Vol. V. 

 1905 



I Stray Feat her s ^ I 



PoowoNG (Queensland) Notes. — The Fairy Martin, or rather 

 a small colony of them, began to rebuild a couple of weeks ago. 

 Cold westerly weather set in for a day or so, and they suspended 

 operations. A change again took place, and ever since they have 

 been busy, and have just completed some of their nests. 



The Pallid Cuckoo, incessantly uttering his melancholy note, has 

 also been with us during the same period. It struck me that both 

 these facts are unusual for this time of the year. 



The little " Double-bar " Finch has been more or less in evidence 

 since the big drought, and has just finished breeding with us. I 

 have never known this bird as a resident here before. We are 

 very few miles from the coast. 



This year will be the greatest for Quail ever known in Queensland. 

 The numbers of Varied or Painted Quail in timbered paddocks even 

 last year were remarkable, another shooter and self bagging on 

 two occasions 43 and 38 brace. This year they are everywhere, 

 even where the Brown or Swamp bird is usually found. 



For a very long time after the big drought the beautiful notes 

 of the Butcher- Bird were nowhere to be heard, but both the 

 common one and the Black-throated are becoming fairly numerous 

 again. The Painted Snipe has this last season been seen in greater 

 numbers than I have ever known. — B.S. 16/5/05. 



RoCKHAiNiPTON NoTES. — Ornitho])hils everywhere will be pleased 

 to hear that the devastation of avifauna in Queensland caused by 

 the drought has been followed by a wonderful recovery. In fact, 

 it appears as if there had been a " general resurrection." Around 

 here the coast country is becoming alive with erewhile familiar 

 birds. Laughing Jackasses are again to be seen and heard in the 

 bush ; Magpies and Butcher-Birds are numerous, and Magpie- 

 Larks are numerous all over the country, waterholes now being 

 filled. Ibises, which evidently shifted their habitats, have 

 returned to their old haunts. Finches of several kinds are in 

 thousands, their numbers conveying the impression they have 

 been breeding without ceasing ever since the drought broke up. 

 Kestrels came here after the grasshoppers and mice, and Piping 

 Magpies (Strepera) are expected to renew their visits this incoming 

 winter. Lesser Golden Plovers, which do not breed here, are 

 numerous, and night hours are vocal with the notes of Stone and 

 Spur-winged Plovers. In our western country the restoration 

 has been even more remarkable. Downs country within view 

 of coach roads and the railway is swarming with Water-Hens — a 

 smaller variety than that common on the coast. They all appeared 

 to be travelling eastward. Galahs, Corellas, Betcherrygahs, and 

 others of the Parrot tribe are in dense flocks, and present a 

 beautiful spectacle as they circle above the waterholes at even- 

 tide. Many varieties of Grallatorial birds, Dottrels, and Sand- 

 pipers are abundant. A flight of Snipe visited this locality in 

 February. — Will. MTlwkaith. 28/4/05. 



