Lord Tavistock—Breeding Results for 1937



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of the eggs. I also had the great good fortune in early summer to obtain

the loan of a cock from Mr. Whitley. When the new bird arrived I

was at once struck by the heavier and more masculine appearance of

his head, but as my cock and the best hen were continually pairing it

seemed a pity to upset them and I gave the new-comer the other and

less good bird. They soon became friendly but got no further than

examining the nest. The other pair in due course vanished into their

log and later inspection revealed five eggs. Time passed and the

date arrived by which young should have appeared : we examined

the nest and found both birds sitting hopefully on fourteen clear eggs !

In spite of his determination to play the part of the sterner sex the

“ cock 55 had forgotten “ himself” at the last moment and vied with “ his ”

partner in the production of a really fine clutch. “ He ” was a hen all

the time ! I put “ his ” companion with the real cock and hen No. 3

with “ him ”, but it was too late. A second attempt at nesting was not

made and I shall have to wait until 1938. It is reported that A, in con¬

versation with his senior partner Old Nick, was overheard to say that

the writer creeping carefully round the aviaries of the four incubating

hen Conures in fear lest they should be disturbed and let the precious

eggs get cold was the pleasantest thing he had seen for many a long day !


Broadtailed Parrakeets did only moderately this year and some

of the more nervous pairs were upset by the late move. The old breeding

pair of Adelaides were a long time in settling down and the hen broke

one or two eggs or dropped them from the perch. She did finally start

to sit on seven eggs, and the young lived to leave the nest but were

not a very creditable family as only three were able to fly properly and

the rest, though well grown, were mildly rickety, probably because their

moulting parents had not fed them too well. One of the good young

ones and one of the weakly ones succumbed to septicaemia and another

of the latter to inflammation of the lungs; the remaining two less good

specimens improved steadily, as is usual in such cases, and when

able to perch and fly were given away. A second pair of Adelaides bred

two years ago at Peasmarsh and more intractably wild than any

imported specimens were too upset by their new quarters and did

not lay.


Pennant’s did well, rearing six fine young ones. The hen’s breeding



