NATIVE BIRDS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 3931, 16 April 1929, Page 4

NATIVE BIRDS.

MANY IN RANOrffiKEI. General pleasure and a degree of surprise that native t>irds should be so plentiful in part of the district were expressed by (members of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society last (week. When the following report was read from Mr.T. Andi'ews, the ranger in the Manaiwatu circuit: “While ranging the upper reaches of the ißiangitikei River I was amazed at the number and variety of native ,birds to ibe seen. We camped by a Ibldetk of ibush coimprising about 3,000 acres. This bush was composed of black and brown birch, with an oiefoasional totara. The hell-bidrs were literally in their thousands. Whiteheads, rifleman wren, and whiter eye (were also numerous. Tomtits were in fair numbers and an occasional pi_ed fantail Was to be seen. Tuis were there, but were not plentiful. The harrier hawk, the sparrow (hawk, and another hawk that was strlange to me were observed. This strange hawk was smaller than the harrier, and appeared to have no fear, allowing me to approach within four or five, yards of it. Two kaka. put in an appearance about dusk, but they were the only ones seen. At night, woodhen and morepork were to be heard on all sides, and appeared to be very numerous. Kiwi were heard calling, bit 'they did not appear to be plentiful. To hear the ,bell-birds calling was indeed most beautiful. I cannot understand how such a vareity of birds find .substance in .such unpromising surroundings as birch forest.”

The secretary (Mr C. I. Dasent) said that he bad been told by people living at Eastbourne, Wellington, that they had never knoiwn native birds so plentiful. Mr Tripp, who presided, said that he had '.quite recently gone through the tunnel at Wainui, and had seen numbers of pigeons and White-eyes. He had long advocated the planting of flowering and berry-producing trees so as to increase the food supply for native birds. It would soon be the planting season, and he urged anyone considering planting to relmiemiber the birds and plant some trees as a food supply for ther. He had often noticed pigeons in Canterbury eating laurel berries and laburnum leaves and the bellbirds feeding on the honey on the eucalyptus trees. The planting of such trees meant that the birds were attracted nearer the homesteads or /houses and had a much better .chance of surviving, because the nearer civilisation they were the better dogs and cats kept down or frightened away their great enemies, stoats, weasels, and rats. He had a list of suitable exotic trees prepared by the late Mr T. ,W. Adams, of Greenldale, Canterbury, but it was important that they should also plant native flowering or berryproducing trees. He had been going into the question with Mr Andersen, of the Turnbull Library, who was a leading authority on birds, and, with the curator of Kapiti Island, Mr Wilkinson, was preparing a list of trees Which should be planted. He hoped to have the list printed and published.