A VOICE FROM DUCK LAND.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9332, 5 October 1910, Page 5

A VOICE FROM DUCK LAND.

(To TH« Editoe.) Sir —In your paper of last week there appeared a letter from "Wanderer" re the habits of the wild ducks m building in the trees, etc. Every year a certain number build in the trees, but this year the number is unusual all down the West Coast, and the nests' are higher than u6ual. In fact, I have only one nest on the ground this season, while I know«of dozens of nests in the trees. "Wanderer" wonders how they get their young down. /When a few days old the old bird carries one down, gives it a bath, and then returns, it to'the nest, taking the next, and so on. 1 have never heard of their taking more than one at a time "until they are old enough to leave the nest for good. Thev are simply carried in the • beak of the old bird. With regard to the building of nests in trees being a sign of Hoods, it is hard to say if this idea is correct, a« we get floods every year. " will be interesting to watch results, as the kohl (called by l the Maoris the flood flower) is flowering very heavily again this season, which is unusual, as it flowered heavily last year, as some of your readers may have noticed by the display in Mr Wighton's window. Its usual habit is, I think, every third year. . The weasels are very bad in tins district, which may have something to do with the high nesting. It might be of interest to sportsmen to know that the hatching of young ducks is a very heavy one this'season. Hoping this will be or interest. I am, etc., ; quaCK Koputaroa, October 2.