14 The Queensland Naturalist February, 1934 
The Darter ( Anhinga novae-hollanckte ) . Pairs of 
these birds are often to be seen perched on beacons or 
fishing in the water. Silver gulls and many species of 
tern. Caspian Tern, Gull-billed Tern, and the Crested 
and Little Tern haunt the Passage and gather on the big 
sandbanks opposite Caloundra. They follow the fishing 
boats, and squabble over the waste from the fishing nets. 
In January last Caspian Terns were feeding young birds 
—and very hard work they found it. Flying low over the 
breakers on the outer beach, the parent bird had first to 
catch the fish, then run the gauntlet of all the birds 
gathered on the sandbank, many of whom rose to intercept 
the flight and rob the bird of the fish before it reached the 
chick. In spite of the perils in transit of the food supply, 
the young birds looked well fed. 
I noticed a lot of hustling and shoving amongst a 
group of crested terns one day and found they were all 
trying to edge out one of their own kind. When it was 
finally isolated T found the bird had a blood red breast. 
After much stalking to get near enough, my field glasses 
showed a small fish fastened to the birds throat, hanging 
by what looked a fin. When the bird rose in flight the 
fish swayed in the wind. T thought T had discovered a 
freak in the bird world — a crested tern with a red breast 
— until the cause of the colouring became evident. Such 
accidents are rare, T think. 
T have only observed one pair of Fish Asprevs (Parh- 
elion haliaetus) about the channels— the awkward way in 
which they strike the water when diving after fish always 
draws attention to them. The Fish Asprey is not unlike 
the white-breasted Sea Eagle (Haliaetns leucogaster) at 
a casual glance. There is a difference in size and chest 
markings and shape of tail. The birds are quite distinct 
when on the wing. 
It is not unusual to see the Sea Eagle, the Whistling 
Eagle (Ha 1 iastar sphe varus) and the "Red-backed (JT. 
Indus) in the air at the same time The Black-cheeked 
Falcon (Falro peregrinvs) hides in the thick trees by the 
waterside, to fly out, arrow-swift, at passing cormorants. 
Of Snur -winged Plovers (Txibi'bvx novar-h rflandao) 
and the Stone Plover (Burhinvs magnerosfris ) , also the 
Pied Oyster-catcher (Haematopms osfralegus ) — the first- 
named has grown very plentiful : and the two latter very 
scarce during the last few years The time is not far dis- 
tant when the eerie thrill mg wail of the Stone Plover for 
Curlew) will cease to echo among the passages at night- 
time — the loss will be ours. 
