lyS Barrett, Birds of a Murray Island. [ 



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Pigeon paraded the twisted grey limb to which she always flew 

 on leaving the nest, and more often she gazed around as if searching 

 for some hidden danger. I went for a walk, and returned to find 

 the wary bird still on the dead tree, watchful and patient. There 

 were several nests of the Crested Pigeon in the pepper-trees at 

 the homestead, but my luck was no better there, though the birds 

 were certainly less fearful than those of the islet. They, like the 

 other native birds on Kulkyne, enjoy protection, and one can 

 approach them closely. But the camera was new to the Pigeons 

 of the pepper-trees, and none would face it. They wore out my 

 patience, and at the end of a long afternoon I took the camera 

 from a perilous position on a high bough and acknowledged defeat. 



Several old nests of the Crested Pigeon were found in the bushes 

 on the islet, but only one pair of the birds appeared to be breeding 

 there this season. Crows, I learned, search diligently for the 

 nests, and take toll of eggs and squabs. Possibly some of the 

 nests that I saw had been robbed by the big birds. The wariness 

 of the island Pigeons may be due partly to the persecution of 

 Crows. 



Many White-browed Wood-Swallows [Artaimis super ciUosus) 

 were seen, and a nest was discovered in the slight hollow of a gum- 

 tree stump. There were two eggs. The owners feared the 

 camera, and I had to be content with a photograph of the nest 

 and eggs. When examined again, two days later, the nest was 

 empty, and it was safe to blame Crows for the robbery. In the 

 horse paddock near the homestead hundreds of White-browed 

 Wood-Swallows were observed in company, and big flocks were 

 also seen in other localities, but no more nests came under notice. 

 I concluded that the breeding season was practically over. 



Nests of the White-browed Babbler {Pomatorhiniis superciliosus) 

 were common objects in the " box thorn " on the islet, and one 

 that was examined contained eggs. Flocks of five or six Babblers 

 were seen hopping through the bushes. In pairs, Red-backed 

 Parrots (Psephoiiis hcematonotiis) flew from tree to tree, and 

 doubtless broods had been reared in some of the hollows, for the 

 species is abundant around Kulkyne homestead. The Yellow- 

 vented Parrot {P. xanthorrhoiis) is also on my list of island birds. 



In the long, soft grass by the creek-side a pair of White-eyed 

 Ducks {Nyroca australis) had a beautiful nest, containing eleven 

 eggs. Locally, this species is called the Widgeon. Black Ducks 

 {Anas super ciliosa) and Grey Teal {Nettium gihberifrons) had 

 finished nesting, and on the waters of creek and river around the 

 island the families were often seen. When a pair of Teal, with a 

 brood of seven, was approached, the young birds scattered and 

 hid in a clump of lignum. One of the parents also disappeared, 

 but the other feigned distress, and flapped clumsily through the 

 water, as if wounded, just ahead of the boat. We followed, and 

 when the Teal thought that we were at a safe distance from her 

 brood she rose and flew back to the spot where we had first seen 

 the family. 



