NATURE NOTES

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 27 October 1934, Page 13

NATURE NOTES

A STUDENT’S OBSERVATIONS (By “Malioe. ”) Paragraphs recording observations on experiences of interest to readers of this column will be welcomed. ' Address cpmnumications to 4 4 Mahoe. ’ ’ The Starling. A resident of Hawera informed the writer that he had an annoying experience recently owing to a starling choosing for its nesting place the wash-house chimney. '.Less than a week had transpired since last washing day, ■and when the copper was lighted it was found that in that short interval a nest had been built inside the ciiimncy. To remove the accumulation of dry grass and other .material that had been used in the construction of the nest proved a difficult proposition. and it took a considerable time before free access was obtained to enable the fire to be lighted.

It is quite a common practice for starlings to build their nests in washhouse chimneys. The writer had a similar experience with a neighbour's chimney some years ago. A clothes Enop was used in an endeavour to force the nest downwards, but this resulted in the accumulation becoming firmly wedged inside. Kerosene was then poured down the chimney and lighted, and after a good deal of perseverance in this way the nest was burnt out. The persistent determination for which the starling is noted for building its nest when once its mind is fixed on a particular position has been exemplified on several occasions in the experience of the writer. A rural delivery postal box in the country was chosen, by a bird some years ago, and notwithstanding that the owner of the box removed the hay and straw at night time, when the mail was cleared, by about the same time next day, there was another collection of building material gathered inside the box. The removal of the material continued for several days until at last the bird realised that its work was wasted energy and gave up the task. It is said that the starlings mate for life, and the writer firmly believes that this is the case. I have watched for several years the unusual position that starlings have picked on for building their nest, though it is impossible to say definitely whether they are the same pair that choose this particular locality. They make their nest every year inside a hole in a parapet of a building in High Street, Hawera. The starlings find inside the parapet a capital place for a nest. So small is the hole that there is very little room for the birds to squeeze through. Yet they find the place a position of security without any fear of molestation.

Notwithstanding that the starling proves a nuisance to townspeople during the nesting season, it is one- of the best birds imported into this country. In fact, it has been, termed the farmers’ friend, for it destroys thousands of grass grubs every year. It is quite a common thing to see large numbers following a ploughman at work, and as each furrow is turned over the birds devour the grass grubs exposed to view.

Rabbits in. Hawera. Sufficient evidence is forthcoming that rabbits are becoming plentiful in and around Hawera. A pair was seen some time ago in the grounds of the water tower and also in the 'Hawera cemetery. The latest evidence that they are multiplying was brought to notice last week, when workmen employed in the new portion of Xaumai Park found a nest containing four young ones. Down oin the sand hills at the Ziz Zag rabbits may often be seen. At this locality there is plenty of cover for them. At one time it was stated that the soil of Taranaki was not favourable for rabbit breeding, but that contention does not seem to be correct, as all along the coast they appear to be getting a strong hold. Several residents in and around Hawera report that they have had young plants, such as cabbages and peas, eaten off close to the ground of late, and the thorough manner in which they have been, consumed leads to the belief that it is the work of rabbits.

New Arrivals at Naumai. Naumai Park is- becoming quite a sanctuary for wild ducks. Last year one of them reared several young ones. These pretty little members of the feathered tribe have made themselves quite at home on the lakes of the. park. This week a mallard duck brought out a brood of twelve little yellow ducklings, which have created much interest, especially for the young folk. It is quite interesting to watch the ducklings’ active movements whilst swimming along the lake. Before they are many hours old they take quickly to the water, with a proud mother as convoy.

The Nesting Season. Everywhere just now the birds are busy either making their nests or hatching out their young. The thrush anti blackbird in particular are very energetic in this respect; likewise the übiquitous sparrow. But how different are the ways of the sparrow compared with the thrush and blackbird. The last two will choose quite unusual positions for their nesting placets, often building in the fork of a small tree, whilst on the other hand the sparrow has more ainbitous tastes and likes to make a home higher up in the world. The other day th'e writer was surprised to see a thrush’s nest built so low down in a tree that a hand could have been thrust inside without any effort. The thrush takes a big toll of snails at this time of the year, and it is quite interesting to see the birds breaking the .shells on a stone or . sometimes on a concrete footpath. An .English writer discusses this habit of the thrush

as an inborn gift. To a young thrush which she had brought up by hand she offered some snails but he took no interest in them until one put out its head and began 'to move about. The bird then pecked at its horns, but seemed amazed when the snail retreated within shelter of its shell. This happened over and over again, the bird’s inquisitiveness increasing day by day. The thrush often picked a shell up by the lip and let it fall again, but no real progress was made until the sixth uay, when the bird seized a snail and beat it on the ground, somewhat in the same way as thrushes do with a big earthworm. At last on the same day he picked up a snail and hit the shell against a stone. He tried one snail’s shell after another, just as if he had made up his mind, and after fifteen minutes’ hard work managed to break one. He had cracked his first shell, and after that all was easy. A tendency to beat things may be inborn in the thrush, but in this case he learned intelligently how to solve a difficult problem.

A Visitor From the South. On. Monday some holiday-makers at Waihi beach caught a young penguin which was very tame and friendly and did not resent being handled by its captors, who eventually allowed it to go free. Considerable attention was attracted recently by the appearance of a young penguin in the water in Wellington Harbour. The bird, which, according to some workmen engaged in the vicinity, was the same one as appeared there last year, was busy catching fish. It would swim out along the edge of one of the wharves, dive, and s-wini under water at great speed toward the junction of two wharves, driving the fish before it. The speed attained by the bird seemed to be almost twice that of the fish, and it seemed to have no difficulty in catching- what it wanted.