N. Nicholson—Trials of an Aviculturist



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favourably, the hen Bluebird, I occasionally noticed, feeding the

young.


I did not molest the wild Robin but was content to observe that

the young Bluebirds were receiving her attention.


At this point I may say that each bird laid four eggs and hatched

four young respectively.


On the third morning, after replenishing the stock of gentles,

I was grieved to see the cock Bluebird fly up to the nest, in the absence

of the hen, who was off feeding, and deliberately take one of the young

out of the nest and convey it in his beak around the aviary before

finally killing it with a sharp stroke of the beak. I immediately went

to examine the remainder in the nest and found they were doing quite

well. Here was a problem, and what could be done ? After much

thought I decided not to interfere but to hope for the best. The cock

Bluebird took all the young out of the nest and killed them in turn.

However, I had the consolation of knowing that the young Bluebirds,

being reared by the wild Robins, were progressing favourably.


All went well until the sixth day on the evening of which I paid my

daily visit, only to find that a cat had discovered the young and I

suppose made a hearty meal of my precious young Bluebirds.


After a period of a week I observed the hen Bluebird carrying

nesting material into another box. Hope springs eternal in the human

breast and I still had visions of young Bluebirds eventually being mine.


Within another three days a nest was completed and in due course

four eggs were laid.


Not being able to locate a wild Robin’s nest I decided to let incuba¬

tion commence. After ten days of incubation I received a telephone

message from a friend, 30 miles distant, to the effect that he had been

successful in locating a Robin’s nest which was situated in a loose

stone wall far away from the madding crowd, and I could rest assured

that the eggs, should I decide to transfer them, would be quite safe.


Here was another problem, how to transport eggs 30 miles which

had been incubated for ten days. However, I decided to attempt it.

As a precaution I got a wooden box which was filled with vegetable

down (a material something akin to cotton wool) and placed a hot

water bottle inside to raise the temperature as near as possible to that



