THE LANd BIRDS OF WESTLAND.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 November 1921, Page 4

THE LANd BIRDS OF WESTLAND.

(Written by the late Mr Charles, Dmijrlas, the well-known explorer of, the mountains of Westland.) j (Conclusion). THE A I. HA Tit OSS. At one time the albatross could no seen in considerable numbers oil the coast of Southern Westland, hut now thev are rare, although far out to sea they may be as numerous as ever. They are beautiful birds to see on the wing, sailing along without any apparent effort and when going against the wind a few la.zy flaps is sufficient to take them against a hurricane. I have often wondered what rale they could travel at if they really meant business. What a pity it is they couldn’t he trained. What splendid ocean postmen they would make, but no doubt they are* too stupid or perhaps too intelligent to he used for his purposes. 1 don’t know if this intelligence wo hear so much about is alt advantage to the lower creation. At least, perhaps, it is some advantage to dogs who are generally used for hunting, an occupation he glories in. But look at the horse, working all his life at wlmt must be uncongenial labour and ending his days in the tan yard. The elephant rolls logs, drags cannon to battle, a slave all the days of his life, while the stupid alligator and the clumsy hippoputoiuas wallows comfortably in the mud and laugh at him. on don t catch them towing a canal boat or wheeling a truck. There is a rather romantic story that went the round ol the papers some lew years ago, where an albatross actually acted as a messenger, hut unfortunately it died in

A dead albatross was found oil the beach near Fremnant lo or some part ol Western Australia. I don’t recollect which, and it doesn’t matter. Tied tightly round the bird’s neck which was the cause of its death -was a string with a notice attached, stating that a French vessel had been wrecked on the Cmzets, four thousand miles awny, and the survivors had sent the bird with its message on the faint chance of persons finding it. The string was so tight round the bird s neck that it couldn't swallow, so died ol starvation, hut it succeeded in crossing the Indian Ocean before tailing dead on an Australian beach. Although no doubt, the bird (lid his duty iNa.heileiilly he dcseivcd a monument. I'ulike many sea messages this one was t, ue. Notice was sent to the Ca|H' and a \ esse I called at the Croz.zets and found that a shipwiei Led crew of I ienehmen had really been left stranded mi the Ihi i roll rocks, hut they had left ill their limit and no dolllit pciished at sea. ;fs they were never heard ol

Sailin'. treat the .ilh.M mss 'em , i nellv. giving as an excuse that the hmls will attack a man in the water or even on a raft and tear his lace oil. 1 can't tell whet her t his really is true. The bird certainly has a beak capable ol tearing aiivlhing. Til K SPOTTED ALBATROSS.

I don’t know what this bird is like. 1 never saw one before or since, and no one appears to have ever seen if. It was exactly like an albatross, only smaller. It was snow white like that bird, only it it was spotted all over with blood red spots about the size of a tlircp-pouny hit. Four id us wore in a whaleboat coming up the coast and pulling for life against a coining northerly gale, when the bird made its sip issuance where from no one knew. The first sign of it was when the Ibid alighted for a second or so oil one ol the oars, then dropped into the water astern. When a few chains away it got up, llew ahead of us for a few chains, then dropped into the water and awaited utti coining. When we got tip it juni|H'(l on the oat again, and su on lor near!, halt an hour. As it was so close we had a good look at it. and wondered what it was, whether bird or devil. One of us—a Highland man—who had been lishiug round the Western Isles, declared it was a spiiil and a sure harbinger of woe, and' implored .me to shoot it, which I wouldn’t do. The bird was so confiding and beautiful and 1 reminded the Celt of the awful fate that overtook the ancient mariner. It turned out the bird was not an omen of disaster, as we safely reached shelter lielorc the storm came on. Now can anyone say what that bird really wits. Was it some unknown bird Imm the Antartie or what ? THU CAN NET.

This hird is now rarely seen except in the far south of Westland. It is aluuisi a beautiful bird oil the wing as the albatross, only it is not so gracclul and is much smaller. It Hies over the water a hundred feet in the air, watching for prey. When it sees a suitable iisli. it what might he called, upends itself and dashes down like a Hash of light, going a considerable distance under the water with the force of the plunge and no doubt is as sure ol the fish as the. kiugslisher. The bird’s performance is a tine example of high diving. The gunnel of tliis country is evidcntlv allied to the Hass Rock bird in Scotland, hut it is not so large, and lias brown markings instead ol black. FENOUTINS. There are two varieties ol this preadamite looking bird—the king or crested penguin which is the largest, and the jack which is much smaller and far more numerous. The crested ponguin is seldom to be found north ol Jacksons, blit, below that they are fairly numerous. Roth it and the jack arc too well-known in need any description as to their ap|>cnranee either on land or water. They are rather formidable birds when on shore for a dog that doesn’t know how lo tackle. I have seen a valorous king |>enguiii with its hack to a rock keep at hay three dogs, and a man had better take ,-arc his lingers don’t get 100. near that formidable beak. It is a wonderful thing to see a penguin coming through the surf. How he manages lo dodge or dive under the sea ami escape lieing dashed on the rocks, is only known to themselves. A grebe as a diver, is nowhere with him. Out at sea the penguin swims very low and looks at a distance like a sick or water-logged duck, and on land their gait is more amusing than graceful. They come on shore in some places in hundreds and generally at night, and proceed inland at once, marching straight over everything like a kiwi j„ ft hut, and if a tent is pitched on the bench with door facing the sou, they

march right and and try to get through the hack. Their cry-is like the wail of a baby and is weird and disagreeable at night when a fellow wants sleep. Any man contemplating matrimony ought to spend a month or two among the penguins and will have some idea of what is ahead of him. Penguins are an article of commerce now. The skin of the king is valuable for ttiiilf trimmings, and the jacks are captured in hundreds by the sealers who salt them down. The skins go to Europe and the bodies to China, so I have been told, for what purpose except eating, I don’t know. As far as my experience goes penguins as an article of food are epicurean. The shag and it can go together. They have the same red herring and guano sauce flavour.

1 know a good few white men who have lived for months on penguin and they said they were splendid. Perhaps it is an acquired taste that most of us have got out of. According to history shags and porpoise were a table luxury when dining with kings. One thing f noticed about those who lived on penguins got clear skinned and fat. Su the flesh must he healthy eating. However, that might lie. 1 would much rather have cholera or rheumatism than live on such unholy food, it is unnecessary to sav anything about the penguin's flight as they can’t fly, their wings being more in the nature of iins, lnit if they can’t fly penguin with his wanitling gait, manages to toddle miles inland for breeding purposes. Although they are only the more adventurous spirits who do so. As a rule most of the birds just enter the scrub from the beach and no more. If there arc any open sand hills cleat ot the surf tho,\ won’t even go in the hush, but will make the rabbit-like holes in the sand.

THE SEA SI lAO 'Phis is n very common bird ill South Westland and is evidently a near relation of the cormorant, if it is not actually that liird. Although it comes on shore to feed at the mouths oi the rivers, it never trees far inland like the slmg. At the mouth of the ilaast and other rivers where they are not disturbed, they lino the hanks in hundreds, waiting for the whitebait and other fish as they come in with the rising tide. As the tide recedes and tlsh become scarce, they fly off in droves to Open Hay Island where their home is. Those who have got .a good gorge sit in a meditative mood on the rocks, waiting patiently for the next tide, while those who are still hungry try their hand -beak I mean at deep sea fishing. They must he possessed ol some wonderful instinct or have an almanac, more correct than those we generally get with piltont medicine advertisements and beautiful tradesmen's ohromos, and the moment the tide turns they arc off to the month ol Iheit river again. Where the main moli bat'll | can’t say. \ good many no doubt reside on o|ien Hay Island and un the lew rocky islands further south, inti there must hr other places further south, probably the Sounds, where they can hatch their young in ]>eace. Open Hay Island is not large enough for the mobs that frequent ()]>en Hay. At any rate wherever they go it is not inland, and they don’t make their nests on trees like the shag. GULES. There are a number of varieties of gulls, hut 1 will only mention two. They are the liesf known and are all over the sea benches. The large white gull is common in most parts of the world where sea exists. They generally hatch their young on the beaches where they can often he. seen in hundreds, lull many of them go up the large rivers and hatch on the oiren grass and stoney Hats. Even when not breeding they still go inland towards evening, and if a storm is brewing a large number of gulls coining up from the sea is a sure indication of had weather. They are not entirely tish eaters like su many sen birds, as they are often to be seen on trees picking berries or capturing locusts in hundreds. Still it is only when shell fish and stranded fish are scarce that they look otherwise than to the sea for their food. Alter a storm when all sorts of eatables are thrown up the gull is in clnver, hut alter a long spoil of dry weather they will eat anything, even a drowned man.

The large gull if cauglat young is very easily tamed round a place. They don’t require to he caged except for the firsi few days, hut they are not desi] able about a house. They have a weakness for lien’s eggs, young chicks and anything handy. It they survive a charge of powder in a blow from a

slick they "ill live about the same liutise liu years, going away for the brooding season, coining hack to the old place as winter comes on, sure ol something to eat. Coming hack they don’t bring their family or loai on friends, which shows sense. In Otago and Canterbury they "ill Inllow l lie plough as in tin* liritish Isles and aie rcs|MS'ted by the farmers, or ought to be. The small gull is far more plentiful than the large one, hut is more local, remaining iu mobs of thousands in one district. It is interesting visiting their breeding grounds. The nests are simply small depressions in the sand and are often so close together that it is iliHiciilt to walk among them without treading on thorn. The bird pays little attention to a man. They will get oil their nests if there Is danger of being trodden on, hut the moment that man has passed down they are on their eggs again. It is a wonder how among so many they can find their nests again if they once leave them, or know their itivn young one without lighting over ii. I’erluips the fearful squealing and shrieking continually going on is their mode ol settling disputes.

It this gull is far smaller than the other one, what he wants in size he makes lip iu noise. To lie walking along a beach with a few millions yelling round you is ear-piercing. I he sound is like a lot o! liners blowing oil steam. This small gull or the big , om> either, can’t possess much sense ur liertHlititry instinct, as often tlvey will lay their eggs on the usual sandspit. and when all is going on swimmingly an unusually heavy sea will come and pile their eggs in heaps among the drift. The eggs of the two varieties of gulls are tolerable eating, and arc very uselul at certain seasons. The old Maori must have blessed them. They would last a good while if judicious robbed, as after their nests have been plundered they will lay again even three or four t-iipos, hut if robbed

too often they will leave the district and not return for years. The Maoris no doubt, knew this, and never drove them away. A gull rookery was always food to fall hack on in the early spring. MUTTON lIIRDS. 1 have only seen a few of these birds in Westland. There is a scarcity oT eaves and rocks suitable for them, so

they are principally to he loti ml in the Sounds round to Invercargill and on Stewart Island. They weie considered a luxury by the Maoris and early whalers who plundered their rookeries of the .voting bird just holme they could fly. They preserved them in their nwn fat in kelp hags. They might ho good eating to those who like birds rancid, hut I don’t suppose white men would cat them. I have never had a mutton bird close to find whether the bird to ho mentioned was the same. Ibis bird was black and as large as an ordinary shag. Like the albatross anil many other long-winged birds it couldu t rise from a flat surface, hut had to get a run and of! on the wing either from the crest of a wave or oil ;i cliff. 1 caught one on a flat ruck, getting between it and the sea and for curiosity we measured it across the wings. Uni only tape line was a long handled shovel. Front tip to tip the bird was two lengths of that useful tool, making it ten feet across the wings. I have described it to many, hut no one knew what it was. One individual said it was called the Antartie stormy petrel. I don’t know whether there exists such a |,i r d. At one time I thought it was the frigate bird, hut it was too lm south for that bird. It had powerful wings no doubt, hut it was too heav.x a Imdied bird to he. that ride, of the storm. Others said it was only a mutton bird, hut it looked In me a totally different being than what was p .i.itc'l out to me as that bi,d. I’m. I'mlmr ol Dunedin, didn't know what i! was and wished me to i •upitire one, hut 1 have novel seen one since. Perhaps 11 ” icallv a well-known bird, hut "iv inaccuracy ot dcsi'i ipt ion may have fused the Professor.

|„ conclusion I ly g''”" few of the best known sea birds. H varietv in Westland at least, is not > „,eat ns many imagine. Sometimes yo may travel or sail for mi'es no an down the Coast and not see a '"id. e> cept a few birds of the gull tribe or solitary shag. It all depends m, I Iced how lish are tiaveliing altei b' squill or where shellfish a,e ih,„wn up.