BIRDS OF THE WAIMEA MUDFLATS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 19 August 1933, Page 3

BIRDS OF THE WAIMEA MUDFLATS

(By l\L Rogers. Richmond.)

No doubt many readers are quite unaware o£ the wealth of bird life to be found on the Waimea mudflats, and it is in order to give some idea of the various species found there that these articles are being written. The writer makes no claims as an ornithologist, but the ensuing notes are entirely the result of personal observation, and no information whatever has been obtained from books. It is intended to take readers for an imaginary ramble over the flats on foot and by means of a boat, and birds that may be seen en route will be noted and a brief original account of each recorded. Of course it must not be supposed that all these birds can be seen on one trip, but- the fact remains that they are there and can be studied by the patient and persevering observer. To reach the boat let us walk quietly down one of the numerous tidal creeks that empty themselves on to the flats. The tide is out and the creek consists of channels and pools of clear water interspersed with low banks of evil-smell-ing mud covered with a dense growth of marine grass on which you may be surprised to learn herrings feed voraci ously; but that is another story. Standing on one of these banks absolutely motionless and looking like a dry stump is a bittern. His keen eyesight had enabled him to observe an intruder and he at once “froze ’ into immobility. As you approach he moves not a muscle until he thinks you are getting dangerously close when he galvanises into life and flaps away with slow steady strokes of his large wings. His flight is characteristic of all birds of the heron family—head drawn back on to the body, neck curved forward and legs trailing out in the rear. He does not fly any great distance before he again alights, at once resuming his statuesque pose. Let us now conceal ourselves carefully and wait for him to resume his fishing operations. Stalking along quietly m the shallow water he makes a dart with his dagger-like bill and if successful a toss of his head sends an unfortunate fish down his capacious throat. He does not chase the fish, nor does he stand motionless . waiting for them _ to come within reach as does the white heron. It is only when interrupted that he “poses,” and this ho does in. such a manner that most people would pass by quite unaware that their every movement was being observed by a pair of the keenest eyes imaginable. Like most birds our bittern relishes a change of diet, and in summer will very often csconce himself beside a pool swarming with tadpoles where with the very slightest effort, he obtains many a succulent meal. At times he seeks Ins food in drains where eels and other fresh water creatures reward his efforts. A few years ago the writer disturbed a bittern in such a position, and taking hurried flight he endeavoured to clear a high hawthorne hedge close by. Being unable to do this he settled clumsily among the branches —a most unusual position. He then disgorged an eel about eighteen inches in length and thus lightened cleared the hedge without difficulty. On examination the eel was found to be bitten at regular intervals where the bird had hold it during swallowing operations. . Armed as it is with such a formidable bill, the bittern is treated with the greatest respect by that arch-enemy Ot New Zealand bird—the harrier hawk. It is said too, that the bird when wounded is extremely dangerous as it has the unpleasant habit of darting with its bill at the eye of the would-be sportsman. The writer when a boy had a startling illustration of the bird’s habit of assuming the offensive when the necessity arose. Having observed a' bittern at a distance I determined to obtain a closeup view and with this intention stalked carefully behind some rushes growing right at the spot where the bittern had been seen. Peering carefully over I got the fright of my life. to see the bird only a few feet away in a defiant attitude,’ his eyes gleaming angrily and bill at the ‘ready,” apparently just about to open the attack. Enough for me! I turned and fled. - The best known feature of the bittern is no doubt the deep booming sound it utters in the breeding season, Ibis is generally emitted at night and has carried fear into many a stout heart. The tale is still told of a party of young men who in the early days of the settlement rushed excitedly one night into a farmer’s house and, wide-eyed with fright, excitedly exclaimed that the devil was down in the swamp. It was only with the greatest difficulty that / they could be persuaded to resume their ■journey and that their devil was only a harmless bittern. ‘ The bittern is too well known to need detailed description. Standing when erect well over two feet high with its neck about the same length as its body, long legs with the characteristic lengthy toes of wading birds, beautifully mottled yellowish brown plumage with long feathers forming a ruff on its neck, the bittern is a handsome bird well worthy of careful protection. When in flight the bittern somewhat resembles the harrier and owing to this sometimes becomes the prey of ignorant gunmen. It is well to remember therefore that the harrier when in flight glides at intervals while the, bittern flaps steadily along in his leisurely fashion. The bittern builds its nest anywhere on low swampy flats, the only one the writer has seen being later overwhelmed by a high tide and, the eggs destroyed. The nest is merely a heap of coarse rushes and raupo with a hollow on top wherein are laid three or four eggs of a pale green colour. Though the bittern is not so plentiful as formerly it is still to be seen and there is no reason to believe that it will ever become extinct. Running about on-a stony .flat just above high water mark are a number of small birds about the size of thrushes. These are handed dotterels. They are mottled greyish brown above and white beneath while across their white breasts are two coloured bands one being black while a wider one is brown. As we anproach the birds rise and fly round quite close to our heads uttering sharp cries. When they settle they continue to utter these cries at the same time bobbing their heads sharply up and down. Their actions denote that their nests are not

■far away, but owing to the protective colouring of the eggs and to the fact, ' that they are laid merely in a slight hollow in the ground; they arc most difficult to locate. They are of a greenishgrey colour covered with black splotches and are about an inch and a half in . length. The young ones are grey in colour and run about almost immediately they are hatched. At this time they arc" as difficult to catch'as a mouse moving very fast, and being adepts at concealment they arc seldom secured. Unlike most waders these birds do not depend for their food on the supply of the mudflats but they often go a considerable distance inland where flocks may' bo seen industriously searching in .tho paddocks for savoury tit-bits, but usually making their way back to the coast towards evening. Not far away is another flock of perhaps fifty birds somewhat larger than the dotterels but otherwise looking very similar. However if we could inspect them closely we should find that they are , quite .(-afferent in many respects. They are a dark brown above beautifully piottled with yellow and for this reason are known as golden or spotted plover. The front part of the breast is a light

chestnut shading gradually to a yellow ish white underneath.

When they rise they prove to he rapid fliers and they utter a. whistling note as they move along. They need to be powerful on the wing for these are one of the migratory birds visiting these shores each summer from the north steppes of Siberia where they breed. Books tell us that they are rare, but a flock is usually to be found on the flats in summer by those who know where to look for them. Unlike most other birds of the same family the golden plovers do not remain at the water’s edge when feeding but haunt the weed-covered portions of the mudflats after the tide has receded. Continuing our walk down the creek we see half a' dozen graceful looking birds walking along the edge of the water. Their bodies are about the size of that of a tui, glossy black above and white below, slender black bills about three inches long, and abnormally long slender red legs, which when the birds take wing trail out behind. These are pied stilts, birds which cannot be said to haunt these flats, but which simply make their appearance — usually in wet weather —and disappear again. The writer has seen a flock of several hundreds which remained for a day or two and then vanished. They appeared to gather worms in the wet paddocks, and when in flight uttered sharp yapping cries. They disappeared as suddenly as they arrived. They are said to breed far inland and do not migrate. At the same time their comings and goings are more or less shrouded in mystery. There is also a black variety which is occasionally seen, the writer having a stuffed specimen shot over twenty years ago. Further along a solitary Jail'd appears walking swiftly about in a small .shallow channel. Occasionally he runs and darts j his bill into the water, at the same time swallowing what is no doubt a small fish. He does not appear to mind us till we get fairly close when he rises and flaps his way slowly with steady strokes of his largo wings, head carried back, bill thrust forward, lipck curved and legs trailing out behind. At once, we say this is a heron and our surmise is correct. He is commonly known as the blue heron though he is really slatecolourcd. He is solitary in his habit and may be seen at times almost anywhere on the flats, Auckland Point being a favourite haunt. The birds breed in rocky localities just above tide level, the Fifeshire Rock being one of the places where a pair usually breed. Though the birds are not plentiful their numbers sem to have remained constant for many years. . . The tide is now rising rapidly and hearing a sharp call overhead we glance upward and seo a flock of godwit coming at a high speed. Turning and twisting as they descend they alight at the water’s edge where they at once busily commence their search for food, thrusting their long bills into the mud and moving rapidly in the shallow water. So much has been written about the godwit tjiat it seems useless to try to add more. In appearance the bird is about the size of a pigeon with long legs and neck and bill which is very slightly upturned. The birds are of two distinct colours—some are mottled orcy above and a dirty white below, while others are a mottled brown and black above and a chestnut brown below—the latter being decidedly bandsome birds. These are in what is called summer plumage, that is the breeding plumage assumed in Siberia. Before leaving that country they doii their winter plumage which they are wearing after their long flight to this country. The point needing explanation however is why some birds about Christmas time or later gradually assume the summer plumage —which is usually not acquired till after the birds reach Sibena. It is probable that these birds have remained in New Zealand during the winter —as hundreds of them do—-and are merely following the seasons of thenadopted country just as starlings and other introduced birds have done. But if this is so why do they not breed here? and there is.no record of their ever having done so. One wellknown fact however is that the chest-nut-breasted birds are always extremely fat, whereas the winter-plumagecl birds vary in condition, though many of these become just as fat as their chestnut brethren. _ . . The godwit • arrive in the Dominion at various points about October. There :is no record of their arrival ever having been actually witnessed though the writer has been told that residents have seen the birds on Farewell Spit mere .skin and bones and so thoroughly worn out that they could be caught with the hand. However I cannot vouch for this but perhaps some of our Collingwood friends can supply information as to whether this is a fact. . However the birds quickly improve in condition and by the month of February many are just balls of fat—so fat that, if when shot from any height, they fall on the sand, they burst open and are spoilt for eating. . _ . The birds are usually seen in flocks, though they scatter over the flats as the tide recedes, gradually coming together acrain as the waters advance till at high water there may ho a flock of several hundred gathered at some favoured spot. Soon after the tide turns they begin to scatter once more and it is interesting to watch them arrive at thenfeeding haunts before the hanxs are bare. They seem to know whether the water is shallow enough for theii purpose for they settle without hesitation, even though the water may reach up to their bodies. If they consider the water too deep they do not hesitate luifr continue their flight till they find a suitable the month of March the birds leave their haunts and make their wav to Spirits’ Bay in the extreme north where thev congregate in vast numbers before leaving for their long flight overseas. It must be the sight of a lifetime to see the departure of the godwit. As previously mentioned numbers oi the birds do not undertake the journey but remain behind for the winter. The writer saw a flock of at least two hundred only a few weeks ago. These birds have probably been wounded in the shooting season and instinct tells them they cannot last the journey so they wisely stay behind. The flight of the godwit and other allied species from Siberia to this country is one of the most wonderful happenings among bird life in any part of the world, and has attracted the attention of ornithologists for many years. While we have been awtehing the godwits a bird appears swimming in the water about half a mile away. He is diving continuously remaining under the water for about half a minute. When we advance to make a closer examination ho spreads his wings and flapping clumsily along the surface of the water for twenty yards or so flics heavily away and is seen - no more. This is the famous large black snag, one of the bestknown of all native birds not because of any attractive attributes he may possess, but because of the ceaseless warfare lie wages on fish of eA r ery description—including trout. This shag is really a handsome fellow with his iridescent' bronzy-black plumar,e a white band running round the throat, and bright yellow skin between the eyes and bill and under the chin. Ho is a large bird, about 5 or Gibs in weight, and'is undoubtedly the heaviest native bird to he found in or near the flats— remembering that the black swan is an imporatiou from Australia. In spite of the fact that be is a gluttonous brute and a pariah among birds, the black shag is well worth careful study for he is wonderfully adapted .to a 1 fisherman’s life. His long powerful biP, with its cruelly hooked point and immense gape is so constructed that it is

impossible for a fish to escape once it is caught, and if anyone doubts this let him allow a wounded bird to take a loving grip of his leg and ho will be at once convinced.-

The skin of the throat and neck is loose and capable of being stretched to an unbelievable extent so that comparatively large fish can be swallowed with ease. No doubt some of us have been sceptical when reading of the numbers of trout found in a black shag, but an examination reveals the fact that the stomach of a black shag is of amazing size occupying the greater part of the bird’s interior before retiring to roost in the evening the birds have this absolutely packed with fish, and it is no uncommon occurrence for a shag when shot to disgorge a fish which it had been unable to swallow, and which was being carried in its neck and gradually digested. The oil-sacs in the bird’s “parson’snose” are quite small and for this reason its feathers become very wet when the bird is in the water. r ! his and the weight of its body causes it to swim half-submerged, so' that it offers a- very poor target to the man with a gun. If suddenly surprised by someone at close quarters it will at once dive and and come up some distance away usually out of range. So keen is its eyesight that it will dive at the Hash of a gun and leave the sportsman wondering at his poor aim. .At night it is utterly impossible to shoot the bird when in the water—it will dive till the cartridges givo out. Chasing a wounded bird in a row-boat is another interesting occupation—and a valuable reducing exercise.

Flocks of these birds may frequently be seen Hying inland in their usual wedge formation, and when one thinks of their storage capacity, the havoc they cause among the trout can be well imagined. Of course some well-meaning persons argue that they devour numbers of eels, but it must be remembered that in the day time when shags fish eels are not easily found. The writer remembers having seen only one shag with an eel the tail of which was coiled round its neck as it flew away at the sight of an intruder. Another unpleasant habit of the black shag is that di fishing in parties. The flock will line across a channel and diving repeatedly drive the fish into a corner from which there is no escape and the slaughter is terrific. The black shags breed either on bare rocks or in high trees. There used to be a small colony at the back of Gordon’s Knob by the Motueka, river, but there is no extensive breeding-place in this district.

The birds roost likewise on rocks or trees, and one must be a poor observer who has not seen them roosting on the Fifeshire Rock. It is interesting to see the birds coming into trees to roost. They settle on the very topmost branches, completely exposed to the elements, and it is amazing how they can cling to a small branch with their great webbed feet. As each fresh party arrives the whole flock sets up a chorus oE harsh croaking—this being apparently the only time they make any noise. I'f disturbed they simultaneously take wing, dropping in a semi-circle as they do so and fly right away to another roosting place. At dawn each day these great birds fly away in parties for another clay s poach-ing—-either fresh water or salt, as fancy dictates. It is no uncommon sight to see a flock of fifty or more making their way inland —and then the powers that be'wonder why trout are are scarce.