66



Miss E. F. Chawner,



NOTES FOR 1914.


By Miss E. F. Chawneb.


I have had very little success this year as far as nesting is

concerned. Indigo Buntings built a neat nest of hay and grass lined

with tow in such a position that it was impossible to go in or out of

the aviary without almost brushing against it. Though plenty of

cover was provided it was stuck up in the fork of a dead bough

without any attempt at concealment. As the birds were new comers,

and the hen in particular very shy, the attempt was doomed from

the start. Three eggs were dropped in different parts of the aviary

and then the hen brooded in the empty nest for about a week before

giving it up. The cock did not appear to take the smallest interest

in her proceedings and I never even saw him near the nest. Both

birds are much tamer now, and I hope, if they come through the

winter, for better luck next summer.


Long-tailed Grassfinches built and laid several eggs, then the

hen fell ill, and though she recovered she wisely did nothing more in

the nesting line.


The Hooded Siskins raised my hopes by carrying nesting

material to most of the likely places in the aviary, but it went no

further, and this autumn to my regret the cock died. He was a

charming bird and I miss his gay song and lively ways every time I

go to the aviary. I bought him in 1911, and to the day of his death

he never looked sick or sorry.


My old Pekin Robins built a lovely cup of hay lined with

dead leaves and hatched three young ones. But mealworms and

live ants’ eggs “gave out” and, owing to the war, no more were

obtainable. I tried grasshoppers, and the old birds took to them

at once and fed with them, but the young died just as the first had

left the nest. I do not know for certain if the grasshoppers were to

blame, but I have my suspicions. Hitherto the Pekins have always

been successful and reared numerous youngsters on small meal¬

worms, flies, wasp grubs, and live ants’ eggs. This year, as luck

would have it, wasp grubs were particularly late and small in this

district and I hardly got any, though a fair number of nests were

taken.



