BUSH AND BIRD NOTES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 17 March 1937, Page 7

BUSH AND BIRD NOTES

THE DIARIES’ COMPETITION KIKIWA SCHOOL WINS THE SHIELD (Contributed) A special meeting of the Nelson Bush and Bird Preservation Society was convened to receive the report upon the Nature Diaries, written in October, 1936, by children of the primary schools in Nelson province. Later the committee announced that Mabel Tomlinson had won the Nelson Bush and Bird Preservation Society Shield, for Kikiwa senool, for which service she will receive a book prize. Lister Salisbury, of Pokororo, aged eight, came first in the junior division, so will likewise receive a book. Certificates of merit will be issued to J. Niemann, D. Satherley and F. Chaliis of Appleby, whose work in the senior division came nearest to the winner. D. Nicholson of Pokororo, A. Fenemore, and A. Eban, of Stanley Brook, of the junior section. In addition to the above awards the committee decided to give a special prize to Harakeke school, whose scholars, Mary Brown and David Driver, sent in a remarkable contribution. Judged from the artistic standard their work is quite outstanding, and no other diary bears any comparison. Bound in soft blue and green leather, beautifully written, their style is charming, and they contain illustrations which a grown-up person would be glad to achieve. In fact the children have produced work which they will be proud of all their lives, which throws great credit upon their teacher. For this reason a special prize will be given, though in actual observation they fall slightly short of the standard achieved by the pupils ol Kikiwa school.

It must be borne in mind that the whole object of the competition is to ? encourage the observational powers of children, therefore all other features no matter how attractive are necessarily secondary. A good number of schools entered the competition and it was pleasing to find that failure to get a place does not deter the diarists from having another attempt at winning the chield for their school. Kikiwa for instance had entered the competition in 19115. SCHOOLS THAT DID MERITORIOUS WORK It was a disappointment to the judges that no school from Nelson city competed in 1936, but it is hoped that they will do so this year, for with the advantages of sea, river, bush and hills at their door, there is an excellent opportunity of producing good diaries. Amongst the schools that sent in the best work were: Tahuna and Stoke, both of which sent in diaries which were much appreciated, Joyce Gribble of Stoke again contributing an excellent description of Nature seen from the nursery garden. The judges welcomed diaries from the Lyell and Murchison, whose pupils whilst in a position to see more wild life than in other populated districts, showed that they were fully capable of reading the fascinating pages of natural history around them. Sherry River school also had reason to be proud of the work they sent in; likewise Foxhill, Ngatimoti and Katanga, from whose diaries it was possible to ascertain just what was going on in their districts in October', A splendid amount of work was sent from Takaka comprising diaries from East Takaka, Motupipi and Hamama. From the latter school Zona Stent’s observations were very good. Neudorf also sent in excellent work, that of E. Angus being particularly interesting. Owing to not having given any age one work had to be disqualified as it was impossible to tell whether the writer belonged to the senior or junior division. In all other cases the books were clearly written with the name of the owner, the school, standard and age. There was perhaps a tendency to describe matters that were slightly outside the scope of the competition, bearing in mind the fact that the highest marks are given for original observation and, whenever possible, description of native flora and fauna. A review of the work of the diaries will appear shortly; in the meantime there is appended a calendar of the month of October which has been compiled from the various diaries with a view to showing what takes place daily during that month. All books will shortly be returned to their respective schools, and the judges desire to take this opportunity of congratulating the writers on their laudable efforts. Events in the World of Nature, 25th September to 31st October, 1936 September 25th: Thrushes nest with three eggs. Willow trees turning green. September 2Gth: Kowhai and Golden Tainui in flower. Red Admiral observed resting in the sun. September 27th: Fuchsia tree with fresh flowers and leaves. Flock of six Kakas flew over homestead. September 28th: Poplar trees in bud. Blackbird’s nest with three eggs in it. September 29th' Water hyacinths blossoming in the ponds. Fantail’s nest with four blue eggs spotted brown. September 30th: A few whitebait seen coming up the river. Buttercups, dandelions, daisies and periwinkle in flower. October Ist: Broom and Kaka-beak with white flowers in bloom. Hedge sparrow’s nest just complete and lined with hair. October 2nd: Wineberry flowering in pink blossoms. Silver-eye building a nest. , October 3rd: Matipo in bloom with little black flowers. An extra high tide brings two black swans up the river. October 4th: Quail’s nest with nine eggs in it. Bellbird building in fuchsia tree. October sth: Shining cuckoo seen sitting exhausted in a willow tree. Grey duck’s nest with ten eggs. October 6th: Fantail’s eggs hatch out. The Karaka, the large evergreen tree, has tiny green flower buds. October 7th: Native clematis in bloom. Kingfisher's nest in hollow willow tree-trunk. October Bth: Manuka in full flower. Pigeon’s nest in Beech tree. October 9th: Pukeko’s nest consisting of straw, flax, hair and rush. Centre of tree-fern beginning to fill with liny brown fronds. October 10th: Grey warbler’s nest. October 11th: Pittosporum in flower. Goldfinches’ nest half made of moss, straw and twigs to which the bird adds a feather. October 12th: Bush lawyer flowering with lovely white blossoms, King-

fisher making new nest as the first willow tree was not sufficiently rotten for him to bore into. October 13th: Fantails’ nest discovered in a willow tree made of moss with outside to match the tree. October 14th: Starlings carrying straw into a chimney to build. Chaffinches’ nest with three eggs in it. First white butterfly seen. October 15th: Grey duck observed in creek. Flowering willow in full bloom October 16th: Two eggs in Kingfishers’ nest in willow stump. Blackbird’s nest with four eggs and one shining cuckoo’s egg. October 17th: Mawn fly building its mud nest in an old shed. Two Bitterns booming on mud-flat. October ,18th: Beech trees in flower. Long-tailed cuckoo heard whistling inland. October 19th: Black swans with cygnets from nest in rushes by creek. Tuis building in tall trees. October 20th: Grey warblers’ nest woven onto branch to look like dead leaf. Woodhen sitting on three eggs. October 21st: Red Kakabeak in flower. Totara getting its new leaves. October 22nd: Red Beech have little balls of fungus on them Flock of parrakcets seen flying overhead. October 23rd: Silver-eyes’ nest mad'-’ ■of moss, horse-hair, and wool. Grey duck with four babies. October 24th: Swarm of bees observed. A cicada singing on a cabbage tree. October 25th: Bellbird singing on an apricot tree. Blue-gum in flower. October 26th: Three godwits seen flying overhead. Foxgloves in full bloom. October 27th: Mahoe (Whiteywood) tree in flower of a green hue. October 28th: Dragon fly skimming above the creek. Green orchids growing in the bush near the river. October 29th: Cabbage tree in flower with blossoms of brownish yellow. October 30th: Rangiora covered with exquisite snow-white blooms. Larks nest in field with four eggs. October 31st: Toi toi grass flowering. Blackbird feeding young shining cuckoo.