Vol. XXII. 

 1922 



XORTOX. /.'/■;-(/ .\'*)/,\v from Borce. 39 



Bird Notes from Boree (New England 

 Plateau) 



By Mrs. S. T. W. XOR'I'OX, K.A.O.U., Tamworth, N.S.W. 



Boree is situated on the top of the New England Tableland, 

 N.S.W. , 50 miles south of Armidale. It is 3500 feet above sea- 

 level, and the winters are bitterly cold. In wet seasons heavy 

 falls of snow are fairly frequent, and in dry years the frosts 

 are very severe. During July and August, 1919 — a drought 

 year — the thermometer frequently fell to 12 deg. or 15 deg. 

 Fahr. at night (20 deg. of frost), and by day piercingly cold 

 westerly winds would blow. 



The summer sun is scorching, but the shade temperature is 

 not high, and the nights are cool. The country is slightly hilly, 

 with wide, clear valleys between. The hills are thickly clothed 

 with stringybark trees, with large patches of bracken-fern here 

 and there; the haunt of Tits and \\'rens. A great deal of the 

 countr}- is ring-barked, and covered with dead trees and fallen 

 logs. 



A small creek runs through the property. It flows only dur- 

 ing winter or wet seasons. At other times it is merely a suc- 

 cession of small waterholes from two to five feet deep, fringed 

 with a low growth of rushes round a muddy margin. One or 

 two waterholes have gravelly edges. These are frequented by 

 Dottrels. Along the creek flats grow white gum and "pepper- 

 mint" trees. Among these the Noisy Miners, Magpies and But- 

 cher-Birds make their home. 



On one portion of the creek is an "island" — a piece of 

 higher ground surrounded by marshy land. On this the 

 timber has been left green and thick. It is not more 

 than 150 yards long, by, say, 75 yards wide, yet on 

 that one spot in October, 1919, I found the following nests: — 

 Scarlet-breasted Robin, 5 nests ; Flame-breasted Robin, 1 ; Satin 

 Fly-catcher, 1 ; White-throated Fly-eater, 1 ; White-shafted Fan- 

 tail, 1 ; Harmonious Thrush, 2 ; Rufous-breasted WHiistler, 1 ; 

 Black and White Fantail, 1; Yellow Tits, 2; Wattle Bird, 1; 

 Friar-Bird, 1; Soldier-Birds (Noisy Miners), 3; Magi)ie-Lark, 1. 



It was the richest little spot in birds and nests T have known. 

 Away from the creek the back country is watered by small 

 dams, the haunt of Herons and Dottrels. 



The house is situated on a rather stony hill, overlooking the 

 creek, though some distance from it, and is surrounded by Finns 

 hisif/nis trees, ever-green hedges and a fruit orchard. To ihe west 

 is a natural breakwind of thick-growing peppermints. Twenty 

 five miles due east of Boree, the N.E. tableland breaks off 

 abrujitly in precipitous cliffs and very steep mountain sides, de- 

 scending rapidly several thousand feet to the coastal country. 

 This eastern side is known as the "Falls country," as the water- 

 courses flowing eastward all i:»lunge over into deep gorges and 



