BIRDS OF OUR BUSH 



not been for the fact that our anxiety to picture the adult 

 birds left little time for photographing the young ones. 



Now that we come to set down our experiences in writ- 

 ing, we have cause to regret many lost opportunities. Cer- 

 tainly we appreciate our pictures of adult birds the better 

 because of their rarity, and because of the difficulties 

 attendant on obtaining them, still we have failed to make 

 complete our record of the life history of many of our sub- 

 jects when we might have done so. We have to be con- 

 tent to draw attention to the picture appearing on page 91, 

 which is a fair representation of the home of this species. 

 A glance will be sufficient to convince the reader that the 

 Reed Warbler is an architect of no mean skill. The 

 manner in which the structure is built on to three or four 

 swaying reed stems is clever indeed. The bowl of the nest 

 is usually deep, and so holds the eggs safely when the reeds 

 encounter a strong wind. The interior is lined with fine 

 grass and rootlets, and the eggs, three or four in number, 

 are of a light stone ground, heavily blotched with darker 

 stone and purple markings. 



The absence of photographs of this bird from our col- 

 lection does not indicate any lack of trying. More than 

 once these inhabitants of the Darebin Creek have been dis- 

 turbed from their domestic duties for a few hours while we 

 stood, knee-deep in water, carefully focussing the camera 

 on the swaying nest. Our only result has been several 

 severe colds. It is probable, however, that the rough 

 treatment these birds experience from boys, because. of the 

 ease with which their nests may be located, accounts for 

 their wariness in this particular district. 



Our lack of success with the Reed Warbler has been, to 

 some extent, compensated for by our undoubted success 

 with its near neighbour, the Little Grass Bird, which is as 

 little known as the Reed Warbler is familiar. There are 

 few pictures of the Grass Bird published, and here again we 

 did not take full advantage of our opportunities. Most 

 certainly we could, in addition to securing pictures of the 

 adult birds, have obtained a fine series depicting the nest, 

 the eggs, and the young birds, as well. With our usual thirst 

 for the uncommon pictures, the quite necessary, though 

 simpler ones, were forgotten. The success we did attain, 

 however, was hardly won, and we are quite able to under- 



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