FOUND HEN ISLAND IDEAL SANCTUARY

Northern Advocate, 31 May 1949, Page 4

FOUND HEN ISLAND IDEAL SANCTUARY

“THE Hen Island is an ideal sanctuary in many ways, being: excellently fitted l’gr the preservation of native plants and bird life, and at the same time is quite free from pests,” said the noted ornithologist, Mr E. G. Turbot, of the Auckland War Memorial Museum yesterday. _ The interview took place on the launch Oleo which made the 30-mile trip from Whangarei to the Hen Island to relieve the party of four ornithologists who were put ashore there 14 days ago.

“These island sanctuaries are really wonderful assets because they provide a means whereby original vegetable and animal life is preserved,” Mr Turbot said. “You may wish to have these preserved just for the gratification of saving something which might have been destroyed, but, scientifically speaking, it is a wonderful thing to have unmodified inditions. “On the mainland human settlement and the advance of civilisation modify ai disturb the original plant and animal life. 'MEASURING ROD

across the back of its wings. Equipped with a sharp beak, it is a fruit and insect eater.”

Speaking of night birds, Mi Turbot said that at night the island was alive with the cries of petrels, popularly known as mutton birds. “The chief performer was a greyfaced petrel, scores of which could be seen circling around close over the island at dusk.” he continued. “They were giving their remarkable cry which is like a grant or a groan, followed by a squeak. “They landed at our feet.and, in hundreds, continued their chorus on the ground, each one trying to make more noise than his neighbour “This caterwauling was punctuated with the angry snarls of little blue penguins which also came ashore. “Dead silence occurred only just before dawn.” Mr Turbot added that none of £6 sea birds were nesting, but the mutton birds were busy cleaning out and preparing their burrows which extended from sea level to the highest peak of the island RARE LILT. A noteworthy feature of the plant life on the Hen was the presence of xeronema, a rare plant of the lily family .which was found perching on inland rocks The plant was also to be seen on the Poor Knights islands. Its nearest relative was to be found in New Caledonia. “It provides interesting evidence of some connection between the two localities, possibly in the form of a land bridge as suggested by geologists," Mr Turbot said. Specimens, of this plant had been grown successfully by Mrs A. R. Pickmere. of Whangarei. They had flowered in her-garden. INSECT LIFE. Mr Turbot said that he had collected a number of insects during his stay on the island. ! He saw no tuatara lizards, probably because they would be hibernating at this time of the year. Concluding, he paid a tribute to the work of Mr W. M. Fraser, of Whangarei, who had taken the keenest interest in the preservation of the island for many years and had acted as its honorary guardian.

‘The study of the untouched commoditie- of plants and animals on these islands gives us a measure for understanding the changed conditions with which we are so familiar on the mainland.

“For instance it helps us to measure the destruction and depredations caused by introduced pests such as deer, goats and oppossums. “My own interest is in the ‘birds of these islands and in the difference between them and the birds of other islands, observing how they react to varied condition'- -m different kinds of islands. “It is very pleasing that a Government department is taking s.uch an interest in these valuable sanctuaries on the Hen and Chickens and that its officers are there for. the purpose of carrying out an examination of the Hen Island with its plant and bird life, as a sanctuary and a reserve THE SADDLEBACK “The Hen Islands has both second growth tea-tree following Maori cultivation, and quite a dense forest with old taraire trees and nikay palms and a good few pohutukawa which are very brilliant in the flowering season. “In the forest is a large number of i ative forest bird species including the kaka parrot, pigeon, tui, bell bird, silver eye, fantail, tomtit, warbler, red and yellow fronted parrakeets, morepork and the introduced black bird and hedge sparrow. “In addition there is a most distinctive bird, formerly found on the mainland i irests, the saddleback, which has been described as a “super starling.” "It is a lively and active bird with a sharp distinctive call. Black in colour, it has a bright chestnut patch