NATURE NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20324, 3 August 1929, Page 1 (Supplement)

NATURE NOTES.

BT J. DRUMMOKD, F.L.8., T.Z.B.

BIRDS IN LOWER WAIKATO.

The sudden disappearanco of wekas from Teviotdale, North Canterbury, is paralleled by a movement in the Lower Waikato. Mr. E. T. Frost, of Tuakau, reports that wokas have disappeared from the Lowor Waikato completely. They are not the only birds tho district has lost, During tho past few yea/is, two species of teal, the black and the grey, have disap pea red. They were fairly plentiful there until 1918. Two years later, they had deserted a district that seems to have offered everything a breeding-ground demands. Tney were not Eliot out. Ono season, Mr. Frost saw them in flocks. The following season, not a single teal of either species remained. Mr. Frost is an able observer, capable of suggesting theories, based on facts, but ho can offer no explanation of tho teals' reasons, nor does he know where they have gone.

The black teal, the Maoris' papango, ornithologists' Fuligula novas-zealandiaa, is very attractive when its purple and groen plumage sparkles in the sun aB it swims with radiant beauty cn the surface of pond, lake or river. Its head, brca6t, neck, and back are black, and black tips its blue bill, but the male wears a brownish-white stomacher, and female a brown one mottled with whito. It always has been more plentiful in the North Island than in the South Island. Its nearest relatives aro the scaup-duck, the tufted duck, and tho common pochard, all ol the Old Country. Ono of tho black teal's greatest pleasures is to assemble in flocks, such as Mr. Frost has seen flying over the Lower Waikato. It is not a powerful flier. Individuals, apart, from these gregarious movements, take to the wing reluctantly They never rise high, like some other members of the ducks' order. Against this, tho black teal is an expert diver, often using its skill in this direction to escape from danger.

Even now, in parts, it may be seen on secluded lakes, lagoons, and riverstretches, swimming, floating, and diving, or just paddling gently with its feet as it gracefully turns from side to side, its golden eyes glancing in all directions. A rent or a crack in the ground, sheltered by a bunch of snow-grass tussock, or a nigger-head close to the water's brim, is a suitable home in which to lay creamy eggs and rear the most engaging youngsters in Nature's spacious realm. Curiosity, supported by tameness and fearlessness, is pei haps, the black teal's most prominent characteristic. In the old days when eel-parties lighted their fires on the banks of a stream, black teal not infrequently came swimming up to see what was taking place in their domain.

Somewhat drab in its homely grey and brown checks, the grey teal, Nettion castaneum, is not as pretty as the Old Country's teal, Nettion crecca, to which it is related, but it is slender and graceful. The Lower Waikato, apparently, is one of the few districts in New Zealand in which the grey teal ever was plentiful. Although it has been taken in Otago and in other southern districts, it seems to be only an occasional visitor to the South Island, preferring the northern climate for its home. It once was plentiful in sulphur springs at Ohinemutu, and in Lake Rotomohana.

The Lower Waikato is still left with an interesting member of the order of the ducks This is the shoveller, otherwise the spoonbill, distributed over many parts of the Dominion, more plentifully in the North Island than in the South Island. In the early days of Canterbury, it was rare in that province, but it has increased during the past seventy years or so Kindness and consideration will induce ft to como into suitable public gardens ivith lakelete, on whose banks it will nest. Feeding on small aquatic infects. which its bill takes readily, it prefers to spend ite time on the muddy shores of lakes and streams, and in lagoons. It does not dive for food. The male 6ports much brighter colours than the female, which seems to regard brown as the only wear. The Commonwea'th shares with New Zealand possession of this duck. It migrates to the Lower Waikato about July and August, nesting near creeks and in lagoons. Many large families of young may be seen from about October until the end of February. About April, following another impulse, most of the shovellers leave the Lower Waikato nnd go inland to the lakes.

The grey duck, another bird that graces Commonwealth and Dominion, stays in the Lower Waikato all the year round. It is p'entifnl there, as in many other parts of Nov; Zealand. Nests of the species often aro built far from tho main river, in trees among large bushes of tho sword-like leaves of Astelia, which make comfortable, airy, and secure homes —secure from most enemies, that is, except stoats, weasels and rats. The grey duck is holding its own in the Lower Waikato. Mr. Frost finds that it is very wary At tho first sound of shooting, it flies out to open water. There it stays all. day, returning to its regular feedinggrounds at night only, and leaving them again beforo dawn.

A little grebe, or dabchick, very shy, very unwilling to leave shelter, very wary, and seldom seen in any case, seems to have disappeared from tho Lower Wai kato, but thero are hopes that it lives on some of the inland lakes, where sedges and rushes grow far out into shallow wafer. Along tho river banks, and in the marshes, the pukeko is plentiful. It is becoming reconciled to the vagaries of human beings, and often stands on the roadside, when a noisy motor.car rushes past. Mr. Frost states that, although tho pukeko in inoffensive, it can take care of itself when the harrier-hawk is about He believes that even a stoat or weasel would have difficulty in putting down tho pukoko. Maoris, against the taw, seize overy opportunity to take bit tor is in the season,' when they are fat, as 'hey are regarded then as a great delicacy. In spite-, of this, bitterns often are seen in the Lower Waikato, feeding in shallow waters, oi standing, characteristically, with spenr-'ike bill pointing sky wards, tho bird well camouflaged by its striped coat of brown and bull against a background of raupo.

Shags are fairly well represented on the lower reaches of the YVaikato River On most parts of tho river they may be seen fishing or diying their feathers 011 a tree near the water. The cosmopolitan black shag, tho pied shag, and the little black shag are presont The third one mentioned has been seen by Mr. Frost very seldom. Those seen wero in groups of six or eight, diving in unison close to tho rivei bank. Mr. Frost has found nests of the pied shag in a willow over hanging tho water, and pnlo blue eggs in them. Looking hack over many years' observations, ho cannot remember having seen a shag with a trout. " A sliag feeds only by day," he writes, " and it is much easier for it take eels than trout, as eels arc sluggish in tho daytime, while trout are wary As far as trout are concerned, eols are more harmful than shags. If we destroy the bird that feeds mainly on eels, wo may disturb the balance of Nature and make tho' trout's life oveD harder than it is."