OUR LETTERS ON BIRDS.

Waikato Times, Volume 103, Issue 17367, 31 March 1928, Page 16 (Supplement)

OUR LETTERS ON BIRDS.

about THE TUI. Dear Peter Pan,—While I was in Wanganui I noticed many very pretty birds. -For instance, there was the Tui. I think it is a lovely bird, for it has such a sweet call. Have you ever heard it Peter Pan? Its first three notes are just like the chorus or that sons' called “Baby Face,” aren’t they? Every morning' he used to sing- In a big- pepper tree, just in front of our house. One day while we were playing on our creek path I found a tiny Wren’s nest. They arc just like a baby’s bootee. My friend and I were climbing trees -when I heard the beating of wings, coming rrom the opposite tree. I went to find out the cause, and I round two little Yellow Hammers caged with nothing to eat or drink. So we let them free and put two notes in instead of the two birds. We told them how- cruel they j were (the boys, l mean). You see they [ had left them there thinking their parents j would feed them, only they had deserted them. The next day I found four more caged, so I freed them and broke the cage up. I have entered for the competition, and 1 find it very hard. Well, Peter Pan, .1 will close now, wishing you every success in tlie Bird Page.—“ Fairy Wh isp e rs,” Frank ton. I Yes, Audrey, the Tui’s call is lovely. At j the coast on sunny mornings we would hear it calling from a lovely scarlet poh.'jlukawa on the top of a high hill behind the house. The second morning we heard it we climbed tire hill imping to see it. and there it was, the little soft black thing, quite tame, and singing lustily. I have never seen a Wren’s nest —and you certainly did right in freeing Ihose poor little caged birds. Thank you for your letter, Audrey; we loved it.—Peter Pan. , AND THE KINGFISHER. Dear Peter Pan, —One day as I was washing the dishes I saw a Kingfisher sitting on a post outside the window. He appeared to be asleep, but suddenly he flew to the ground a short distance away. He returned immediately with a worm in his beak. Peter Pan, do you know whether the Kingfisher heard or saw the worm? —"Pollyanna” (It), Puketaha. Aren’t Kingfishers lovely, Mary? They seem very rood of sitting on posts;, They sit so quietly, and their eyes seem, quite shut but they aren’t—not quite. They have verv good hearing, like all birds, but I think, Mary, that he saw the worm. They are very clever at pretending to be asleep. —Peter Pan. AND FANTAILS. Dear Peter Pan, —I am going to tell you about the little birds. One day as I was walking along the roads I saw a little Fantail. I watched it for a little while and 1 noticed it didn’t stop still a minute. Have you notced that when you go to feed the hens all the birds come to get the wheat? The winter is coming, and nearly all the birds are flying away to other lands.—Peggy Kennedy (12), Frankton. Fantails are the busiest little featherfolk imaginable. I don’t know whether thev ever work harder than other kinds of birds but they are always on the move; perhaps It is just inquisitiveness. Don’t the fowls come running when the grain is thrown, to them! They jostle each other n their eagerness to get it. I wonder how far one bird travels in a year! 11 must be a distance of hundreds or miles. —Peter Pan. AND PARROTS AND PIGEONS. Dear Peter Pan, —Just a row lines to tell you about the zoo. I saw some Peacocks. Tuis and also Parrots and Pigeons, and I watched them for a long time.-; —Gordon Thomas (10). Frankt.on. Yes, Gordon, the zoo is the place to see birds. Aren’t there some perfectly beautiful ones there? When one sees them, though, it scents a pity that they are caged and no longer have their freedom. —Peter Pan. AND CANARIES. Dear Peter Pan,—We have three Canaries They are dark yellow. One is vellow with black feathers in bis wings. I give them water ■ and seed every day. One dav we had a mother Canary which had a baby Canary. When i we were at school the baby fell inlo the water and was drowned. After a while j the mother got out and never came back. ( ■ —Buliy Moore (13), Te Rapa. Ilow sad that the little one was drowned Ruby. Canary vellow is me loveliest shade isn’t it? And their little chirp is so blvtho and sweet. It is a pity that you have lost them all.—Peter Pan. AND A BLACKBIRD. Dear Peter Pan, —Just a row lines to tell you about the Blackbird’s nest in a hawthorn bush in the gutter. Some naughty bovs came to take the nest and tried to take it away, but Mummy would not let them do so. There were four eggs in it. They were a light, blue colour.— Marv Armitage (7)Frankton. Yes. Mary, it is cruel to rob the rest of its eggs, and we are glad to hear that Mummv wouldn’t allow it. The eggs are the" loveliest shade, aren’t they, and so frail -looking. The hawthorn hedges are very popular for nest.-building.—Peter Pan. ; AND MORE CANARIES/ Dear Peter Pan. —I' am writing vou a true story about, our Canaries. Once we had two Canaries in a large cage. One day the mother bird was restless and . making queer noises. Mother thought she wanted to build a nest. So Mother gave her hair a cocoanut. .bell, some rough string, and some feathers. She started to build a nest straight away, and when she was making the nest her little mate was scolding her all the lime and never helped her at all—not. even lifted a blade of grass. He was always very