A BIRD SANCTUARY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17099, 23 February 1916, Page 3

A BIRD SANCTUARY.

THE GANNETS AT GAPE KID- ■ NAPPERS. At the Capo Kidnappers Sanctuary Board's quarterly meeting at Hastings on Tuesday, the following report .on the sanctuary was received from H. G. E. Manncrihg:— "Going by land the point is most easily ■ reached by way. of the beach when the tide is out. The distance is about six miles from Cliftou .station. The easiest Ivay to visit the' Canci would bo by launch from Napier—-an calm weather only. On the Black Reef two islands of rock are at present occupied by gannets, apparently breeding there. They could only bo reached bv boat. 1 have not observed these oil previous visits. Shags and terns nest'on these islands, and a few largo gulls on the cliffs of tho mainland opposite. The main rookery is reached by a steep path along the cliff, dangerous if wet, as the formation is papa. Well-nailed boots arc advisable. The birds nest in a large hollow formed in the top of the cliff visible from Napier. The nests are, only apologies for such, with a few wisps of dry seaweed, which are the subject of constant disputes amongst the birds. The gannets are remarkably tame, and if approached gently can bo stroked on their nests or on their young. It is advisable to have "loves if you want to handle them. As the young birds grow big the mothers cannot cover them, but will persist in balancing themselves upon them—often a ludicrous sight. The old birds have no leg power and rise to fly with difficulty. They generally scramble and flop* to tho edge of the cliff, running the gauntlet of many pecks on the way and then throw themselves over into space, always with a peculiar wagging of the tail—suggestive of a lady setting her hat straight before going out. Then they ' do the block,' which consists of flying round the rookery in a circle, always in one direction. The day we were there it was clockwise — above and below this magic circle tho birds fly in any direction, but when human visitors are present there is always this circling stream of flying birds—a most beautiful sight. ''There did not seem to be so many young birds this year. I have on other occasions seen fully four times as many, but as many birds were carrying seaweed I concluded that they had not yet nested. Owing to their poor leg power they alight clumsily, and generally come down with a flop and get pecked by the nearest birds. A constant, screaming is going on and the odour is rank and permeating. It is a. good thing to smoke a cigarette. . Sometimes the birds will vomit, a neat bundle of half-digested herrings—this they do when closely approached—a common habit with sea birds. I have not observed them feeding their young but I expect- they insert their beaks into those of the young one;; and disgorge. The young birds grow very quickly, and soon lose their down and acquire a speckled plumage, merging into pure white and black as they mature. The plumage of the adult, bird on the head and neck is a delicate lemon yellow. " Beyond the main rookery seawards on 'inaccessible pinnacles of papa there are more nesting birds. At sea in the | immediate vicinity there were •.• large masses of birds on the water- -some thousands. Frank Gordon told, me some two years ago he estimated thewhole colony at about four thousand birds. I think there are more now; they appear.to me to be increasing, though this year appears to me to bo a poor breeding season."