File:Mutton birds and other birds (1914) (14562039249).jpg

Identifier: muttonbirdsother00guth (find matches)
Title: Skua's Egg on bed of Sedum-Kane-te-toe, in Mutton birds and other birds
Year: 1914 (1910s)
Authors: Guthrie-Smith, H. (Herbert), 1861-1940
Subjects: Birds -- New Zealand
Publisher: Christchurch, N.Z. : Whitcombe and Tombs
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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the still vexed birds sweeping in long beats to and fro above their grey nestlings crouching in the gale. Thus separated by the islands width I have watched the Sea Hawk poised for long like a Windhover in the air, its fully-extended legs straightened beneath it, as are momentarily a Harrier's when voiding its excrement. Although the Sea Hawk will pounce and swoop in a really terrifying manner, neither sex will, as will the female of the New Zealand Falcon, stand on guard over the nestlings and seem to consent to share their fate; nor will either bird dare, in my experience, actually to strike. I had much wanted to study the Sea Hawk at close quarters, but on account of the parent gulls' disinclination to approach their chicks, nothing could be done in the time available. During this November visit to Herekopere—a favourite Mutton Bird resort be it remembered—the inflight of that species lasted rarely more than about thirty minutes. Nor could there, I think, have been more than a few
PLATE XVI.
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Skua's Egg on bed of Sedum-Kane-te-toe.
AND OTHER BIRDS 41
thousand birds of this breed visiting the island, at any rate there never seemed to be in the sky at one period, more than a few score. The vast immbers we had been led to expect were disapiiointingly absent. The influx, too, of such birds as did appear varied in numbers from night to night. Each evening, too, the hours of arrival differed, on one occasion none arriving until half-past eight. Our expeiience of the spring and early summer of 1911 on the Mutton Bird islands made easily credible what I afterwards heard,—that the birding season of 1912 was the worst ever known in the trade. The majority of burrows in fact were too wet to be used. The Mutton Bird digs deeper than any of the other Petrels to be found in these parts, and often the termination of his tunnel was soft bog or even sometimes a shallow pool of foul, stagnant water. The paucity of occupied burrows may have, in part, accounted for our inability to discover a sitting bird

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