38 
The Queensland Naturalist February, 1937 
BIRD NOTES. 
By G. H. BARKER. 
QUEENSLAND NATURALISTS’ CLUB OUTING, 
ASHGROVE, NEAR THE ONE-TREE HILL SUMMIT, 
18th JULY, 1936. 
A bright, sunny afternoon, almost a dead calm — 
occasional slight drift from the west. Birds were 
scarce and mostly silent. The one most in evidence was 
the yellow-cheeked Honeyeater ( Meliphaga chrysops), 
which was heard in the flowering eucalypts all the after- 
noon. This bird has been very plentiful around Brisbane 
for weeks past, more so than usual, though every year it 
moves up from, the South. My observations led me to be- 
lieve that if the winter is a mild one in Southern Queens- 
land, it stays with us, but if we have early frosts, it must 
go further North. Possibly also the seasons for flowering 
eucalypts vary. Just now many are blooming, but I have 
no records of this fact occurring regularly or not, and we 
must ask the question of our botanists. Another bird 
that was frequently heard during the ramble, and like 
most of those seen and heard, was a lodger in the tall 
tree-tops, was one I am not even sure of, though I could 
guess it in two. Either it was the Scarlet Honey- 
eater or the Mistletoe Swallow. Not once was I able to 
get a glimpse of the bird, nor did either of them utter 
the distinctive note that would have catalogued it at 
once, but there is a note that is common to both, and this 
was the only one I heard at any time. I am obliged, 
therefore, to let the matter rest at that. Little that was 
outstanding was noted by me, though I heard the note 
of the Pallid Cuckoo two or three times late in the even- 
ing, but was unable to see the bird. If I was not so sure 
of this bird’s call note, I could hardly have believed it, as 
usually it does not come from the North till the Spring. 
As this is one of the many storm-birds our bush lawyers 
will, now be prophesying the end of the Winter. Perhaps 
the most interesting note of the afternoon was that of 
the Crested Tit (Falcunaulus front atus ). It is only on 
heavily timbered ranges such as we find about the Sum - 
mit that we ever find this bird, and even then it is scarce 
and shy. We had a regular hunt for it after hearing its 
note, and if I had not had the service of two Scouts to 
track it down, hardly had we placed it when away it 
went to the next ridge. Of the rank and file to go down 
on our list were Kookaburras, Scaly -breast Parrakeets, 
Noisy Miners, Wagtails, Grey Thrush, Silver-Eyes, Mag- 
pies, Butcher Birds, Gracalus, Swallows, Grey Fantail, 
Leatherheads, Rufous Whistler Wren, Pee-wee^ 
