Local & General

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 73, 15 January 1947, Page 5

Local & General

Druids Lodge Competition The Christmas competition conducted by the Whakatane Druids Lodge, was won by Mr B. Hogg of Te Teko. Playing Apparatus at Heads Steps will be taken in the near future to repaint the children’s playing gear at the Centennial Park at the Heads. Borough Impounding Twenty-four head of stock were impounded in the Whakatane Borough Pound during the month of December. All animals were released by owners after payment of the usual indemnity fee. Catches of Trout A total catch of 59 fish was taken from the Ohau Channel, Lake Rotoiti, by Mr and Mrs Tollemache, of Tauranga, in the course of a three week’s holiday, just concluded. Master D. Dunlop, fishing in Lake Rotoiti, landed an 81b. rainbow trout in perfect condition. Tomtit Outwits Cat A tomtit that frequented a bush camp had been stalked by the cat for five years, writes a correspondent of the Forest and Bird Protection Society. The bird found plenty of grubs near the wood-pile, and the cat, on hearing the “ke-ke-ke” of the bird, would stalk and spring at it. But the tomtit would always snatch a grub and fly away, avoiding the cat’s claws by inches. Bowling Honours Bowling honours go to F. Smith who has been singularly successful in recent tournaments sponsored by the Whakatane. Bowling Club. On the past five occasions he has been a member of the winning team, his most recent victory being in the tournament staged last week- A end. Contemporaries are beginning to regard him as a certain symbol of success, and are doing the utmost to extort the secret by which he manages to apparently infallibly choose the winning team.

Unofficial Bird Sanctuary - The part of Kapiti Island known as Waiorua is not part of the Government reserve, states Forest and Bird, but the spirit of sanctuary pervades it. Thereon is the brackish lake Okupe which, with its shores, provides at all times sanctuary for native birds such as ducks, shags, stilts, etc., and the birds know' it, for during the season of the year when gunmen with their decoys and devices invade the lakes and lagoons of the mainland, upwards of a thousand ducks together have been, counted spending the day in peace on Okupe. As, however, it cannot provide food for all, numbers leave at night for feeding places on the mainland. The more fortunate ones return again, usually just before dawn, some coming to the small lagoon in front of the caretaker’s residence at Rangatira. Birds Predict Weather Fifty years ago when exploring in the wild range of South Westland, states a contributor to Forest and Bird, we found wrens and canaries most faithful and reliable forecasters of bad weather. They generally go about singly or in pairs, but before rain or bad storms they collected in flocks with much chatter. When on high country overlooking the low levels, We sometimes saw little flocks of canaries flying from the tree tops and settling down again, twittering excitedly. This was a better warning of the approach of a storm than any barometer. The birds were always right, ’so we wisely took the warning seriously and set about looking for a good shelter to weather it out. Another bird that helped us this way was our old friend the weka. Like all birds, they have an oil gland near the tail frpm which they draw oil with their beaks and plaster it over their feathers,When the wekas got busy oiling their beaks, we got busy preparing for at storm.