealand Birds," relates instances in point- "I was driving between Lake Ellesmere and the mouth of the Rakaia," he states, "and saw a harrier stooping at a hare on the side of the road in front. There were wire fences on both sides of the road, with a grassy ditch on the right. The hare ran under a wooden gate'and.stopped irl' the'paddock on the left, and when the harrier stobped at it, it dodged back under;the gate.,and sat in the road. I had stopped the car some three or four'chains away and had an uninterrupted view. The hawk, which had settled in the paddock, rose and flew over the gate at the hare, but the latter quickly hopped, under the gate, and sat, on the ciher side while the former sat in the road. Aftef several repetitions of this proceeding, the bird tried .'darti'ngi at fhe hare, first on one side of the gate and then on the other,' not: alighting," but keeping the. hare on the move. This. went, on for perhafj two minutes, and it seemed as though it might go on indefinitely, but the performance was exhausting the hawk more» than the hare, and presently the bird settled in the paddock for a spell, while the hare sat in th&#oad ten feet away, occasionally riming its : ears.' For two minutes they sat: thus, looking at one ; another through the gate,- when the hare started to run across to the other side of the road, but just as it got to the ditch the hawk was-on it and together they disappeared below the bank. I waited a moment or. two and then drove up, reaching the ■ spot within thirty seconds. The harrier flew away and the harer-a full-grown One—was stone dead, with a small wound in its side behind the foreleg." ;■""

SUCCESSFUL CO-OPERATION. Mr. Stead also relates an.incident in which he saw three adult harriers attacking a hare in the centre of a large field on the south bank of the Rakaia Elver. The hare tried to escape by running towards a fence, but the hawks kept swooping down at it from behind,.and wheh one of them got a grip of it the hare rolled over and the hawk was .forced to let go but the other two joined in and quickly killed it.' ' Mr; Stead ran up and found the.hare dead.' A DOG FOLLOWED. Another "episode' hv which several harriers, figured Was 'seen recently by the writer. When.. driving' ( along a highway the actions of three harriers ahead arrested attention. "They were flying low. over a ,d°£ whiclj was running along the road. Upon a closer approach it was seen that r the dog was carrying away £ r*abbit and the hawks were watching the event with interest, hoping, of course, that the dog would ultimately drop it. Although the harriers flew low over the dog they kept out of reach, and, undeterred by the birds' attentions, the dog made its way home, much to the. disappointment of the hawks. - \ ■ A* HARBOUR BIRD. A correspondent residing.at Lower Hutt writes about a bird observed on Wellington Harbour..From .the description supplied, it appears to be a whitefronted .. tern, a dainty bird that frequently is. to be seen oh the waters of Port Nicholson. It is , known to some people as the sea-swallow, in allusion to its deeply forked tail and swallow-like flight.