A Hundred Yards Bird Stroll. 
309 
usually do. you would have brought that lot up safely as 
your Long-tailod friends have their last brood from the nest 
not ten yards from yours, which had no chance with the 
hail." 
" I continue standing still, and the noise increases with 
each lot of new comers: a pair of Blue-headed Rock- 
Thrushes and their three young, some young Magpie Robins 
and Indian Pied Bush-Chats, all noisy, and except the first, 
very fearless, then come an adult and three young Vcrditer 
Flycatchers, early visitors from higher up. These and a pair 
of Brown Mycatchers take no hand in the mobbing, which 
is curious, as Verditers arc \ cry bold in attackin.g Little 
Owls. A pair of Orioles, a few Drongos, half a dozen 
Black Bulbuls fly past but take no part; the latter Usually 
appear later. .After about five minutes the crowd linds 
there's some mistake and thins out, carrying on their ordin- 
ary business." 
■'During the one hundred yards or so to the house I 
pass the birds' bathing pool or pools, where the pipe-water 
run.i down a small open channel to the vegetable garden 
I have just left. Here one meets with many of the birds 
just enumerated and a few others splashing about or preen- 
ing themselves in the bushes round. A smart Blue Chat slips 
away on my appearance, another early arrival, he does not 
return, but I get glimpses of him lower down ; a pair of 
' Grey Tits and some Sparrows are thoroughly enjoying them- 
' selves in the water, and a bunch of tiny Yellow-backed 
' Warblers arc searching the big medlar tree in their thorough 
'way; some Common Mynahs are strutting about the lawn, 
'a solitary Kite is wheeling overhead and a solitary Jungle 
■ Crow ds sitting in a Chil tree " some way off, both waiting 
' for the dog's food to be brought out. In the Acacias by 
' the water is sitting a Pigmy Collared Owlet, unnoticed by 
'the birds some of which are quite close. Were it the Jungle 
' Barred Owlet which by the way one hears not far off across 
'the Khud by the servant's quarters, what a difference there 
■ would be ! As it is, I expect the bathing to stop any minute 
'and the mobbing to begin. The Jungle Owlet is very fierce 
' and powerful fpr its size, it is the largest of the three Little 
