time he had «i varied and interesting visiting list, Kasttun Spiuehills, 

 Crescent, White-checked and Singing Honcyeaters were among the 

 first to sign the visitors' book. The fact that food dishes were so 

 placed that birds could perch on the branch of a shrub and yet drink- 

 easily from them imchwbeedly Helped in the initial stages. To. vary 

 the menu slightly a thick slice of bread liberally sprinkled with'sugar 

 then moistened under the tap wa$ speared on a naiL driven into the 

 centre of one wooden platform. All the hoiKjy<#b£*s ifut partial to 

 this as an article of diet. :J • 



But others beside-? the sweet-tooths quickly demanded attention. 

 Blue Wrens, Scrub Wrens, Yellow Robins and Grey Thrushes were 

 furnished with enticing mfcds of cheese, just inside the hack door 

 on a bench was placed a hard stale hunk of this commodity'which, 

 iv hen scraped with a knife, provided appropriate food tor the. insect- 

 eaters. Cake and fruit when available were also on the free, lis!. 



Birds did not live entirely in the garden though some actually 

 nested within hs boundaries, for example, Blue Wrens, t Scrub 

 Wrens. Bi own-headed Honeyeaters and Grey Thrushes. Thev 

 appeared to alternate their time between |be not so distant scrub- 

 lands and the extra food supplies* Was it a question of their seeking 

 essential vitamins contained only in natural food ffcioufces? I 

 winder ! 



The honeyeatcrs while under observation varied tremendously in 

 their behaviour Some were pugnacious, others shy and retiring, but 

 the majority soon became fearless and friendly. One yartitufar 

 Whiie-rared. a really handsome fellow, lorded it over the rest' Me 

 could lie seen occupying a food tin "n solitary regal splendour,' 110 

 other bird dared cat at the same table. The Whitc-naped and' trie 

 Brown-headed were the l^ast timid nt them all. especially the little 

 short- hi lied "Brown-caps". These appeared to nest just round the 

 corner somewhere, and raised several families in fi season. As soon 

 as the infants cnnild teave ;he nest they were introduced to the free 

 hand-out by their parents. It was not uncommon to see veryrytmnu 

 birds with down still adorning their heads and with jmrnaturebcaks 

 being fed by brothers and sisters of an earlier brood, They became 

 so lame that they would perch on one's hand or head, on a tin>of 

 food being carried from the Mtchen, or on a stab ot bread hcfoVS it 

 could be placed in position What daring, dainty little sprites they 

 were! -i «*. 



Sometimes the immediate vicinity of the house would be cfitirclv 

 devoid of feathtred folk Then like bolts from the blue Brown- 

 headed Honeyeaters would literally cascade down through ifhc 

 foliage, ft was incredible how many of them tried to obtain & foot- 

 hold on the rim of one tin dish at one time* They would stoke jup 

 with a fresh supply of calories before going bush once more, in ia 

 hurrv After a few long nips oi honey and water, with usually *oW 

 uioist bread and sugar for a chaser, they vanished. This -species 

 always did things at tht* gallop 



