RARE BIRDS SEEN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22206, 5 September 1935, Page 12

RARE BIRDS SEEN

' WHITE HERONS AT POLLOK SPECULATION ON NESTING ■ The appearance of two rare birds, the white heron or kotuku, in the Pollok on the south-western shores of the Mnnnkau Harbour until two weeks : ago excited much interest among the | settlers One bird remains, and there I has been a considerable amount of speculation as to whether its companion in nesting Such an event would bo of unusual interest, but it is unlikely that it would occur in the district, according to Mr. R. A Falla, ornithologist on the staff of the Auckland War Memorial Museum. There is, however, justification for the interest taken by the residents of the district. The appearance of a single white heron is always worthy of note, but the presence of two of the birds in a district is distinctly out of the ordinary. The probability is that the bird which has left has gone to Okarito. South Westland, where a heronry exists. The remaining bird may be a younger specimen, which should shortly return I to the South The breeding season over ; nbout April, the birds young and old, ! leave the heronry and scatter over Hie | length and breadth of New Zealand, although their habit up to September is ordinarily solitary. About this time of the year they are accustomed to return to the heronry.