THE LAND BURDS OF WESTLAND

Hokitika Guardian, 10 November 1921, Page 4

THE LAND BURDS OF WESTLAND

(Written by the bite Mr (Hisirlea Dougins, the well-known explorer of the mountains of Westland.) j j (Continued.) • i THE KAKA. 1

Or as it used to be called in pans ol Otapp the tomahawk, from its habit ol digging into rotten trees for the large , white grub. Tlie l.ird is about the size of a pigeon. and was evidently tTie last Nature pave the tinishiup tom b to. j When site bad coloured the pluumpo of all other birds, makinp some preen, some blue, some red, usinp every colour and shade of colour she wiped Iter palette on the Uea and the kaka. Re<l-; dish brown is the prevailing shade on the one, a dirty preen on the otlmr, hut all colours and shades of colour have a fair show. The head of the hird is larey in proportion to the body. It eats like a parrot, hnldinp its food in one list, and can raise a slight crest of feathers like the cockatoo’s, but it is onlv a burlesque on that bird. The Unka is very easily lamed, and when caught young can be Taught to speak in a sort of way, but it us not a desirable bird about a house, beiim much addicted to mischief, tearing evcrvthing it gets bold of, giving vent to fetrftd” veils if disturbed in its i amusement, and in the still hours oi | the night they liven up the place by i whistling their national melodics with J the power ol a locoinotiie. h-ika generally travel in mobs,

Up anil down the country, according to the feed, but a few are always left behind and no part ot the bush is c\ct entirely d. cited by them. As the rata uhiss ,i.i is a favourite of theirs and is th.ee months later in high country than : i the Hats, the birds wink their way to the heads of the rivers towards the end of autumn. At that time they are vcr. fat and good eating. In some rare instances the feed fails ail over the country. Then they will crowd round ei .•iiisation on the elianre of picking tip something. They will even come indue a house and can he seen in dozens perched on a fence in a starved state, with no energy left in them, and can I," knocked down v.illt a stick, hut as they are too lean t i eat it is only mis- , lucf to !;ill m in such eases. They live very daintily, sucking the lone,* Irom tie- rata am! !l;\ blossoms. (If Ilj4 into loLtcit logs l;,r tlial epieiiiean nioisel, the while gi lib. \\ hen tamed they don't requiie to be caged o; bed no Ilk-* p-rrets. : < !*i m going far from the house, tiie icasoii lining tin- oilier kaka> consider them as renegades and inch ihini memdiugly. In captivity I In's* ale best led on bread

ami su ar. but tie.. will cat most 'biros lu m!,. oll' ii dyiu- tiiiou *:i nibbling paint oil a wall. I'm iccrcatiun place a long wand like a fishing rod fast in tbe gt oitud at an .angle i I' till oi I dec i,-os ior |be bud lo ■ w iitg oh. I'., bed ."I ilie end of l' e ;■"! the l.ird will leqiui" mi othe, eartlil' Iclieitv ce ...dog t.p ami h... u for hours, and giving vent to Ids toolings in skirls ol happiness. The Maori im.iiiii'i- ot catching kakas i- simple and olfective. They use a ,|cco. bin! it’ one can be got. Mien they .sclei t a lice that has a bushy top. Tile .Maori lb.-II gets a number of pieces Ot V 00.1 shaped like d ■ letter Z. tvillg t In.m lo a long sapling. Tim •on t lie top is a sort ol Hat noose with string long enough to tench il ""n to .lie end ..1 the upright so as m enable him to 11 • 1 1 1 ••. the noose when require.!. Tie lods are h\ed on tiie gee si that ill" . iof tl.e Hocso ... j.i •' ol.nvc dm

in tiie densest part ot rln* loliago. All is now ready lor business. ’1 lie caplive bird yells out and .all tbe kakas foi a mile round luiii v up to see wltals

: I mat' Cl' wi' Il bill!. .alight :ttg on ;*c ■ml. I’bc moment tbe darkic secs a bird

.. 'ioi • c il.t' *- tic string v! i catches it by the claws. Then lie draws it dow it towa.ds him. Tim veil - ol the as'onisbc.l captive brings mote birds round in an excited state. The binl i aught is killed by a Idle on (lie bead ami dropped lo the ground, and the wand and noose put up again. When once the birds get excited it keeps an active Maori or while man busily employed hauling in and killing. Tbe binls are not in the slightest degree afraid of the man, and he can relieve liis feelings by yelling as much as lie likes.

i know a Maori who got. over a bundled kakas in an hour or two this way, and might have caught more, but trantie with success be tumbled off the li'o among the dead birds, lie wasn’t burl however, and lie looks back mi that dav as a bright spot in his existence. To those |M‘oph‘ who are tun still ill the joints or too timid to eapei among the hranrhes of a tree forty left I rum the ground, the host way is to get a double barrelled gun and sit under a (Ice with the decoy hird. 11l general vottr decoy bird w ill make noise enough but if not, give him a whack on the bead, or slit him tip in the tilts with the ramrod. He will soon start swearing. As the kakas come round you can bl tze away. There are not so many caught this way as the other, the noise o| the gun scaring them away alter a while. Hut then all yon have to tin is to shift to another tree some distance nwiiv. These are the two best ways to catch kaka when they ate pleiililul as they are at certain seasons. Single ones ran lie caught with a noose or caught with a pigeon spear, but those ways ;uc not very sure. \\ itliout a docov t-he birds can he collected hv imitating their different calls, or making a M'laping sound with a lile and an old match box.

11l mentioning decoy birds which :ir<“ list'd I mill for wekas and kakas, it is certainly a moan way Ui use olio nl their foiiiilryiiHjii to de<‘oy t.lio ot!u*r t * * 1 lioii <U»sit«h. No wondor the fret? hinls li;»vt» a down «>u roiioginles. 1 hnvo soon a sheep ill a slaughter yard lending liis innocent relations in droves to tin* killing |x»n, popping through a wicket made expressly for liim, wluni lie laid ilu* unfortunates fairly penned. Unit animal didn’t .have pangs of conscience to trouble itself with. I have often wondered wlial its reception will he in the next world when he enters the valhalla of sheep. Rather lively limes he will have or might to have. At some seasons the kakas become so fat they can’t fly, hnl must make for a tree and climb up to safely. At such times they can he caught by dogs who whip them off the ground with evident delight. Once up the tree the bird isj

safe. 'They display considerable ingenuity when climbing, keeping the barrel of the tree between them and the enemy—with a passable gun peeping round with a comical expression to see how tiie land lies and mocking the man or encouraging itself with derisive veils. THE KEA KHA.

This hird is slightly larger than the kaka, with green as its prevailing colour, instead of brown. Otherwise it is verv nearly the same in genet til aftpea lance. but in moral character and vocal abilities it. is far inferior. It frequents the mountain ranges, perching like a miniature condor on dizzy pre-

cipices. Unlike the kakas who have a dozer different, cries, the kca has just one weird key a key. hence its name. Sounding like the wail of a lost spirit, the cry is rather a startling sensation. While climbing a dangerous precipice suggesting a possible corpse lying a thousand feet below with the kca standing on the head picking out the eyes. That is just what they would do il fhey got the chance. |'\ir curiosity and impudence the kea takes the record among all the feathered creation. The moment they see a man coming into their haunts they Hock round and billow him as ii they were til raid lie was going to steal some ol their property, or perhaps they have hopes lie will break his neck. When walking, two or three lords are pacing along in front, while a lew more bring „p the rear. The rest are living from rock to rock, shouting their war cry. Il he sits down, round they come, hopping about within a few feet ot him. They will often alight on a gun barrel or a stick it held out lo them. .Many a time in the mountains I have had to get up in the early morning lo save tin’ tent fly from being torn to pieces by the kcas, and a survey trig wit It new calico on must be a regular godsolid to tlie birds.

Kcas are easily knocked down with a stone or a stick, hut they arc too knowing to be snared in the ordinary wav. I once laid a large noose Hal on rlic ground with string attached and a piece of while paper in the centre. Standing hack a few yards I waited in hopes that the birds would see the pnper, Imt they also saw the noose and ,11, one would cross the unknown danger. They walked round it in a critical manner, looked at me and skirled. \, hist a more venturous one suddenly p 111,. 1 the line I held in my hand. gave It a jerk which earned the noose aw a \ from the paper, which was at carried iiwat with a triumphant \ i‘,l.

Every time a fellow goes among the ues lu* socs some iu*w Jinlif nr pit'i-o •i >’ : M ll >1 It 1 1 ‘lift* Slllinllj' l Ik* ]\<':is. Flk*> li:i\ • taken to s!i line down the rool> of the iron lints Covernmeilt have pul I. , I'll, toil) is!s, ;...'.ing turn about at the amusement. Once I was reposing on a laige Hat rock when litc kcas v j. | Tun stood at one end (| l tic lock, evidently wailing for some -..it oi peri oi ma mc. 1 lie other tlnee placed themselves ill a low almost at my feet. Then one started an altitude ' i [op;, al : ,nd skipped towards the oi !iei two at the end of the rock, hut was receive,l with a yell of derision lie Stepped to one : hie as if ill the

sulks. Then another one did the same ami was received in the same manner, itul so with the lliitd. Now call an\-

"lie tell me W Imt those birds were ilo\Yc. ll.i". (laming, the skills being the music. There is a bird in Arlslralia that 1 believe dances in ln.nl of his house, but I am not aware lhe.\ . ciusical nerm. paniment. Or were 'he lii ds i-out ting. Ihe two by ihomM'lvcs bi'ine, eligible voting ladies, the ~ , lorn i..:,. helms showing oil l heir pat es. They put on airs enough fill' that purpose. However, they re pel formance niusn’t have been satisI'actcrv. as thev Hew away an I lelt l’ . | i i!..s V US'.'il U l .

\ Maori once told me a good way to -1,1, kens. It was to get a sheet or card or two oi i. 1 i■' > and lie down unde, it. Tim binls mistaking it for a

patch ot snow alight on il and are easilv caught by hand, so the vile aboriginal said, and as the arrangement sound leasible enough I tried it, but instead of catching the kea the kca

caught me. The moment I gtahhed the bird’s leg, beak and talons were through the calico anil 1 was obliged to

confess that the sheet wits correct as a t,ap, hut. that an ordinary mortal would require to lie sheathed in plate and armour boline commencing business. lu parts of this Island where die kca lias a price put nil Ids head they may be shy, hut any I bare seen arc as curious and audacious as mentioned. They are so easily tamed that when caught and tied by the leg they will in a few hours eat butter or Hit out ul coin band, and it also il they get a chance. Some people say they can he taught to sjtoak. but about this I am doubtful, having tried them with no results and nevei heard that any one else succeeded.

They are not a desirable bird about the house. Mischievous as a kaka is, he is primeval innocence compared to a kca kca. A good industrious hird w ill in a few hours make a wreck ol a hut, tearing the thatch nil die tool, digging holes in the blankets, towels, clothes and smashing plates, and they can work with an energy and skilful knowledge of weak points in garments which is astonishing. Unlike the kakas who live on ncctor and ambrosia, the kea will eat an\thing, licrries, tools, million, beef and carrion ot all descriptions. It is said to be a bird that has changed its naAn it* from a hii oiiinivtMon prowler, hut I am doubtful of this Mutton didn't exist, in New Zealand at one time, so kea hadn’t, a chance ol getting any, Imt I am certain lie didn’t always live on tools as is said. The reason the kea lias a price put on bis head is they are accused whether josllv or unjustly of killing sheep, digging'a hole through the living animal to get at the kidney fat, hilt I am doubtful about this yarn. I never saw one standing on a galloping sheep, although I have seen them pecking at

one that had died from natural causes, and iiiiv shepherd I have asked about litis kea vice laughed at the idea.

They no dould acquired a taste tor mutton in the hack country of Otago, win-re beef and million was run up a high polo, or the branches of a tree to keep if fresh and from the rats. Krom (hat thev took to dead sheep, every

hillside always having a few lying about. Resides, how could the birds do it. A sheep is not such a foolish | animal as not to roll on the bird, and

erttsli it by sheer weight. Kea couldn’t possibly get his claws out of the wool in time. Once a bird landed oil my dog’s hack, but with fatal results. The dog tumbled a summersault and had him before be could disentangle himself’. It is said that only one ken’s nest has ever been i’ound. M bother this’s really the ease .1 can’t say, but is is probable. Row people ever go to the .home of the birds, and they no doubt build in such inaccessible places that not to come across their nest is not so very surprising. Although the kea’s wings are rounded like those ol a weak flying bird, they have wonderful powers of flight, and a generalship in using the wind to assist them. I fiave seen them coming straight up the face of a precipice with a huriicaue blowing and not losing an inch ot ground, and the only evidence ol effort was a quivering of the wing feathers. Tltis mnv appear wonderful, but it was generalship. The bird keeping a loot ot two from the precipice was in reality working nit in an eddy.

(To bo continued)