BIRDS OF OUR BUSH 



The eggs, usually three or four, are small and white, 

 sometimes with a few faint pink specks at the larger end. 

 The young birds, when hatched, grow slowly, and remain 

 in the nest for between three and four weeks. This is 

 considerably longer than is the case with most small birds. 

 When they do at last leave home, they are well grown and 

 are strong fliers. 



Feeding in company with the Tom-tit, and building its 

 nest in the same furze hedges, will be found a small bird 

 quite as dainty and almost as common. The White- 

 fronted Chat, or "Tang," as we always knew it in our young 

 days, was also favoured with many of our early efforts. Its 

 shadowy resemblance on a very much under-exposed plate 

 was the first gleam of success in our photography exploits. 

 Like the Tom-tit, the Chat has given us a great deal 

 of trouble, and it was after many seasons that the two 

 photographs reproduced were obtained. While on a visit 

 to Meredith in 1913 we located a nest in a furze bush on 

 the banks of a small creek near the township. As the 

 birds appeared slightly more trustful than the general 

 run of Chats, we decided to give them a trial. After a 

 considerable time spent in a cramped position in the 

 branches of a neighbouring wattle tree, we were able to 

 expose a few plates while the male bird stood at the nest. 

 The female kept well in the background while the male took 

 the risk. We must absolve the gentler sex from the charge 

 of cowardice by saying that the female is usually more 

 daring than the male. The picture of the male reproduced 

 is the result of this series of exposures. The photograph 

 is not all it might have been as regards sharpness, but the 

 position caught by the camera suits the bird admirably. 

 The little white front, which accounts for the name "Nun" 

 frequently applied to the bird, is quite clearly shown. 

 The picture of the female was obtained some time later 

 at Preston, and also after a considerable exercise of 

 patience. 



The Chat, like several other species of birds, frequently 

 feigns injury in the hope of leading the intruder away 

 from its nest of young. This ruse is carried out so well 

 that it must be an efficient safeguard against natural 

 enemies at least. More than once, in fact, in the confusion 

 caused by the sudden disturbance of a family of Chats we 



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