92 Bird Notes. 



— Auuiisl. I'JiM.— 



I'.y .1. W. .Mrlloi-. 



^^'llOll laid uj) witli influenza, recently 1 was much interes- 

 ted in a Boobook Owl. wliicli perched near my -window each 

 night and uttered its wierd call for a considerable time. These 

 birds have been very noisy all the month, and also the Screech 

 Owls. One of the latter species roosting at my back door. 



Magpies have been busy nesting, and the old bird in one 

 case could be seen sitting on the nest. During a recent storm 

 an old nest blew down from a Norfolk Island Pine, and the 

 quantity of wire that had been used in its construction was 

 remarkable. Pieces of iron, steel, galvanized iron, copper, net- 

 ting, binding, fencing, straw-bale, t<'legra])h, and tele]»hone wire 

 were noticed. 



A })air of swallows, building their mud nest o\er my front 

 door, became a great nuisance owing to the quantity of mud 

 they drc(p]»ed (fully half of that carried in the building pro- 

 cess). Every etfort was made to dissuade the little builders 

 from occupying this prominent position, but without avail, 

 and it was decided eventually to allow the nest to be construc- 

 ted. The feathering operations have been com])leted, and the 

 nest made ready for laying in, when another pair of swallows 

 came on the scene and litei-ally turned the rightful owners out. 

 A free fight ensued, and 1 was attracted by the loud chittering 

 of many voices, and on going to the scene of action found that 

 one intruder was actually in the nest, and feathers were flying 

 in all directions. When the battle had ended, I noticed a 

 quantit\^ of feathers of all descrijttions lying about, and all 

 the swallows were gone. 



A pair of Sh]-ike-tits (Falciinciiliis fro)itfitiis ffacif/Klus) 

 have been calling loudly in a tall gum tree near the house, 

 presumably they are selecting a site for building their nest, as 

 every year they build nearby. 



Pallid Cuckoos have been about all the month, and seem 

 more plentiful this year than they have been for a long time 

 past, botli the '^running scale'' notes and the harsh grating- 

 calls have been uttered all the time. 



Minahs (MyzanfJut inelanoccpliahi ivhitci) have been very 

 pugnacious to other birds smaller than themselves, which 

 points to their having started their breeding season. 



\V. K. Tiiotna^ A; Co., Printeni, Adelaide. 



