IOC) HASTINGS— iSTotcs jrovi the Coorong. 



Notes from the Coorong. 



By Joseph Gordon Hastings. 



The following notes are not very extensive owing to the 

 exces'Siive dryness of the sea'son. For the same reason many 

 species of birdJs have been vei*y scarce. The Little Crakes, Land- 

 rails, and Cranes are not in evidence now. This is due to the 

 light rainfall, the absence of freshwatei- ponds and conse- 

 quently no food. One Crake was seen, and a dead Land 

 rail picked np. Tlie Blue Cranes which had been with us for so 

 long disappeared three months ago. During a trip along the 

 Coorong to the Murray Mouth within the last few days (August 

 27tli. 1919), I did not see half a dozen Blue Cranes, and those I 

 did see were near the lower end of the Coorong, where no doubt 

 there is more food. I came upon several little parties of ^^'ater- 

 ■hens at fre(|uent intervals right up to Twelve Mile I*oint. 

 ^\'lierever there isi any cover in the s'liai)t' of bushes or reeds 

 close to the water's edge, they seem to have become perman- 

 ently established, for they bave been there ever siinee the big 

 t1 ocks left several months ago. 



The Bristle Bird is much in evidence on the Hummocks just 

 now. For years I have heard this bird's note, but could not 

 place it till a few weeks ago, when at Tawadgery, and then I 

 crept up to a little party of them having a frolic behind a 

 currant bush ; they were whistling and calling in their strange 

 notes. I was able to get a good view of them before they saw 

 me. The Narrow-billed Bronze Cuckoo has been with us for 

 the last four months ; in former years they were only here in odd 

 ones, but this year they are very numerous. Only recently I 

 saw six close to the house, and upon another occasion four were 

 seen ; in each instance they were very busily occupied in looking 

 for caterpillars, and were very successful. 



The Australian Screech or Barn Owl has been seen very 

 frequently during the last six months. One day when out in 

 the back scrub I found two roosting in wells, and on the 

 Hummocks I came across four others, three of which were dead ; 

 it is difficult to say if they had been shot by so-called sportsmen 

 or not. These birds were seldom seen here up to the last few 

 months, an odd one being seen in the course of several years, so 

 that their appearance this year is very remarkable. 



Seven Night Herons came to us in June ; they camped in a 

 gum tree, one of a plantation, and remained for a few days. 



