110 
FLETCHER, Birds of the Steppes [ T 1 h s e t ITl 
Nearer home at the Lagoon I saw Black Duck with young ones and 
a flock of Grey Teal (Anas gibberifrons) settled on the surface, and 
probing their bills into the slushy mud, until an unlucky movement 
revealed my whereabouts, and they flew to the far end. 
Biziura lobata. Musk Duck. — This fine duck is one of the features 
of the Lagoon, and the islands in the middle must have many of their 
nests hidden on them. Without the aid of a flat bottom boat of some 
description it is difficult to get to the islands. But when standing on 
some of the small hills, half a mile away, one catches sight of long 
silvery lines appearing in the green tinge of the water where an old 
Muskie is having a “motor boat” race across. I have seen the Swamp- 
hawks following the head of the streak, evidently meditating whether 
or not it was worth while to make an attack on the swimmer. 
When speaking about the Black Duck, I omitted to mention that 
some years ago one of these ducks hatched a family of nine from a 
nest in the broad open fork of a swamp gum, where the two large 
branches joined. 
My friends also told me that when the wire netting was first placed 
along the fences of the runs, the ducks travelling to the Lagoon with 
ducklings were often nonplussed at the presence of the netting, 
through some of which it was difficult to get the youngsters. The 
sharp-eyed Hawks and Crows soon saw them, and added to the 
mother's difficulties by swooping on the ducklings on the opposite side 
of the fence from her. 
Phalacrocorax carbo. Black Cormorant. — Noted at the Lagoon, 
also at Lakes Arthur. 
Circus approximans. Swamp Harrier. — Observed all day long 
sweeping over the lagoon and every now and then making a swoop 
down upon some bird in the rushes. I watched a great fight at the 
lagoon on my previous visit two years before, between a Harrier and 
a pair of Bald Coots which had their young hidden in the rushes. 
Evidently the Hawk had seen the young ones, for he made most deter¬ 
mined attempts to catch one, but the Bald Coots eventually drove him 
off*. It interested me to observe the height the Bald Coots jumped 
to charge at the Hawk. It seemed surprising he did not in the end 
attack them. 
Astur fasciatus. Australian Goshawk. — In October, I found a pair 
of Goshawks building their nest on a flat limb of a very tall encalypt 
standing a few chains in from the Bothwell road, half a mile from 
the homestead. The tree in which they had built their nest over¬ 
looked a flat. This flat was a great haunt of many species of small 
birds on account of the presence of thick clumps of Banksia trees. 
The Goshawks did not enjoy a peaceful reign over their country. A 
pair of Black Magpies was constantly at war with them, continually 
attacking and chasing them. The whistling call of one of the Hawks 
to its mate was immediately replied to by the Black Magpie, which 
was often successful in obtaining the services of several other couples 
of its species to aid in routing the enemy. But in spite of all opposi¬ 
tion, the young Goshawks were reared and had left the nest by Decem¬ 
ber 3rd. 
Another pair of these Goshawks owned a nest two miles along the 
Great Lake road in a tongue of timber running out towards St. Pat¬ 
rick's Plains. 
Uroaetus audax. Wedgetail Eagle. — A fine pair of Eagles ranged 
the open plains, three miles north of The Steppes Post Office. These 
St. Patrick Plains stretched from The Shannon River across in a 
north-easterly direction towards the Cider Marsh, on the Arthur 
Lakes road. 
