THE LAND BIRDS OF WESTLAND.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 November 1921, Page 4

THE LAND BIRDS OF WESTLAND.

(Written by tlie late Mr Ohaj-les Douglas, the well-known explorer of the mountains of Westland.) (Continued.) THE CANARY. So called because its prevailing colour is yellow. They arc very hke a t,hc iluiii'' count ry yellow hammer. At one time they were common all over the countrv, but now they must he veryrare. Cats again. 1 have not seen olio f„r years even in the uninhabited South. The diggers used to call them the.; storm bird, as they made their appearance in flocks just before rain, accompanied by another bird to Ire next 'mentioned. They indicated a change ol weather better than any barometer. Most probably they scatter all over the country from the sea to the grass line in good weather, and when a change isthreatening they draw together, not that the approaching storm a fleets them hut it brings out numerous insects in certain localities for the hiids to fi-HJCI OH. The canary goes chirping about like „ sparrow and they have no peculiarities worth writing about. IT’S SHADOW. This bird appears along with the ean-J,,-y just before rain. It is a greenish, hull' colour in plumage, and is a very small bird, not half the size of its substance. I have called it the canary s *'illilow simple Itecause I never heard :„y name given it. Unlike .he canary it has not <lisai>i>eiirecl, but rnn still

der the usual circumstances, notifying a storm. Why it should survive. and the other vanish is one o loc many mysteries of bird lile "c hav» ,el to fathom. THE EANTAIE.

There are two or more varieties or this prc'.tv little bird with its long tail and monkey- face. Whether the black and white and the blink one are male

ami female or rliflerent species J. am 1,,,) sure. I can see no difference except in plumage. Tlxty are about the size of a wren and have a tail ihroo inches long, which they can spread out at pleasure like a fail. They are entirely insectivorous, feeding on sundllies. moMpiitoos and other insects, hunting always oil the wing, using their tail not. only as a rudder bill apparently as a sort of natural broom ariosi ing the flight of the insects and sweeping them towards it. Their skill in catching samlllies is wniiilei fill. They will sweep round a man, pick a fly oil Ins nose. alight for an instant on his hat. whit I round, capturing (lies l«.v the dozen, and ill a few minutes not. one

will I,C seen. The lantnil would he in valuable in Westland if a fellow conk mile tame one and carry it about will him. They would soon have the ten , haired ol objectionable blood suckers

!,;;l alas, they won’t lame, clearing out v. believei their hunting i' done and to pictures new. When two are lighting i lev are so deeply interested in the , mnhat tluil, I have caught the pair grappling together and even when in my hand the two would glare delianro • each other. When caught they must 1,, very caicfullv handled, as the whole „l ,he tail leathers come out at the

slightest tout’ll. The fa mail was a very r ommoii bird at one time in the New I Zealand hush. Now they are scarce, [.'•'till a few are to fie see" all over the 1-011111 ry. They have a sort of twittering song. Al least it docs duly for a x.ilp, in i ln*U oLimation. THE NEW ZEM.AND ROBIN. Al one time I would have required assistance oi all the Allises and Bacchus in hoot to sing the praises of this well-known bird, hut an adventure f once had with a couple of them in this country—and they .no the same frauds as at Inline--considerably modified my ■,|nll ain - about t fa'Sc birds, it makes one wild When I Miink that us a. child i have even wept at ihe t-nlo of the babes In the wood, and centred my sympathies oil the noble cock robins who covered them with leaves. Poetry and legend have combined in howling impegerie* on this bullying. ill-temper-ed greedy little cannibal. To hear a lot of ladies talking thus when they see a robin. "Oh! the dear innocent little tiling. Oh! look at the, confiding expression in its dear little eyes etc., etc ’ makes me wild.

A lot ot robins burying the l>abc*s with haves is totally against their nature. The first thing they would have done would have been to tight, like savages for the chance of picking out the cherub's eyes. Why, two robins can’t within ten yards of each other without a tight, Then again that other piece of nonsense about the bird singing its song oi love to its mate who is silting on the nest, soothing hei weary labours with its cheerful note. Song of love be hanged. That song is the wretch’s manner of swearing at the other cock robins. I know by the expression of their countenance that is what they are doing. If we only knew ihe language of birds like King Solomon, we would find its song of love was Mood of Billingsgate that would disgrace a bullock driver. Even if it was as poets say, wouldn’t it Ik> ii nioro practical mode ol showing their love if they carried worms to her instead of nhoep, cheep, clutter, ehittoriug on a I,ranch all day, only making fools of themselves, as no one is taken in by the imposture. But. to my tale. One day when reposing alongside a bush track, my attention was attracted by a couple of robins who were playfully hopping about., jumping on my head or standing on my breast, innocently looking in my face with that earnest gaze so peculiar to them. Here 1 thought is a noble confidence imposed in man, perhaps an innocent desire to worship what to its innocent mind appears a superior being dropped from the assure skies. Where, I thought, getting heroic, is the villain who would injure confiding innocence where the lieing who could write anything but praise of this noble songster. No doubt I thought those two birds will go home to their young and tell about a noble looking being who feeds them on crumbs. While going on in this strain, a donkey passed along with that sleepy contemplative look that only a donkey with nothing to do. or a horse towed behind a bullock j ; a v ~nn put on. Hopping after it were two robins, and humiliating to relate, my two left me a lord of creation to ii s ht with the other two for the hon„,7,- of following that long eared-, quadruped. It may he sad, but alas, it is true the robin only follows man about the bush because he turns, up (

grubs and worms with bis two hoofs and they would like him all the better if he had four.

When the robin is looking so earnestly at you, showing every now and again a tuft.of white feathers at the root of his beak, the wretch is only thinking how he can gauge your eyes out. 1 know that is the meaning of the look. The white tuft shows when they are lighting other robins and throw a dead pigeon down before them and (lie same tuft. appears as they start to get out the bird’s eyes, the first place they always make for. 1 know it would he far better if we could think otherwise believe or maUebelievo in the pretty legends of our youth that have cast a. halo of protection round the robin and a few other birds. The story of the. red breast plucking the thorn from the brow of the dying Christ was not written in vain. It. has saved generations of robins from the shanghai of the small hoy. To speak of the expression of a bird's eve is not nonsense as most people would imagine. As said before birds and animals have their likes and dislikes and to an observer it is the eyes that show what they are thinking about. Take the eye of a living hawk and a living pigeon. One shows pure cruelty and savagedom ; the other ipiicl, harmless stupidity. How innocent a sheep looks, yet watch the eyes ol two rams engaged in battle. They Hash and glare with hate in every glance. That some birds, like many dogs, have a sense of humour J am certain. A .jackdaw looking down a marrow hone is funny. The bird may not feel so. The expression may have some anxiety in it. The bone might be empty, hut no one can deny the weka a sense ol humour wlm has once seen its backward glance when disappearing in the hush with nil ivory handled pocket knite or a long cherished meerschaum.

To return to the robin, with the exception that it has a white breast instead of a red one and is slightly larger if I recollect, the New Zealand robin is the counterpart of the Home country species with all its tameness, impudence and villainy. Any lint in the hush that docs not keep a cat is sure to have one as a permanent residenter, and who is ready at any moment to assert his rights against all other robins. As the one who first comes derives a soil ol moral lorce ill right of possession he generally manages to keep his place, celebrating with a song of triumph every successful ciilounter. Although, like human beings V hen he gets licked, he doesn’t go about ihe country mentioning the Inct. The song ol the robin is something like that of the cage canary, <|uite as vaiicd and pmlniiged. and 111 my opinion softer toned. They sing at all seasons, even in winter when most hiids are silent, ami I consider it the Inst ol the solo singers in the country till ihr cmw is educated. They will.

limucci. iiovoi he a cage binl as he si ion mopes lo death in captivity, lie was horn free and scorns slavery even ill n gilt cage and does noi trouble about iiis loud. BIRDS OK PASSAH K. THE t'l'CKOl).

This bird coming 1 believe I mill the South Sea Islands, makes its appear-

ance in Westland ill the early spring and goes skilling about the hush making believe to la l a hawk. It is very diliiciilt. to catch a glimpse of them, as they lie low on the limbs of the trees, and being a sort ot ventriloquist you can’i toll by the sound in what direction limy arc. Their cry hears some tcsomhlaiiec to 1 he home bird, only they have not the distinct cuckoo ot that bj.ii, a n.. 10 best known m the Old Country, proceeding Irom ancient clocks. Whether the New Zealand bird has the same mean way of getting rid of fainil', cares 1 don’t know, hut think it must do so. The reason the cuckoo leaves the Islands is not far to seek. Tim birds whne it comes from know it too well to he sold, and get oil their n,. s ts to aee.miiiiod ite it. In this Island the birds tail knowing the fraud he is and -thinking it a haw k get oil m a hairy, leaving cuckoo to deposit

ils I'gu;. THE t lIEt'K SHIRT OR SPIRIT BIRD.

This is another Island visitor, and is said to he of the cuckoo s|R'cies, Imt it has none of that bird’s manners ami customs. Whether it lays its eggs in Other bird’s nests I don’t know. It »I>penes to keep more to the honchos, turtboring among the low hushes and showing ns little as possible. At -one time i 1 was fairly niimoroiis; now it is very seldom seen. 1 have not seen one for years, and the reason is, if the bird is a cuckoo then as the birds he at one time loafed on have almost disappeared from many districts, lie may as well keep away at home and learn to build a nest of his own like a respectable and honest bird. The name check shirt is local, and was given on account of its In-east being marked with Thick and white like Scotch tweed ■ shirts. The other name spirit bird, 1 gave myself. It. was suggested Irom a story told me by an old whaler, who spun a yarn about the bird, its origin, and the fatal powers it possessed against auy one who injured them. The story can he read in the legend of the spirit bird written over thirty years ago, hut where that voracious narrative is 1 don’t, know at present. TOM TITS.

There are evidently several varieties of tom tits or wood packers as some people call them, hut I will only mention them, as the birds are not of much interest. They are tame like the robin and will often Imild their nests in the thatch of a house or even inside with no fear whatever of the residents. 1 watched a pair feeding their young and they had hard work from daylight to dark of a young summer’s day without a moment’s rest. They apparently didn’t go far for food, as no sooner had one bird It'd tin* young and tie" away than the other flew in with a fresii supply. The young ones were always on the ga]X' and their stowage capacity must have been enormous. In many districts where the other hiids have almost if not entirely vanished, the tom tit alone remains, Iml they are few compared to what they once wore. One variety makes its nest in a hole in a tree and feeds more on grubs and small worms, poking its beak into every crack and cran.v where insects are likely to be. The other variety live on seeds and berries, but worms are not refused. Tame as the tom tits are they have none of the impudence of the robin and don’t eat anything handy.

(To be continued)