THE LAND BIRDS OF WESLAND

Hokitika Guardian, 7 November 1921, Page 4

THE LAND BIRDS OF WESLAND

(Written by the hi to .Mr Charles Dougins, the well-known explorer of the mountains of Westland.) (Continued.) TIIK SPOON It I I.H.

This is a bird 1 have seldom soon in Westland, although they may he common iu other parts of this Island. They are about the size of a grey duck, with dark plumage and a few of the white and bronze leathers of the paradise duck. The hill is soft and wider at the end than the base, somewhat resembling a spoon, hence (heir name. They are very shy. and the speed they fly at is extraordinary, going past with a whiz like a bullet out of a gun. In shouting; allowance has id he made for this speed. Having now finished an account of the ducks in Westland I may as well give a short description of how to catch them, otherwise than shooting, 01 with a dug. Before the introduction of lire aims the .Maoris appear to have had only a few ways of enlching docks Whether the net was introduced by the while mail I don’t know, hut I have never heard of the natives using nets for ducks. Their only way was noosing them or killing tin in with stones or a -pear. Neithei are a very sure process. Noosing is only practicable in certain waters on the arm of a lake, or a mtrru,\ still creek or lagoon, and it is ih uc this way by sticlc'dng a Max line ii'ucs the wtltoi where ducks frci|Uent. !o i! o line are tied a row of Max noose, tlnec inches in diameter, each loop slightly overlapping the other. The line is I ighcii'eic-il till the end' just touch the water. At night or daytime for that matter, the ducks swimming along gel t-u ii heads' ill the noose which tightens on ii eii oei k, and soon cither strangles them m holds them li!! taken off. I ilaicsav the Maoris gui good hauls ibis way if birds wetc plain illll, tint gcio-r.-illy 111-,, or three

get caught a l, cad of H e main mob and their splashing either frightened the others or ir i <•!; ivally tangle the hue wit !i its i w of loops and 'a reiidois it useless. Another wav is oal’ed dining, 'io get a good haul a dog io two is requited and it only succeeds with young paiadisc ducks and leal, and requites certain waters. Just before the young ducks can My select a long narrow kip'on with a sandy beach, or a small patch of glass at ibe head ot it. Hot into a canoe ami zig-zag up the la-

go. hi splashing with the paddle and making as much noise as yell like. Cradmillv as wui a|ip;oaeh the end you ... il! tnd d oles alcad ot \n-i. As they pci jammed the eld ones w ill lly away an I as the young ones i-*i't, they are obliged to lake to tl- shine. Then is the lime to jet 'he dims n'd and v-mi

can assist by dashing among t! cm, using the piddle as a club 'f l " loot of birds caught tins v.ay is wonderful. The great trouble is to ge' tl e dogs oil : they get So excited and would : klUohler till knocked up. TroMing ducks is a Xiptli Ameiiean Indian mellioil, ami is done in the folio.-, ing way. (In quietly with gun .■hi I a min ii ui t ion to lake or lagoon when- ducks are known to |>eop through the grass or scrub. It any birds are to he seen wave youi hat or kerchief for a lew seconds over 'he intervening hushes; then dropdown for half a minute, taking rare not to show you i self. Keep repeating the per-il.iman-e till vou have attracted the I.inis’ a'tent ion. Tiny v. ill draw to- . - tl-,.. from ell filial I" s and I ear don n in rows towa (Is the object !..:it has al;ineic,! iheii attention. When mine i!cv hive sinr'iii their curiosity i( so

L .; ;i( that it matters little \\ lu»t Imm* V( ,u ;t •<> seen nr hip. Keep on waiting till yon i-.'in see tin* (*vi'S nl tin* birds. T! ■■ ii J The host li'in in smh a case is an oli! lower musket, loaded v/• t l l a !.. 1 li';:l . \ :,r. i!.*i an-1 s'.-;, aml paper in jm« •j > rtion. Tien in ho nim whore tie hast low of heads a.e. shut ynnr eyes, commend your.sol!' to your patron saint ii' you have one, and ]>nll the trigger. 11 projierly loaded the destructive cflects of an old musket, both he foie and behind, is something fearltd. The .meat objection to using a musket, is it requires two to work it. One tires, the other gathers up the slain and watches where the old howitzer comes down. The man who tires is generally prostrate for the remainder of the day.

Trolling ducks is well enough now and again, hut the birds get very shv, and it is seldom more than two shots can he got at the same place. They will ivmemher their flight for long after and sheer oil' at the slightest motion in the hush.

Another mode of* capturing almost all varieties of water fowl is sine, hut cruel and insidious. I have never heard of it being known, either to whites or Maoris. Whether it is an invention of my own or I had read about it somewhere and forgotten the circumstance, I can’t say. However, that doesn’t matter much. Hero it is in ail its fiendish ingenuity. Kind out part of a lake or lagoon where ducks and other birds are in the habit of feeding, and where the water is three or four feet deep, (let a lot of pi|x»s three inches in diameter. Point one end and square the other. On the squared end nail a flat hoard two font long and four inches broad. Drive the pile down in the mud till the hoard is a few inches under water Next get n line three feet long or according to the depth of tin* water. Tie one end to the pile and a I the other end have a small fish book baited with a piece of meat, a worm or letter still a small piece of lights, as they don’t require a piece of cork to Moat them. About a foot from the bait tie on the line a stone three or four pounds weight, then place the stone on the flat hoard atop of the pile. The bait and hook will float on the wafer and nothing else is to be seen. Min can put two or more lines on each pile and have as many piles as you like. The trap can he left all*’night or you can hide in the hushes and start trolling any ducks, shags, or grebes that may lx* about, taking care to stop before the birds have reached the lines.

The ducks come sailing along quacking and wagging their fails. One sees a bait-, he grabs it, and moves on. In doing so ho pulls the stone off the board, the jerk fixes the hook in his lieak, and down he goes head first in the most natural manner, the weight of the stone keeping bjm under the

water till he is drowned. There is no commotion. His mates, thinking he has] dived for fun, pay no attention, and soon go down themselves in the same | way. I have seen a flock vanish in this way in a few minutes, hut goner-1 alllv when a number have disappeared the survivors begin to wonder what the deuce is so attractive beneath the wave to cause their comrades to remain so long under, and they sheer away from the dangerous locality, a few coming hack never to return. This vile manner of fishing does niit scare the birds for any length of time, and in a few days a lake or lagoon can he cleared of all ducks--even fame ones ■ grebes and shags wo all have a weakness for a piece of meat or a worm. I am not writing this for the public, and only hope they will luo v such a dodge for murdering birds. None would he safe if it was generally known.

.After having mentioned such cnlltiivames for capturing aquatic birds it will no iloulil In' supposed that. I have that diiist fin blood which we me said to derive from our barbarian ancestors, a thirst w hich as we i annul now gratify at the expense of mu fellow man, is expended in slaughtering dumb animals, hut such is not the - use witu Ire. I l.cviu kill bird ■. r best for sport, ami hate to sv anyone doing, it. !M want a bird for food I tak« the surest methail of doing it. I have lived to; weeks Oil d;\ ben 1 lather than kill birds, knowing ('ey had \iui Ii ;. and ranii 1 sc ' why ally living thing should he destroyed simply to jifl'e.rd nmtlscm ni to a lot of enenliejlied -portsmen. who -Wi H ; " m fur f 0(1 ami v. ho for one 'da y U 1 ’ 1 • leave ihice woilichd to die mr-cua dy. Necessity is the only plea b-r taking 'life, ami those individuals who Ip id; ami veil at an unfortunate hare flying hel'oie the hounds, or who gallop like lunatics to see a fox torn to pieces, have dills rent ideas of humanity Ban ! pc- e,s. TIIK Cb’KBK. ' 1 don't know whetdiet' I’-' hip! bis 1:llv „ !atives io t British Mmols, hut lhe:e is a gie'ic o:t t’ e M ms Ink. s wi i ll n.nv l.e allied i„ il. Tice are t.. 0-, ai ie : ics in AV- ■: I■ ml liiM'-riiig

ho;h in size and plumage, hut in habit' identical. The crested gndie is n beautiful bird and si!s on the u;u i US gi H . -fully as a while swan. 1 1 i* sli-ditiv huger than a g,ey duck. On tl-,- ~,-ek and hreiist. and all under Hie waterline the plumage is white with ii sheen like satin, anil it- skin is in (h-niaud lor muMs, liimuniig' * - • "

the unfortunate bird was hunted lot that pui pose. Alt hough ii' v-iiigs small they can My with gl‘ a; 1 sustained Might, Imt it is only at certain seasons liit-v do so. ppie.~e very sensibly l" Hus! to their wondel'l ill living |iowe,s to esca ■ oang- . , for v. liieh they an- alu at s oil I In- kitip , know iug by «■:.11-■. id' -■ I - 1 ■ 1 vatu maidens of Ne.v V. aland are thirsting for their hide.

At oie- linn- the grebe was almost exterminated. Then a law was pa" d proteeting them I'oi all lime, and they were gradually reeoveiing Ives. v.d ell the lis.li hntehcrVs f mil 1 oltl, or thought- they hud. tint lhe grel e d - >1 roved iisli. and war v.as a- ain proclaimed with the result that H-ey ate 'giltllv ever sc n exceni in He far South, where they are likely to hold their own as no one can get at them. | wonder p ople don’t use their reasoning powers a little mote. At the opening of the Coast the shag, tl ' grebe, the heron and the ( ..am- "etc far more numerous than they are now. A’et the whitebait, mullet and grayling held th.ir own with ease. Why cant the trout and salmon do the same now that lisli enemies are sea ire. Act some ass sees a shag or cram* helping itseli to a few fish, and he at unco rushes to the papers to ventilate his (ridings. The result is the Mat goes forth that a rn-r must l.e exterminated. I hold v.e want an Aceliimitisation S,.c:ely and

l-iy, s, liilt lot those who engineer kl u !i societies have at least a little knowledge of tiu* bi-ds, b as; and lisli they make believe to legislate to.. lint to the ore he again. Theie must he something wrong either "ith •** lir*:)tl or eyes. When watching an enemy it keeps lirst one eye then the other fixed on the object for a te" seconds. Then it turns its head to give the other a chance, so oil hack and forvaids as il one eye oouldn t tiust the other. I have watched them many a time and thought that one in other of its eyes were defective, shortsighted ill fact, and that in the excitement, tlie bird always forgot which was wrung, lint it would fie strange if all grebes were short-sighted in mu* eve. The more probable reason is tfu* bird lias a double brain, on.* for each cvc. The two are always at lookerheads and can’t trust each other when danker is near. At one time I thoukhl the grebe was a stupid bird and was alwavs shy and on the lookout lor danger, hut ail experience 1 mice had with a bird altered that noth n.

(Inc day live of ns acre in a boat on a lake. When about two miles from shore a crested grebe showed up. It was tired at, with the usual result a splutter ut shot whore the bird had been. For curiosity we determined to brink that bird down before it could i each the short*. Otto got to the how with two double barrelled guns a,u ! ammunition handy. The other lour took to the oars. Tin* moment the bird appeared it was fired at, and the boat pulled in the direction it was supposed it would come up. This work continued for about half an hour, the bird sometimes makittk shorewards, sometimes towards tin* centre ol tin* lake. At last from keepink under for more than a minute it had to show tip every few seconds, hut only tin* point of its beak was to lie seen just to ket a k !>s P for breath and down again. Suddenly it disappeared altokether. We waited anil waited, but there was no np|M?n rimer. It could not have Mown away, or got. t° shore without our seeink it, st> we concluded ii had sunk dead to tin* bottom. By the merest chance someone happened to look over tin* stern of the boat which overhunk considerably, and there was his lordship peacefully tttkink a s|>ell with a satisfied krin on him. To our honour lie it snid, We let thart bird k l ’. 1 never saw or heard of any nc|iiatic bird try ink this dodke except in one instance in the Old Country. A sea dived called tlie Jlarril does the same think around fishink boats, inn his hidink is more to see what be can steal out of the nets as they are hauled

The grebe's mode of nesting varies according tl) tile nature of the lake or

lagoon lie frequents. Sometimes llioy iiosi up trees overhanging tlie water, in a (lax luisli, and sometimes, tint not

vciv niton, they muke ;i floating nest, and actually moor it to a snag on the bank. Once I loon 1 n grebe's nest with eggs in it. I took awn.v the eggs and placed two round pieces of quartz in their place. Looking at the place two days alter the no»t was torn down and scattered ovoi the country. The bird had evidently got in a passion at Icing the victim of such a miserable sell.

(To he continued)