KAPITI

Southland Times, Issue 21576, 14 December 1931, Page 4

KAPITI

IDEAL BIRD SANCTUARY. BUSH COMING BACK. Describing a recent visit paid by members of the Wellington Acclimatization Society, accompanied by Mr E. Page, S.M., to Kapiti, Mr L. 0. H. Tripp, president of the society, said that there was plenty of evidence that the bush was coming back now that the goats and sheep were killed off, and urged that more of the rare native birds should be released on the island, where there are no vermin except wild rats. Tame Wild Duck. “It rained hard on the Sunday,” said Mr Tripp, "but in spite of weather conditions we had a very interesting time on Saturday. Mr Webber has a very pretty homestead and garden, surrounded by native and other trees, and through his garden runs a small stream. We were very interested to find on the stream a number of grey duck and three teal which were quite tame. Mr Webber, who takes a very keen interest in the ducks in his garden, feeds them regularly, and this accounts for their being so tame. On Mr Webber’s property, at some distance from the house, .there is a large lagoon. Unfortunately there is no cover near this lagoon, and it is a pity it had not been planted with flax and raupo to provide cover for the birds. I understand that from time to time, numbers of ducks fly over to this lagoon from the mainland, but as there is not a large quantity of feed there they do not stop any length of time. From what Mr Wilkinson and Mr Webber told us it would appear that quite a number of ducks nest in different parts of the island. There were very few ducks on the lagoon when we were there, but we saw three little ones lately hatched which Mr Wilkinson thought were teal. There arc no stoats and weasels on the island, so that the only enemy would appear to be the water-rat. From what I saw, the island seemed to be an ideal sanctuary for breeding purposes, as the ducks are not interfered with. In some cases, where the ducks breed inland, the wekas would get a certain number of the eggs and young birds. Nesting Birds. “Round Mr Webber’s house we saw bellbirds, tuis, whiteheads, and tom—tits. We were also shown the nest of a whitehead and of a bellbird in a cabbage tree. Near the lagoon where there were a large number of pied stilts Mr Wilkinson showed us several nests. In one case the young had just hatched out. We also saw some banded dotterels, but did not see their nests. On our way to the homestead Mr Wilkinson also pointed out the nests of gulls, the white-fronted tern, and also the nest of the blue heron. He saw a blue penguin’s nest and heard many penguins calling out in the evening. The Morning Chorus. “On Sunday morning we got up at daybreak, and were well rewarded by hearing the chorus of bellbirds and tuis. M hile listening to these birds we also saw' a kaka, and some parakeets and pigeons. Mr Wilkinson informed us that both the redfronted parakeet and the yellow-fronted parakeet were on the Island. The robin seemed quite plentiful, and we saw several in the bush. They were also nesting, and Mr Wilkinson showed us how we could attract a robin by tapping with a piece of wood. Very soon a robin appeared and took bread almost out of our hands. He ate some crumbs himself and then flew away to his mate who was sitting on her nest some little distance away. He repeated this several times, each time taking some food to his mate. Whiteheads were seen everywhere. The wekas arc. very plentiful; we saw several, and could hear them calling frequently, which shows how the ground birds will increase where there arc no natural enemies. Bringing Back Native Birds. “After visiting Kapiti, where there are no stoats, weasels, and hedgehogs, and few rats, and the birds are protected, I am more than ever convinced that if it is possible to keep the vermin in check in our forest areas, that the birds would increase and be as plentiful as they used to be in the old days, arid we -would be able to re-establish the ground birds. I understand that on Kapiti the kakapo, saddleback, and kiwi, which have been turned out there are believed to be holding their own, although they have not been seen lately. I think that an effort should be made to have more of the rare birds put on the island sanctuaries. If this were done practically all the species of our birds that are not now extinct will be preserved and later on, if the vermin can be reduced in our forest areas, some of the birds could be transferred from the island sanctuaries to the mainland. Some of the birds fly to and from the mainland, so these island sanctuaries are very valuable as breeding grounds for these birds. I think that it is most important that a serious attempt as soon as possible should be made to obtain some of the New Zealand crows, which still exist in certain parts of the mainland, but which are very rare, and that these birds should be put on Kapiti and other island sanctuaries. More of the saddlebacks and the kakapo could also be captured and placed on the island. I understand from Mr Wilkinson that there are no wrens on the Island. It should not be a difficult thing to place some of these interesting little birds there. Forest Recovering. “I visited Kapiti a great many years ago, before it was made a sanctuary, when the sheep and goats were running everywhere, and it is wonderfill how the trees are growing now that the portion of the Island which is a sanctuary is fenced in and the sheep and goats killed off. The young trees are growing up everywhere, and Mr Will—kinson has had trees presented to him, and has also been able to do extensive planting with the grant made by our society for the purpose of supplying native trees as a food supply for the birds. As time goes on, whenever more money is available, more planting should be done, but at the same time I think it will be found that through the birds dropping the seeds, considerable areas which are now grasslands will become covered with trees. I cannot speak too highly of the good work Mr Wilkinson is doing. The Dominion is exceedingly lucky in having on the island Mr Wilkinson, who is not only an ornithologist, but also a keen botanist and an expert photographer. The lovers of rock gardens would be charmed to see Mr Wilkinson’s rock garden. Mrs Wilkinson and her family also take as keen an interest in the bird life as Mr Wilkinson, and she has secured some very clever studies of bird and plant life with her camera. “I am quite satisfied that as far as the birds are concerned we could not have a better man in charge of the northern end of the island than Mr Webber. He also is a keen lover of the birds, and will not allow any shooting on his property, so that as long as Mr Webber is there his property will also be kept as a sanctuary.”