BUSH AND BIRD NOTES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 18 June 1931, Page 7

BUSH AND BIRD NOTES

APRIL AND MAY IN THE BUSH ( ! RICHNESS ,OF COLOUR (Contributed) In April Ibis year those entering tlie hush could not fail lo he impressed by the richness of colour in (ho berry-bear-ing trees, colours ranging from yellow to scarlet, blocks of small birds wero hurrying from tree to (roe sampling their fruits. A prime favourite seemed to be I lie large-leaved coprosma (C. grand!folia), init all came in for their turn to be despoiled. Those berries which survived being eaten madeji bright carpet on Hie ground as they ripened and fell; especially (lie pigeon-wood berries which arc large ami conspicuous. A very lively sight was a small lualioe or whilewood tree which had fallen, across a small waterfall. As it lay there the sun glanced down upon its insignificant berries which usually pass unobserved, but which are a "fascinating shade of violet blue. A month later the berries were gone except those on an exceptional tree, hut still there was colour in the bush. Little red fungus-like purses lay oil beds of dead leaves, whilst overhead, only perceptible at certain angles, the creeping rata was still flowering. In April white-eyes were very numerous and with one flock there flow a domesticated canary. The lemon coloured bird appeared lo he perfectly at homo with its little companions, and it is said to have been seen in the same vicinity about twelve months ago. A charming sight not to be forgotten was that of the little honey-eaters taking their belli, in a small pool made by a little stream hurrying its way through the hush. Eacli in turn descended and plunged happily into the water, then, perched upon some branch nearby, preened vigorously. What time did they take their hath? Not as one would expect in the morning, but about three in the afternoon when the sun wasi about to decline. In May most birds were on the move. As is usually the case a young bush hawk found ‘its way into Nelson City, whither the morepork, which spends the winter with us, had already been sometiine. Not so many miles from civilisation flocks of -grey duck, numbering 40 or more, swam together on quiet waters. A kaka also left the heights to como lo the coast, its curious hesitating flight being seen at sunset when crossing between two hills. In manuka country bcllbirds wero singing all day long, occasionally stopping to chase away a too adventuresome fautail which had come quite close. These hellbirds feared hunicUL beings so 3ilt/le tliub they almost alighted on a stick held out to them, and the curious drooping white line, which starts from the, base of the beak and runs down their neck could be seen very clearly.

OUR BLUE HERON A correspondent writes asking tho name of the bird with the long legs and neck which fishes near the Saltwater bridge. This bird is the reef heron, commonly known as the blue heron, or erroneously the blue crane. It is the bud mi often depicted in Japanese designs, for it occurs in those parts as well as m New' Zealand. Indeed it frequents most islands north of Australia as far as Burma. Though usually blue m colour, a white form of the same bird sometimes occurs in tbe Tropics which wi bi-eed with the blue species, much as our pied arid black fantails nest together. Herons have a very slow, silent flight, which, however, carries them along at a great pace ,in spite of the fact lhat the wing-beats are few. In l.liev carry their legs stretched out beneath the tail and their head curved hack. Perhaps the ugliest nestling is a young pigeon, but bluo herons arc no beauties either, before they are fledged. When perched clumsily beside their 1-I,l, her make-shift nest, they looked extremely naked and ungainly. In addilion to (lie “old bachelor” of hull-water bridge we arc extremely fortunate in having blue herons nesting every year close to the city and all precautions should he observed to enable them lo hatch out in peace, for, never a very common species, wo don t, want to 'allow them to disappear from our shores, as they will unless they can nest in saiety.

I’IKD SONGS AND BIRD CALLS Certain birds have very limited notes iIS for instance tlio kingfisher. Alter once' its imperious “quee quee, quee lias been heard ringing from a lug branch or from a telephone wire, tho heaver will on hearing it again say: U,ere is the kingfisher. Ihc morepork has two distinct cries—the farm mis ‘morepork” and the less wcllknown •mew-mew,” uttered sharply m the dark ; said by some to denote that tlio bird has secured food. Many birds 110 L only possess call-notes but whistles as well. 'Hie burbling whistles of the kaka are a good example ; Olio of which appears to possess special . nortance for, if imitated, it will cause any kaka to pause in its flight and wheel round to find the origin of the sound. (Vri iin birds’ cries-are so high that they arc frequently unheard ; how often for instance do we notice the soft bit I'Mfintr “Idee” ot the Of course we all know the vcntnlistic notes of the ‘‘shining .cuckoo utteied as the bird sits sideways on a branch, but it is another matter to decide whence it comes. Many are mystified by the u. coswhistle of the “long-tailed cuckoo” heard-for tlio last time about sunrise, occasionally heaul a and common as s ? on as dusk sets, in. These birds have in addition a inaivellous gurgling note not easy to desuiße, unless one could say it is somewhat like an alarm clock. W ien seven cuckoos make this noise in the bush it is most ' “me all more or less familiar with the rather minor song of ® ? warbler but this species lias the most varied song of any bird. I » every district the warbkr. wil sing w th some slight difference to , ll ir„ vivos.” So much so that the late Mi Alfred Philnott hdd that ono corid distinguish sub races of waibleis by song; especially was it the case with the sub-alpine and lowland buds. w differ at certain times of the;ye.u 1 addition to the melodies heard m spnng | lime. The most notable exampk 1 being the bellbird. After ram down tho , West Coast they may all be heaul singing a sort of roundelay m a minor key. j The famous bell-note is heard less liequcMilly thau'expcctcd. Ihor alarm note is so "tliffcreiiL from their usual sweet I liannonies that one can hardly hoc • same bird emitling such sounds. t o a metallic “funk, funk, which tames well through the air. _ I Sometime ago a pair of j- u, \ , : caught in the act of teaching then young | to sing. Last summer this comedy was witnessed again by dwellers in the v I ity of I lie Girls’ College. Bcllbirds a] - I parcntlv instruct their young in Sll I (in- manner, for a (ramper pausing * rest amongst manuka-.dad hills bclieli < family party in a tree nearby. Suddenly the parent bird burst into a °wiy (iitty, which was copied, as faithuiliy as possible by tlio offspring. R 1S opinion of .Johannes Andersen that it if only tlie female bcllbii’d which sings. . 'ihc noise of a shillim- spinning on a marble table, which gKidually slows {down like a lop, will lead those who ie-

cognise tho sound to Hie whereabouts „f"a busk canary or yellowhead. In spring Ibis fascinating creature bus the most joyous carol imaginable. Its little friend the rcdfront or ycllowfronted parakeet (alas, the former are still fairly rare) which often accompany flocks of ycllowheads, have varied notes. The red kakariki (by the way, “Packakariki” means the place of the red parakeet) have a cheerful chatter which they use early in (lie morning when .out to feed, baler on in the day quieter notes are used, one of which is not unlike a cat's mow.

.Most visitors to our Dominion are terribly disappointed when first, they hear bellbirds. This is because they merely hear them sing half a bar or so then leave off and start the same tunc over again. Then they cannot understand how we can suggest that the hellbird sings better than the famous nightingale. 'llie truth isi that they should rise in the greying dawn where bellbirds sing in chorus to hear theirsong to perfection. There is also the time of the year to consider. _ It is only for a short month that bellbirds are beard to their best in the Picton Sounds, according to the residents of those parts. Then, too. one must realise that birds arc like human beings; not all are vocalists. Tuis sometimes repeat one discordant time, simply because they know no other. Indeed, the nearer the town, the worse usually is their song, for they add our civilised disharmonies to their original song and after a time forget the*latter. Then again, they lack teach crs. Where there, are numbers of sing ers there is competition, each bird at sunset ascend a tree and trying to outvie its neighbour. This isi pnrtiI eularly the case with robins; those pugnacious little follows which have somo- | thing of a thrush’s notes combined with happy little chuckles, “hob-alink, bob-alink-chuck-chuck-elujek.” Each on the highest twig they can find pipes out his tune, then leaves off to settle a difference of opinion with his noighhour, before again ascending to his perch.

THE CAMERA STALKS ABROAD As one gels older in years, the primitive desire to take lif.e generally gets less, hut nowadays young folk in other countries are scorning to take bird-life unlessi driven to do so by the pangs of genuine hunger. This is becauso they have learnt the fascination of birdstalking with a camera,/ the delights of which aro painted large in Guthrie Smith’s hooks. No one who has over indulged in this sport will forget the tin-ills thereof. Picture the joy of a successful snap after hours of patiently waiting for a parent bird to return and feed her young ones. The cramp and the enforced patience is all forgotten when the bird poses just in the right spot. Or imagine the annoyance experienced when, having focussed the camera on a certain clump of rushes and waited for an hour to take a picture of redpolls feeding on the seeds to have _ them frightened away just on the point of settling; to stalk hands of godwit, turnstones and other shore-birds when first thev arrived Irom Siberia and aro still shy is a fasfcinatirig task. One crawls over and round sand-dunes oil ono’s elbow and knees, slowly dragging what poems to ho a particularly unwieldy body. Then after an age conics the time to take a photograph. Alas! an ill-limed movement catches the eye of the. watchful sentries. A shrill warning cry resounds and up rise a cloud of whirring hodies which develop into a long line of birds l , like smoke, trailing through the sky, getting fainter and fainter until one end drops earthward, gnd the unwary one sees, far in the distance, the birds resettling in their ranks, preening their feathers or taking short naps until warned again that the camera fiend is on their tracks. These arc some of the joy si and disappointments which make tliis pastime so,popular. As someone said : After all, tone can only shoot a bird with a gun onc-e, hut one can shoot it a dozen times or more with a camera.

SHOOTING NATIVE BIRDS Talking of guns, it is a serious fact that in spite of warnings issued to slioolists (one cannot call them sportsmen) of tho penalty attached to shooting native birds, many of those taking out licenses fail to avail themselves of the information. They may be met with blazing away at selibirdsi—gulls, terns, and gannet—yet each time_they run the risk of losing their gun and even their launch. Some will argue that such birds are not protected. To these we again repeat that practically all native birds are absolutey protected, barring certain shags and hawks. ('Die rare Queen Charlotte Sound shag is protected). Furthermore the fact that an open season isi occasionally declared for certain birds such as ducks, will not servo as an excuse for shooting them during the close season. Black swan, are not supposed to be shot. Remember, the regulations can be seen at the police station and notices are up in all post-offices. Should any person be desirous of obtaining calico notices of bird-protection to affix on their properties, they will be forwarded (free on application) by the secretary of (lie Nelson Busn and Bird Preservation Society, The Cliffs, Nelson. s