Mrs. R. G. Ashby—My Birds in Scotland



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both incubating. Pairs of Peter’s Spotted and Melba Finches were also

here, but they have now been removed.


The bird house contains the pick of my collection. Two Sunbirds,

an Abyssinian Splendid, and a Port Natal are in perfect health. The

former dotes on spiders and will take them out of my fingers. He has

finished a complete and severe moult, although he was never in eclipse

plumage. The Port Natal, at least that is my identification (I have

only Shelley and Jardine to work on), was in eclipse plumage and he

has been with me nearly a year. He is now changing rapidly. Until

recently I had a third, the Lesser Bifasciated, the gift of our Editor.

Unfortunately he died about a month ago. He was the wildest bird

I have ever kept and anyone who has kept a Golden Oriole will

appreciate what I mean.


Five Chinese Zosterops and a pair of Blue Sugar-birds are together

in a long flight. Zosterops are my favourites. They are so delightfully

inquisitive. They are fed on nectar (wrongly I have been told) and

fruit, but as I have had them for nearly a year and they are in perfect

condition I am sure the feeding suits them. They love rose-leaves

with green fly and I allow all my “ ramblers ” to bear good crops

of these.


Pairs of Long-tailed Grassfinches, pairs of the new Capped Waxbills

(both the Red-flanked and White-breasted), Melba Finches, two

delightful pairs of Dufresne’s Waxbills, and an odd Cherry Finch,

Crimson Finch, and Scaly Crowned Weaver take up all the available

space.


The conservatory houses a Racket-tailed Drongo, in almost complete

plumage with beautiful tail rackets, and a Golden Oriole. Both have

large flights. Pairs of White Java Sparrows, Magpie Mannikins, Pekin

Robins, and a Grenadier Waxbill cock are all in cages. A Shama and

Golden-fronted Fruitsucker, both very tame, and a Blue-fronted

Amazon Parrot and a Blue and Yellow Macaw, both talkers and finger-

tame (as far as I am concerned, but curiously to no one else), complete

my little family. I am omitting Budgerigars, of which I have

about sixty.


I have on the way seven pairs of Australian Parrakeets, but my

“ castles in the air ” are Humming Birds and Birds of Paradise. Last



