J. Delacour—Bird Notes from Cleres for 1932



37



It is very curious that although the mound was well away in the

park all the young ones were seen very soon after hatching near the

bird kitchen, where grain is fed twice a day. I should not be surprised

to find that the cock, who is looking most carefully after the nest and

certainly helps the chicks to come out, leads them to the feeding-

ground before leaving them to their own resources. After the exit

of the last chick the cock took no more interest in the mound and

started moulting ; his head became pale and his yellow wattles dis¬

appeared. During the breeding season he was very buoyant but never

vicious to any birds. I hope to be more successful next year as the

birds will certainly start breeding earlier, not being disturbed in the

spring. But one of this year’s birds looks like a male. Will the old

cock put up with a rival ?


Most of my Cranes were badly paired up last spring, but by the way

of exchanges and through the kindness of the London Zoo authorities, I

have now a good pair of White-necks and what is probably the last pair

in Europe of Manchurians. Each pair has been given the run of some

fifty acres, with water, and no other Cranes to disturb them, so that

I hope to breed them next season. For the first time here, two pairs

of Demoiselle Cranes have hatched and reared young, one 2 and the

other one 1. A third pair laid but did not hatch. The breeding

pairs left the flock and settled down, one in the garden, the other one

up in the wood. They were wonderful parents and fed the chicks on

insects held at the tips of their bills. They are charming to watch.

The young Cranes grow quickly and must be pinioned at the age of

five or six weeks. In December they still lacked the long tertiaries

and ear-tufts of the parents.


My old Black-necked Crane, the only one ever imported into Europe,

died last summer. A great loss !


The Black-necked Swans reared two cygnets, out of three born

early in March. The Black Swans reared four.


We were rather successful with Geese, the following being reared :

7 Emperor, 2 Ross’s Snow, 2 Blue-winged, 2 Magellan, 4 Ashy-headed,

and one hybrid between a gander Lesser White-front and a hybrid

Goose Emperor X Blue Snow ; it promises to look very queer ! A

hybrid Emperor X Ross’s Snow, bred last year, has grown rather



