May, 1924 
The Queensland Naturalist. 
75 
AMONG THE BIRDS AT REDCLIFFE. 
By G. H. Barker. 
l.asi ( 'hristuias lime (l!)2il) \v(^ wen' housed on tiio 
edge of 1lie timber just behind the post-offiec. Our little 
camp stood in the ceiitre of a o2-i‘)ereh block, and was 
overshadowed by a fair-sized native apple or Angophora, 
on which a pair of noisy miners had built a nest and 
reared a family, [ncidentally. they looked on the block 
as their domain, and (*very1hing in it, including ourselves, 
as thf're for their benefit. They were jealous owners, and 
waged Avar with all and sundry in tlie liird world who 
attemj^ted to visit it. Tlie sole aim in life of the young- 
sters appeared to be to eat. and when they Avere not 
s(|ueaking after one (u* other of tlie partuil birds, they 
Avert^ stpK'aking and foraging oji tluur own. hunting for 
insecl.N in tin' trees, among tlie grass, on our roof, in the 
rubbisii Iiolo. and e\’.en in the dining tent itself. They 
A'aried this by hunting among the flowers for hom\y. Tn 
the j)addoeks AV(*i-e a Tiumber of floASuwijig bloodwoods 
and Angoph(u*as, and naturall\' the parrots and lioney- 
eaters sought to \’isii them on their rounds, but rarely 
got a meal in peac('. Oin* or other of the miiii'rs was surt' 
to he ahoiit. and liis angry s(pu*aks would soon bring 
about the others, and a regidar Inu' and ery Avould ensue, 
and mO e('as(‘ till the visitoi* had floAvn. Blneys. scaly- 
hreasts, friar-birds, fig-birds, bluefaees, and otlier bom*y- 
('aters all had to go, and tlie only pi'rsons immune Avert* 
tlie magpit' larks (ui tiu' gromid. and tlie butelu*r l)iiais 
on the ft'iiee. Om* particular family received speeha! at- 
tention, and this A\'as a eompany of babblers, who got as 
far as the fence i*egularly, but lU'vi'r luid mucli sucees-^ 
beyond that. It may be that this particular bird's comical 
lialiir of travelling round the bush in a series of happy 
rough and tnmhles Avith its felloAA’s, and just as frauiuent 
eompan\' ehorus(*s of ehuekhes. t-atealls, and AAdiistles. re- 
minded the mim'rs of their oavii habit of friendly Avrangles 
and noisy not(‘s of false alarm. a,mi caused them to re- 
gard the babblers a^ theatrical riAmls and treated them 
accordingly. AnyA\my, the advent of the ha])py family 
was always the signal for a full roll-up of tlie miiiers and 
a gi'iieral miv-iip until the former had moA'cd on- 
