BIRD-NESTING

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XX, Issue 191, 2 August 1930, Page 15

BIRD-NESTING

Dear Chief Kiwi,—One day in summer 1 asked my father if I could go birdnesting, and he said “Yes.” I left home at 9.30 a.m., and went to the bush. 1 climbed a tree, and came to a nest, on which a sparrow was sitting I chased it off. and found seven eggs. 1 threw the nest down, and put the eggs in my pocket. When 1 reached the ground I went home. When I arrived home I told mv mother how many I had gathered, and she said I could go again Love. —Ellen Roil, age 10 years, Tomoana Rd., Hastings. ♦ ♦ * # THE DANDELION Dear Chief Kiwi.—The dandelion is like the buttercup in colout, but its petals are like those of the daisy Each is a floret. There are a large numbe> oi them, and there is honey in the stem of each one. The florets are set in a deep, green cup with a fringe of leaves nt the bottom of it. Like the daisy the dandelion closes at night. Its stem is thick and hollow, and contains a milky juice which stains our hands. When the flowei fades it leaves a round puffball There is a seed on each of the little downv stalks that flies away The seeds fall into the ground and grow new plants The green leaves and also the: roots of the dandelion are of great use as food and medicine. As this is all I will close. With love to the Kiwi band. —Eunice Roil age 9 years, Tomoana IM.. Hastings. SENIORS. BIRDS Dear Chief Kiwi,—There being so many kinds of birds, it is hard to talk of them all, but we do grow fond of the one* that make their homes in our country. When 1 walls around oui garden 1 notice how they differ m then habits. The minah, for one, ,is as cheeky and daring as can be. He will hop and hoji before he attempts to fly. alniougli taking care you don’t get too near him. The blackbird looks as if he is related, as his manuei is very much the same, and both are very clumsy lu building nests. 1 love the small ladylike ones, such us the goldfinch and fantail. Their nests and eggs are such dears, and although 1 would love to have their eggs, I would not touch them. It quite worries me when Show time comes to see all the eggs that chaiUreii have gathered. I often wonder why all birds don't have the same whistles and songs, because when 1 walk down the avenue I hear hundreds of different sounds from birds, that make me feel quite hrilled; so I have thought, and found that the bird families are just like us. ■ They are tn siffall familie*, and have a mother to teach them, and each mother has different ideas and voices, and must be very strict, which is good, for see what beauty their songs add to the world. —Pink Certificate to Molly Flanders, age 11 years, R.D. Mangateretere.

♦ ♦ ♦ * A MOONLIGHT NIGHT

Dear Chief Kiwi. - -Thank you very much for the pink certificate. I opened the glass doors and stepped out on to the balcony. Everything was lit up with moonlight, which shone as bright as day.

Looking over into the garden below 1 saw the flowers nodding their heads m the gentle breeze that was passing. “Oil!” I whispered. “How beautiful; 1 must go down.” Slipping on a pair of shoes, I skipped down the stone steps and out among the flowers. 1 walked down crazy paths and into little dells where tlie violets grew. Everything was very still, except for the “Tu-whit, Tu-whoo!” of the wise old owls.

Going down a slope under some beautiful spreading trees. 1 saw a little bird asleep on a twig. “Twit, twit” came a little voice, and away it flew. I was sorry I had disturbed it. Further on I came to the fountain, still playing. The silvery water danced through the air. I wandered on and on until 1 heard a voice calling “Edna, Edna!” When 1 arrived back at the house mother said it was getting late, so 1 had to leave the moonlit garden and go inside to bed. With love.

—Pink Certificate to Edna Wall, n ge 13 years, Private Bag, Waipukurau.

Dear Chief Kiwi,—Thank you very much for tlie certificate you awarded me. Birds are very interesting, as they have funny ways. Once I was watching a blackbird. First of all it built a nest, then it laid some eggs. After a week or so I had another look, and to my surprise 1 caught sight of three little nestlings. When they were about a week old I was looking out of a window and there was the mother blackbird teaching them to hunt for grubs and food for themselves. About two seasons ago 1 noticed that most of the birds had built their nests very low. That season turned out a very winy one.

Birds are very wonderful, don’t you think so, Chief Kiwi?

It is glorious to wake up in the morning and hear the birds sing-

The little “white eyes” used to come and cat the flowers off the beans, and when we chased jheni away they would come back as soon as we had turned.

The minah is a very cheeky oird. Sometimes we would sit on a birdge near our home. As soon was would sit down it would swoop down and nearly touch onr heads. Lcve to all the Kiwis —Pink Certificate to Glen Ross, age 11 tears, Havelock Nort.li. ♦ * ♦ ♦

Hie Sunday school teacher had hi n describing the state of Adam in Eden, with all the plants and animals at nis command. “But there was one thing more he needed to make him perfectly happy.” she said “Can anyone tell me what that was?” “Yes. miss,” answered a small boy. “He wanted someone to answer back.”

> —Orange Certificate to Freda Martin, age 11 years, 104 Gascoigne St., Hastings.