76 G. H. Gurney—Breeding Notes from the Keswick Aviaries for 1933


young birds, of nearly every species, do gobble them up ! It seemed

as if their parents could not fill their beaks full enough, or often enough,

to satisfy their always clamorous offspring.


I have never known waterfowl wander so far afield to nest, my small

collection of ducks are generally satisfied with using natural, or

artificially-constructed, nesting-sites fairly near their water; but not

so this year. They all seemed to be possessed with a perfect mania

to get as far away from it as possible and, as the pond on which I keep

them is not enclosed in any way, they can go where they will and

as far as they will, and such species as South American Wigeon, Japanese

Spot-bills, Bahamas, and Mandarins nested in copses a long way off.

In some cases the nests were never located and the female, when

returning from feed, would show a perfectly uncanny instinct in

misleading any one who was trying to follow her in order to locate

the nest. If the nest was discovered, the eggs were probably taken

and reared under a foster mother, when they were very far away,

and if not found one hoped, in due course, one would see, some fine

morning, the old bird leading her newly-hatched family of youngsters

to the water.


Silver Pheasants, which are now well established here, practically

wild, nested all over the place, they are well adapted for semi-liberty,

as besides being extremely ornamental they stop in the paddocks

and enclosures, even though these are surrounded by woods, and

they could easily fly over the wire-netting divisions if they wanted to.

Ten or twelve old cocks in full plumage walking about together

make a very good show.


None of the Cranes laid at all, and the pair of Horned Screamers,

also having complete liberty and wandering where they will, disappointed

me. In the aviaries I think the following species were among the-

most interesting ones which nested :—


Donaldson’s Turacoa, Turacus donaldsoni. A large nest of sticks

was made in a basket in the aviary shelter, and the hen sat well for

a long time, but no eggs were laid. I do not think the pair were

disturbed by various other birds in the same aviary.


Giant Kingfisher, Alcedo gigas. Nested in a hollow log in the-

aviary flight. The first egg was laid on 12th May, and two others on



