40 A BUSH CALENDAR 



nest, to which the kingfisher darted, and I knew that within 

 lay a clutch of pure white eggs. For the birds came down from 

 the north more than a month ago, and have been busy building 

 since their arrival. A little while they will stay with us, nest- 

 ing and bringing out their young, brightening the bush with 

 their gay plumage, and deafening our ears with their loud 

 voices. Then, early in the year, before the first cold days of 

 autumn have arrived, they will be off again on their northward 

 flight. 



In another red gum not far off I found a second bird breed- 

 ing in an ants' nest. It was our friend the kookaburra. w T ho 

 is also a kingfisher. He must have had some difficulty in making 

 up his mind where to nest, for the red gum branches were full 

 of the most alluring spouts, which must have been hard to re- 

 sist. For the kookaburra, as well as the sacred kingfisher, is 

 just as fond of a spout as an ants' nest, and when he finds both 

 together it must be rather hard to choose between them. How- 

 ever, the ants' nest had it this time, and soon there will be some 

 new little kookaburras to join their voices to the laughing 

 morning chorus. 



Already the bush is a-twitter with baby voices, and parent 

 birds are kept very busy finding food for the hungry ones. 

 As I walked along the creek I saw a little grey bird running 

 head first down the trunk of a stringy bark, and peering into 

 every crack and crevice as fre went. It was the little tree- 

 runner, who always gets his food in this manner. He flies to 



