Notes from Branches

Forest and Bird, Issue 178, 1 November 1970, Page 19

Notes from Branches

WANGANUI BRANCH About 20 members of the Wanganui Branch on their first trip of the year travelled to the lower Waitotara River to see the stumps of the submerged forest, which stands in a bend about a mile from the river mouth. The trees, whose roots are below sea level, are the remains of an ancient forest drowned (many centuries ago) when a very extensive earth movement caused the coastal plain to subside several feet and the waters of the estuary to sweep through the forest floor. From this stand of tree stumps the river takes its name —“the water of totara trees” — a chip from a stump taken some years ago by Mr W. Mead proved to be of rimu. More than a century ago Richard Taylor described the grove in the bed of the river as so thick that “a canoe can hardly wind its way amongst the many trunks which rise up in it.” In the Auckland Art Gallery there is a painting of the scene by Colonel E. A. Williams, dated 1865. The scene has not altered greatly, though a lower limb or two which then still had branched from the trunks have since disappeared. No doubt the stumps extend into the lupin-covered dunes fringing the banks of the river and have long since been buried by drifting sand. Only carbon-dating could tell us the age of the trees and give a clue to the event which brought their death. It would be interesting to know if such a test has been made. There is a warning in the remains of this submerged forest when we consider the possible raising of the waters of Lake Manapouri. For how many centuries would drowned timber in that lake defy the elements? The drowning of forest by a natural phenomenon is unavoidable, but deliberate submerging of miles of bush-clad shoreline, including the shorelines of 30 islands, is needless. After threading our way through timber and other debris above high-water mark on the river bank, we eventually reached the river mouth. Many birds were about. Besides the black-backed and red-billed gulls, there were scores of pied stilts, about a dozen black swans, a formation of 100 or more ducks, and several Caspian terns. We had hoped to spot the banded dotterel, which is often seen in this locality, but we were disappointed. However, flitting in and out of the lupins, the pied fantail was with us most of the time. —T.M.B. AUCKLAND BRANCH On a sunny, warm day last winter the Auckland Branch toured local parks and learnt some facts about their history, their present state, and the future planned for them. The Domain, once Government Gardens, was originally scrub fern, manuka, and swamp. It was obtained as a reserve by Act of Parliament in 1893, but before this (in 1867), the Acclimatisation Society had been formed and had 4 acres of the gardens. The society introduced and released birds such as starlings, gulls, thrushes, sparrows, yellowhammers, chaffinches, and some game birds, as well as

opossums, hare, deer, wallabies, etc. They also brought in and grew such plants as wheat, tobacco, bananas, fuchsia, chrysanthemums, and pines. As the result of an exhibition at the Domain in 1913 the small pond (with island), kiosk, cookhouse, and band rounda were added to the area, and the hot-house with its courtyard and fernery was built in 1928. In the early days many a family travelled on a Sunday afternoon by horse and buggy to see the gardens and to picnic on the Domain. Auckland’s first water supply —the present duck-pond—-came from here, too, and was piped to a point nearer the city where people would come to collect their water. About 1948, at Princess Te Puka’s instigation, Maoris at dawn, one day planted a totara tree to mark the site of early Maori camps. This tree still stands, surrounded by a palisade, on a rise behind the fernery. Eden Garden, which until about 6 years ago was a disused quarry area, is now set out with plants, native and others, which are seen from pleasant, rambling walks. Of special interest to us was an area where native trees such as kawaka, rimu, totara, and kauri have been planted. Cornwall Park (334 acres) remains a place of peaceful attractiveness, with its green open spaces, areas of trees, stonework steps and sitting areas, and distant views. Mount Smart Domain, a much-quarried volcanic cone of 286 ft, has been lowered in most parts to a level of 65 ft. A very active Mount Smart Domain Board has, in the last 33 years, developed the central area with a well-planned stadium for the amateur athletics association. Of special interest to us was the plantation of native trees and densely foliaged fernery on the southern and south-eastern slopes of the remaining cone. These have resulted from the efforts and keen interest of the late R. L. Thornton and others. The board hopes eventually to have a unique H-mile bush walk encircling the whole Domain. In the latter part of the afternoon we enjoyed a drive near the northern shores of the Manukau Harbour as far as Atkinson Bush, near Titirangi. Here, most of us left our bus for an hour’s tramp down through the bush, with Mrs Fooks helpfully showing us, and naming, much of the varied plant life along the track. Near the beach we saw what was the highlight of the day for us. High up in the branches of a puriri tree a kereru was busily feeding, quite unconcerned by our keen interest. —lsabel Thompson CANTERBURY BRANCH For some years the Canterbury Branch has been organising study group trips in addition to Saturday field trips. Being more active because of younger age, the junior study group, for those aged between 13 and 30, can venture further afield than the senior study group, for those over 30 years. Both groups make six or seven trips in a season, using all the long holiday weekends and some two-day weekends. In Canterbury long distances have to be travelled before any bush is reached; however, by leaving on a Friday night full use can be made of even a twoday weekend in the field.

At Labour Day weekend last year the senior study group travelled to Oaro, at the foot of the Hundalee Hills, on the coast south of Kaikoura. Accommodation was arranged at the local school, only one room of which is now used for teaching.

On Saturday members followed the railway line south along the beautiful rocky seashore in the direction of the Amuri Bluff, groves of karaka being passed on the way. Where the railway entered a tunnel to pass under the Hundalee Hills, everyone scrambled down to the rock shore, where the billy was boiled. After lunch, three energetic members set off at a brisk pace to the bluff, and those less enthusiastic pottered about looking for fossils. A number of fossilised sea urchin spines were picked up. This stretch of coast is a happy hunting ground for fossil collectors. Concretions similar to those at Moeraki, and varying in size from that of a tennis ball to a diameter of 10 ft, lie all along the beach.

Sunday morning was spent in the bush on the hillside behind the Oaro railway siding, where some members saw a beautiful waterfall 70 to 80 ft high. After lunch half the party climbed up a steep hill, examining plants on the way, and the others fossicked in the bush lower down. Four varieties of clematis were in flower there: Clematis paniculata, C. afoliata, C. petriei, and C. foetida.

On Monday, which began cold and overcast, we all set off north along the road to Bird Rock, at Goose Bay, where sea birds nest. One side of this large rock is in the sea and the other alongside the road. Every year the area is closed to the public during the nesting season from October to February, and it is noticeable how the vegetation has increased since people have been kept off the area. The colony consists mainly of red-billed gulls, whose nests with eggs and chicks can be seen from the main road. Members were fortunate to observe a seal on this visit.

On the cliffs along the railway Marlborough rock daisy (Pachystegia insignis) and Hebe hulkeana (now widely cultivated as a garden plant) were in flower. Both these plants are indigenous to Marlborough. Though it was raining during the return walk, a number of coastal plants were observed: Macropiper excelsum (pepper); Dodonaea viscosa (akeake); Corynocarpus laevigatas (karaka); Griselinia littoralis and Griselinia lucida (broadleaf); Myoporum laetum (ngaio); and Calystegia soldanella (shore convolvulus). —A.N.W. WELLINGTON BRANCH (JUNIOR SECTION) The Wellington Branch has organised a special programme of field trips, under the guidance of Mr Eric Lennie, for the high percentage of junior members the branch has (488 juniors in a total membership of 1,500). Since October last year several day trips, two weekend trips, and one afternoon lecture-demonstration have been arranged. Visits have been made to bush reserves, swamp and lagoon areas, and other places of special interest. Highlights from the programme have 'been: In December a trip was made to Queen Elizabeth Park at Paekakariki, where several pukekos were observed, and in January the white-fronted tern nesting colony at Scorching Bay was visited. Though nearly all the terns had departed, as the nesting season had been early, young black-backed

gulls were seen, and many other interesting sights made the visit worth while. The first weekend in February was spent camping at Kohanga-te-ra lagoon, where there were numerous black swans; pukekos were heard, but not seen. Various other birds were observed, including black shags (quite numerous), and the weekend was enjoyed by everyone in spite of some wind and rain at times. On this trip several katipo spiders were seen in their natural habitat of dried driftwood among the sand dunes. On a trip in March to Butterfly Creek at Eastbourne the smaller bush birds were attracted close by rubbing a wet cork on a bottle. At one time five different species were down around the party — waxeyes, grey warblers, whiteheads, fantails, and pied tits. During the school holidays in May an afternoon lecture-demonstration was held at the Wellington Public Library lecture hall. The speaker was Mr Bruce Hamlin, author of a book on native ferns and botanist at the Dominion Museum. Mr Hamlin showed some slides of paintings and drawings of botanical specimens collected on Cook’s voyages to New Zealand, and had one specimen of kowhai which had been collected and pressed 200 years ago. He also demonstrated the correct way to collect and press botanical specimens and answered many interesting questions. On 23 May we were shown round the aviaries at the Wellington Zoo by “Dave —The Bird Man”. Several different species of native birds are breeding well in the zoo, mostly from birds brought in injured. The red-fronted parakeets looked very handsome and fat, the wekas were quite at home in their enclosure, and the blind kiwi performed well. Birds from other countries included the Nanking night heron. Also of particular interest was the collection of skinks and geckos, and of course the tuatara, which we nearly did not find, so well camouflaged it was. The highlight of the day was a privileged visit to the zoo hospital, where we saw a baby monkey in an incubator being fed from a tiny “doll’s” bottle. Most of the patients in the hospital were birds and smaller animals which were just there for a rest and quarantine period before going out to join the others in the big zoo cages. An interesting afternoon was spent in July examining various exhibits in the Dominion Museum, from fossils of shells, fish, and plants to insects, birds, and Maori uses of natural plant material for building, etc. The last two events on our year’s programme were highly successful, with record attendances. The first of these was a weekend “camp in” at Waghorn Lodge, in the Maungakotukutuku Valley. Though Saturday was wet, this did not dampen spirits, and Sunday was fine and sunny. This was a most interesting, informative, and enjoyable weekend. Our last outing was a tramp through beech forest (in flower) from Wainuiomata to Days Bay. Bush birds were scarce, as it was rather windy, but the 28 on the trip from the 8-year-olds to the 18-year-olds and two adults all had a rewarding time. Our future programme for juniors 'is going to be even more interesting; so it is hoped more of our branch members will come along, and perhaps other branches will get ideas from what we are doing.