Bird Events

I have always had a passing interest in birds and generally what surrounds me, so I thought I would jot down some events about birds that may be of interest.

I was timber cruising at Tuatapere early 1963 - oh timber cruising? This was assessing merchantable indigenous timber in standing trees. Sawmills would bid for the timber on the basis of the volume we assessed. You had to careful though because if the mill out turn proved less than you had assessed, you would have to go back and find where your mistake was - that is over rough cutover bush. Then of course if the sawmiller cut more than you assess, he is very pleased, but you have done the government out of revenue!

Anyway, one day I was hunting there and stalked a noise that I was unfamiliar with. It was a rare native parrot the Kakapo. I never reported this but there you are - I have seen one in the wild!

Kakapo

At the same time as this (roughly) I saw an Australian Magpie in our camp compound. Now I have always been familiar with this pest. Yes it is a pesky introduced bird to New Zealand! It has been known to rob the nests of our indigenous birds.

Aussie Magpie

The Magpie is an aggressive bird and will attack people and the Harrier Hawk, but our indigenous Tui will chase Magpies out of their territory. We have been feeding Tui and Bellbird at our home for a number of years. But Tui disappeared for a number of years. One day, possibly 1967, I was walking by along the road, just at the start of Middle Ridge Road when I was attraced by the sound of wing movement, and when I looked up, I saw a lone Tui flying above me.

Then for some years, I saw no Tui around the forest. However after we purchased the Fraser Block (South Block) out by Trig J for a period of time time (weeks) we could regularly hear the calling of Tui. Then, I can't remember the exact year, maybe 1976, a lone Tui turned up at the feed bowl Albert tended at Forest HQ for the Bellbirds. We thought this so remarkable, that I phone the Acclimatisation Society who told me that this was probably an outcast male bird that would probably die. However the bird continued to feed, and one day another appeared, then another and gradually a population thrived in the area and many people are now feeding them. Certainly at our place I have seen as many as five juveniles at one time. Another name for these birds is 'parson bird' because the distinctive white feather at the throat looks like a Clerical Collar.

Albert used to feed the birds, he had a contact who supplied sugar sweepings from a factory and he mixed it with water and this attracted the nectar eating birds. There was this myth about Bellbirds locally, they were referred to as Mokkers because it was perceived they would mock calls (whistles) that people made. This is not exactly correct. They will answer your whistle if you or imitate theirs, but in fact the Tui are more likely to mock other birds. Now about Bellbirds - Banks and other early observers painted Bellbirds with purple 'cheeks' - the purple actually was pollen from the native flowering tree fuchsia.

It should be recorded also that Richard Matches carried out research for a thesis to prove that Bellbirds had a localised language, a dialect if you like. Those tapes of his must be somewhere? This guy also recorded (no too sure if it was local at Herbert) the call of the now extinct Laughing Owl! I remember that the was very upset to find that someone at the university or museum had inadvertently wiped the tape clean! Actually he was gutted!

It is said that the call of the Shining Cuckoo heralds spring and it is time to plant potatoes! Very often the Shining Cuckoo can be heard around home but they are very had to see close up. These birds lay their egg in another bird's nest and once hatched, the chick will push the other chicks out and the foster parents raise the young Cuckoo. Anyway one day a Shining Cuckoo flew into a widow and was killed. It was in good shape, so I looked at it closely and sent it off to Otago Museum and I have no idea what they did with it.

I hope it has been useful. These birds migrate and return in the spring.

The other event of note was 1973 when for the first time we saw a Spurwinged Plover on Linday Clearwater's flat below Fraser Block. These are squawking birds from Australia too and serve no useful purpose here.
They also attack you if you pass by their nest and they obviously fly at night because you often hear their calls.

The NZ Wood Pigeon is also common now in our locality. The Maori prized this bird for food, but these days they are protected and numbers have increased. They browse on Tree Lucerne, Broom, Willow and other soft vegetation at this time of the year. Later when the cherry plumbs are ripening, they feast on them, spitting the stone out as they eat. The Kereru mates for life and so are most often seen in pairs.

One time - maybe 1985/6 we often heard what sounded like turkeys gobbling in Hoods Creek. None were ever seen & this remains a mystery today - though few would ever remember!

Some time 1986 after a burn in the Trotters Gorge block, the very clean fire revealed a small gold mining claim with a water race and it was obvious that some sluicing had taken place. In a rock overhang we found a gold pan and small board that was used for extracting gold. Further up the ridge we found a shaft that we plugged up for safety reasons. But in a small area of swampy tussock we heard the loud wind beat, and later identified the elusive Fernbird. Not many people see these birds, and I recall taking a group of Forest & Bird Society people to view them.