. The Australian Museum magazine. Natural history. Where the Goshawk makes its home. [Plioto.—C. Barrett. find the legs of a bird (evidently an Indian Myna) protruding from the Goshawk's beak—and feebly inovlng. It was no pleasant sight, but, in the cause of science, it had to be recorded. So the fierce-eyed little glutton was placed on a stump and photographed. He tried to show fight, but his efforts were feeble. We heard the loud twittering call, a single note repeated quickly many times as the parent birds circled over neigh- bouring trees. They had two of their offspring in hiding somewher
. The Australian Museum magazine. Natural history. Where the Goshawk makes its home. [Plioto.—C. Barrett. find the legs of a bird (evidently an Indian Myna) protruding from the Goshawk's beak—and feebly inovlng. It was no pleasant sight, but, in the cause of science, it had to be recorded. So the fierce-eyed little glutton was placed on a stump and photographed. He tried to show fight, but his efforts were feeble. We heard the loud twittering call, a single note repeated quickly many times as the parent birds circled over neigh- bouring trees. They had two of their offspring in hiding somewhere, but were fearful for the fool of the family, who had been greedy beyond measure. Swift upon its way is the Goshawk, and powerful, too—one of our finest hawks. It has been branded as a ]ioultry thief, but, I think, without a fair trial. I do not assert that it never offends, only that it preys chiefly on small wild "birds. Near the ]iadd()ck where our trio was reared a poultry-run exists, yet we heard no complaint regarding the Goshawks, and the refuse at their feeding camp contained no chicken's bones. CHARM OF THE KESTREL. Of all the birds that are " red in beak and claw, "after good hunting, I like best the beautiful Nankeen Kestrel (Cerch- neis cenchroides). Its luibit of hovering at)ove haystacks, on the watch for mice, has made the Kestrel a most familiar bird, and a favourite with wise farmers. On wide-spread wings the little hawk hangs motionless until it tires of hover- ing, or a mouse rustles in the hay and earns swift death. Frogs, lizards, and insects are also included in the Kestrel's menu, and rarely it takes a small bird. In Riverina one season, I found many nests of the Kestrel—homes in hollows, all of them, some high, some within easy reach. One nursery was a deep hollow in the bole of a dead gum standing in creek water. A little exertion and ingenuity, and taking the risk of a fall, enabled me to get one indifferent photograph—a baby
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, booksubjectnaturalhistory, booky
