BIRDS OF OUR BUSH 



twice, but had kept a very sharp eye on the camera. Head 

 and shoulders were thrust into the doorway before 

 we had any opportunity of making an exposure, and we 

 found it necessary to change our tactics. A piece of white 

 quartz was placed level with the ground for the purpose of 

 assisting us to determine when the subject occupied the 

 correct position. The entrance to the nest was also closed 

 to allow us breathing space during the temporary consterna- 

 tion of the parents. Even then the chances of any great 

 success were small, and the negatives, when developed, were 

 a very pleasant surprise. Portion of the nest may be seen 

 in front of the bird. 



The Speckled Warbler is a quiet, unobtrusive bird. It 

 searches for insects amongst the grass, and proceeds over 

 the ground by a series of hops. It is only during the nest- 

 ing season that any but the keen observer is likely to be 

 aware of its presence, but at that time it scolds at the in- 

 truder in an unmistakably aggrieved fashion. The nest, 

 as we have already indicated, is built with a deep regard 

 to the protection of its contents. Usually it is built under 

 the cover of some plant or tuft of grass, and is then doubly 

 protected. It is built of grasses and the like, and is warmly 

 and thickly lined, often with rabbit fur. 



The plumage of the Speckled Warbler is brown and 

 heavily streaked, as the picture will show. These mark- 

 ings harmonise well with the dry brown grass amongst 

 which the bird finds its living. The degree of protection 

 afforded in this way will be quickly gathered by the 

 observer, who, without the aid of field glasses, attempts 

 from a distance of fifty feet or so to keep the quiet little 

 subjects under observation. 



The eggs are extraordinary. No wonder they were 

 prized in our young days. Not only are they hard to pro- 

 cure, but their deep chocolate red colour make them indeed 

 things of beauty. This colour is quite uniform, no spots 

 of any kind appearing on the glossy surface. 



In the course of an eight-mile walk to Greensborough, 

 on many occasions, we have come across isolated pairs of 

 the Yellow-breasted Shrike Tit, a fine-looking bird, not 

 unlike the male Golden-breasted Whistler, though much 

 more energetic. Both male and female, moreover, are 

 brightly coloured, and not the male only, as in the case of 



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