THE LAND BIRDS OF WESTLAND.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 November 1921, Page 1

THE LAND BIRDS OF WESTLAND.

(Written by the late Mr Charlos Douglas, the well-known explorer of the mountains of Westland.)

(Continued.) THM BLUE DUCK. Generally called the mountain duck, as it is mostly found ill the rocky torrents up to the grass line. It is called a suit hill and i»s colour is a light grey or slate with brown mottles • n the breast. It is about the size of a grey duel;, ami its prevailing characteristic is stupidity to an amazing degree. This combined with what appears to he a fatal thirst for admiration, is its ruin, and makes it an easy piev to dogs and men, mid nothing but the' inaccessible places it ffequeiits saves it from being exterminated. If the bird would only hold its longue. I know of none whose plumage is so well adapted for colleen linen t. the light grey with the mottled breast nn«l wlate tijiped beak being the exact shade, of the granite slate and quartz fragments lying on every riverbed, hut a desire to show olf is its ruin. I have

i often walked within a foot of them and : would never have noticed the birds it not attracted by a plaintive whistle, ! and on looking round there they were, ' stretching their netks, whistling and ' if.sing, evidently thinking them.-elves ! swans and worthy the admiration ot rhe universe. A greell hand in such a , a-e il he had a guu would at once let ll.v and think himself clever if he got one. But that is not the way to do. Look around, up and down the stream and see if there are any more. It mi, drivu t!:.-*i together, then sit (.-aliulv down, take a good lean oil a rock and lire. If the lords won't go cln.-e logrth* i throw stones at. them. If any fly away alter tiring don’t get excited and run after tiiei». hut load the gun, pick up

the slain and liaye a smoke. Soft hit! v. ill soon come hack to see what all the row was about. This description id the blue duck only applies now to tire very wildest districts. In place•• her, they

have been imseli disturbed the; develop a vent ion. which shows they are not so stupid as is imagined. 'I heir ttl im-oess amt se-cn fled stupidity is simply the result ol living in a eouniry where for hundreds of genet at ions the; had few nr no enemies. When ihe blue duel; menus business lie can fly at a speed few fowls can equal. Crucially, however, they seldom lly more than a feu cards. Often when tiled at and missed they will only splutter along the water for a lew feet, and quietly wait till yrMi load again. They will

tumble over a waterfall in tin* most reckless nuiiiner or allow themselves tu lie swept among rocks and snags, coining up twenty chains below, whistling anil wagging tlteii tails with the calmest iiuiiil'eri'tiKo. A dog who knows them simply runs up and down i 1,,. banks barking and making as much noise :is possible. Illuie get- bothet l J ami takes to the shore where he is caught at once. Altogether the blue duck is an inter-e.-ting bird to study and it is well "111-ill anyone’s while to -peiiiJ an liotli watching them and their ways. 'I he.v ale good eating and as they are easy lo catch and frequent parts ol the country where other birds are scarce, thev are very acceptable to survey patties ami explorers. r l lie bill,- duck lays from four to live eggs and when the

voiing an- hatched they take to the ruiier at once. The old ones take great care of them and display a taint glimmer of i ntcl ligtfitce when swimming across a rapid, using their bodies as a I,uikc watei for their young, and d going up stream one biid goes ahead to break the force of the water. the other following behind ;» shove them along. One peculiarity of the blue duel; is their general habit of pegging oil the ground on a creek or river "here they intend to breed. Whether they learned this from the early diggers I can’t say. but every paii nl-dueks keeps two or illife hundred yards ol the rivet to themselves and woe betide any straggler who invades -t licit dominion. I om-e *1,111.* down a meek f.u about lour miles and bn the fun of the thing drove every duck and their young ones ahead „f me with the result that on reaching the fiats there were thirteen pair ol ducks with a numerous ollspriug engaged it, a sort ot doiniybrook. Hiey tight wifli their wings, trying lo hit with a spur on the tip. hut with all their lighting they don’t appear to hurt each other much. Oil going tip the same creek next day I found to my surprise they every pair was took to their own ground again with all tlieii

young with them. I don’t know much about the domestic relations of ducks, hut both Hie Mile duel; and the paradise appear when thev once pair to keep together till oiiu or other goes to their long home. Wlicu a blue duel; with young swimming about loses its mate, the survivor attends to the family, hut d ,1,0,0 is no family In* or she goes on t|„. travel. Wbethei they annexe somebody’s hubby or wife, or whether they capture some lorlorn hatch,‘lot ol spinster. I don't know, hut duel; or (Iraki* is never solitaiy tor any length of time. Till*’, BLACK DUCK. I have only oliee seen a llock ol these birds and whether they are a "alive „f New Zealand or were only passing ever I can’t say. They an* just like the Home blank duel; if I her rjgbt and are probable common to m.st eoui,trios in general appearance. The* are, tike large widgeon, hut 1 have seen too few of lliein to have studied 'their habits and general appearance. The thick I saw was on Baringa Lake, and might have numbered three or four bund red. They wee comparatively tame like birds that had not been much THE TEAL DUCK AND WIDGEON. There nre two varieties of thig duck,

the brown teal and the black teal or widgeon. They are apparently the same bird, common to most parts of the world, so no description is requited, in the hush, creeks, in lakes, lagoons and marches they swarm like vermin, going in flocks of hundreds in some places and they can he driven ashore and hunted with dogs like the paradise duck, wish this advantage that, both voting and old will leave the water. They are good eating, easy to catch and aie a happy, chubby little bird tumbled with few cares about danger Imm men and dogs. Tame and stiinid as the blue duck is, you have at. least to walk to them to get a shot, but in waters where they have not keen 1 1 is! 11 e* c.l the teal will follow a heat or eninc imploring the occupants to shout them. (To he continued).