NATIVE BIRDS OF THE WAIMEA MUDFLATS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 30 September 1933, Page 10

NATIVE BIRDS OF THE WAIMEA MUDFLATS

(By 31. Rogers, Richmond) (Concluded) KNOTS Alter travelling for a mile, or more over the placid waters of the mudflats we arrive at an extensive sandbank, along the edge cf which a flock of godwit and some smaller birds are feeding. These latter attract our attention as they take wing with the godwit and after circling round us at a safe distance quickly disappear from sight. These are knots, another of tliose wonderful migratory birds which arrive on these shores in spring from far-distant Siberia. Except that they are smaller and have short legs and Bills they are almost exactly similar to the' godwits. Like these birds they become very fat before returning northwards and their plumage also varies according to the season just as does that of the godwit. We are told that they are very rare in New Zealand but the'fact remains that in summer they are quite plentiful on the flats. However. unlike the godwit, they all seem to leave about .March, no stragglers remaining behind during the wintci. They are quite good eating.

TURNSTONES

Another flock of birds go racing by at great speed, and as they circle round before alighting they display snowwhite .breasts. These are turnstones, another of the migratory birds. They are slightly smaller than the knots, even their bills and legs being somewhat shorter, while the latter are orange-red in colour. They are beautiful little birds, being mottled black, Brown and white above with snowwhite breasts. They, too, grow very fat in the summer when they are quite good eating. Like the knots, they too are stated to be very rare in New Zealand, but quite large flocks are sometimes seen. However one can never be sure of seeing them as they seem to come from nowhere and disappear just as suddenly. They are said to turn over pebbles with their bills in search of food, hence their names; but the writer has to confess that lie has never seen them thus occupied.

OYSTER CATCHERS

While wo have been watching these birds a flock of noisy oyster catchers come flying in scattered formation uttering sharp whistling cries. They are coloured black and white with red legs and long orange red bills —hence they are often called red-bills. In size they are slightly larger than godwits but their flesh is not so palatable. They are inquisitive birds and always fly round to have a look at an intruder —a habit that often leads to their undoing. If wounded in the water they will evade capture by repeatedly diving, using their wings to propel themselves while under water. Ordinarily they never swim, being one of the great class of waders. They are not migratory birds and breed inland on river beds often far up in the high country.

Among the oyster catchers we notice two or three birds tjiat appear to be wholly black and somewhat larger than their pied companions. These are commonly known as black oyster catchers though in reality they are a dark mottled brown. They are a distinct species and not often seen on the mudflats. Their bills are not so brightly coloured as those of the pied variety and their legs are black. The oyster catchers are restless birds, very wary and always ready with their noisy alarm-note to disturb every other bird within hearing. They may occasionally be heard at night evidently flying at great heights and no doubt making their annual migration to the breedinggrounds.

WRYBILLED PLOVER

Seated on the sand a short distance away are about twenty little grey bird's slightly smaller than banded dotterels. However, unlike these noisy and lively little fellows they sit perfectly still until when we are about twenty yards away they rise noiselessly and flv away. These are wry billed plovers, so-called because their bills are turned to the right. They are said to be the only species of bird in the world with bills turned in such a way and no reason can be given for such a peculiarity. They arc rare on the mudflat and probably very few people in the district know of their presence there. To a casual observer they would pass as dotterels, but their silence and immobility as one approaches is quite unlike the short little runs, bobbing heads, and short sharp cries of the dotterels. The wrybilled plover is not a migratory bird and it breeds on river beds where the eggs and young, owing to their protective colouring, are very hard to distinguish.

GULLS

Three species of gulls are commonly seen on the mudflats, by far the most plentiful being that well known scavenger the black backed gull. This bird is too well known to need description, but the young birds are mottled grey for the first season, black and dirty white the second, while the sharply contrasted black and snow-white plumage of the adult bird is assumed in the third season. In fine weather they haunt the flats in search of anything edible, practically nothing coming amiss to their voracious appetites. In stormy weather, however, they come inland and large mobs may be seen in the grass paddocks where they devour great numbers of grubs and worms. They also haunt the fields when ploughing operations are in progress, and it is interesting to see them rise almost from under the horses’ noses and resume their active search for grubs and worms when the plough has passed. They seldom catch and devour live fish, but when nothing else is to be found they eat shellfish, cracking these by flying fifty feet or so in the air and dropping them on the stones, following quickly to devour the contents at leisure. These birds have very keen sight and when one finds some dainty morsel, it is astonishing how quickly all the gulls in the neighbourhood arrive on the spot, when there is a noisy scene until the last fragment is gobbled up. The gulls are not particular what they eat and adapt, themselves to circumstances. They follow steamers and devour the refuse from the tables, they trail after fishing boats and grab the offal as it is thrown overboard, they haunt freezing works devouring fragments of flesh, while in Westport when the school-bell rings scores fly across from the Boiler river nearby

and clean up all the crusts of bred left by the children. In some districts, too, they kill and devour young lambs that are in a weak condition but if one bird is shot, and left lying on the ground the rest give that locality a wide berth, and so the difficulty is easily overcome. Black-backed gulls breed in this district. there being always a colony on the Rabbit island. The nests are placed close together and the old birds are constantly hovering round to keep off marauding harriers. The eggs are larger than those of a fowl, greenishgrey in colour, blotched with black. The young run about shortly after they are hatched and are usually taken by their parents down to the nearest water where they remain till able to fend for themselves. BLACK-BILLED AND RED-BILLED GULLS These birds are seldom seen on the open sea coast and the sheltered flats are just to their liking. In stormy weather they come into the fields in large flocks. They are very restless, rising continually and circling round as if suspicious of their strange surroundings. The two species are very similar in appearance except for the different colouring of their legs and bills. They are far more dainty feeders than the black-backed gulls and do not devour dead fish found along the water’s edge. They do not, breed in this locality. TERNS The Baspian tern is a solitary, bird more than two being seldom seen together flying up and down the tidal creeks uttering their prolonged mewing notes and dropping into the water with a splash to secure a passing fish. They are generally seen on the wing and when seated appear rather ungainly owing to their short legs and unduly large heads and bills. They are white in colour with pearl-grey backs and wings, the top of the head being black in spring and spotted during the rest of the year. Their bills are red and legs black. They too do not breed in this locality.

The white fronted tern is a beautiful little bird, white with pale grey back and wings, the top of the head and back of the neck being black, hence sometimes called the black cap. They are very active on the wing and drop into the water with a splash to secure their prey. They lay' their eggs on bare rocks just above high water mark and on shingle beds near mouths of rivers.

THE GANNET

This aristocrat among seabirds is fairly common in the bay and sometimes takes a turn round the mudflats when the tide is in. Larger than the black-backed gull, white in colour with buff coloured head and bill, it flies with steady sweeps of its powerful wings. It is a champion high diver, and when at a height of fifty ;feet! 6r so halts in its flight, partially closes its wings and drops downwards. When near the water it closes its wings tightly and enters almost Without ja splash, emerging some yards aWay And swallowing its prey as it comes to the surface, when it once more resumes its flight. Sometimes it appears to lose its fish as it comes to th&‘ surface and it will then flap'al6hg~tlie' surface of . the water in an endeavour to recapture j it. The gannet rookeries ill the North, | Island are well known,’but it-does not breed on this coast. A' Tv,.'-,)" A” XI t i>s THE LITTLE BLUE PENGUIN Our list would not be complete without this interesting little chap whigh. is so seldom seen owing fto 1 the fact, that it generally remains in its burrow in the daytime emerging for a swim round at night. It lives in burrows' round the islands many of the supposed rabbit-burrows near high water mark being the home of penguins. Its upper parts are light blue in colour, below silvery white. It uses its flippers as paddles and swims at great -speed with its body almost submerged. " If a fire is lighted near high, water mark at night the penguin will sometinjes emerge from the water and crouch down near the fire apparently enjoying the warmth. Unfortunately this little chap is more often seen dead than alive.' Numbers may sometimes be seen lying dead on the beaches and what causes their death is a mystery. However it may be that stoats and polecats which haunt the seafront are responsible, but it is quite evident that the mortality is considerable.

In conclusion I should like to point out that most of the feathered inhabitants of the mudflats dre quite able to hold their own against the onward march of colonisation. The mudflats cannot be destroyed and so their food supply remains in undiminished supply. In addition to this there are practically no introduced birds to rob them of their heritage and so their numbers remain practically constant through the years.