Bird NoUs. 2.'> 



103. Queensland Crow (Corvus ceciUae) — ^Verv common 

 about the homesteads, where they are always on the lookout for 

 scraps. 



Bird Notes. 



BIRD NOTES FOR AUGUST, 1920. 



Mr. J. W. Mellor, Lockleys, states — August 2ud : 

 White-fronted Heron carrying nesting material to large 

 gumtrees where these birds had nested for some years past, 

 probably they carry the material to construct their nests from 

 the feeding swamp some miles distant. 



A pair of Black-breasted Plovers, on the 2nd of August, 

 showed signs of having a nest, for they would swoop down close 

 to one's head : upon investigating, three young birds were found. 

 The Plover attacked magpies which came near their nesting 

 place. 



A pair of Wagtails made up their minds to nest on a bough 

 close to the house, a site they had occupied several times pre- 

 viously. They kept about the spot from August 2nd till the 9th, 

 when they began to collect cobwebs and started their nest. 

 Stormy weather then set in, and they ceased building, and when 

 the weather became fine again the birds removed the nesting 

 material from the bough mentioned, and began to re-build on a 

 bough at the other side of the tree: rough wenther agnin set in 

 and building operations were suspended. When the fine weather 

 followed tlie birds changed their mind, and on August 20th re- 

 moved the foundations of their nest to the limb which they had 

 first selected, and went on with the nest, it being nearly com- 

 pleted on the 27th of August, the birds sitting in the nest to 

 give it its roundness. 



August 7th: A Rufons-breasted Thickhead was searching 

 amongst the foliage of a blue gum for insect life; on the same 

 day was noted a Sti-iat(Hl diamond Bird in the gi'm trees — seve- 

 ral of these l)irds seen of late. 



A White-backed Magy>ie has placed its nest on an arm-like 

 bough of a Norfolk Island pine, a most inaccessible place. A 

 pair of Noisy Minahs have a nest in a gum close by. and come 

 into conflict with the Magpies at times. 



Chestnut-eared Finches are still about in the boxthorn, and 

 are occupying the old straw nosts as roosting ])laces during the 

 cold, wet and stormy nights. 



Boobook Owls have been exceedingly noisy this month 

 (Augusts. One will start calling near the home, and will be 

 answered by another in the distant paddock. 



