File:Birds of the water, wood and waste (1910) (14727419656).jpg

Identifier: birdsofwaterwood00guth (find matches)
Title: Birds of the water, wood & waste
Year: 1910 (1910s)
Authors: Guthrie-Smith, H. (Herbert), 1861-1940
Subjects: Birds Photography of birds
Publisher: Wellington, N. Z. : Whitcombe & Tombs
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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Text Appearing Before Image:
BIRDS OF THE WATER minutes about the nest, she flew off andthe young bird again settled down com-fortably on his platform. I had at last witnessed the actual processbut still wanted to find out how often itw^as repeated, for as yet one of the puzzlesof the bird had been that no attempt atfeeding had ever been witnessed, and al-though McLean was away for some weeksat this date, I had been time after timefor hours about the nest, and the Pigeonswere perfectly accustomed to the screenwhich had been then up for weeks, andwas, indeed, hardly necessary, so friendlyhad the birds become. Until that afternoonno further feeding took place, and no birdwas even in the vicinity except the male,who kept watch and ward from his perchon the dead kowhai tree. He never movedfrom there, and only at long intervals ex-changed a ku with me. At about fourI heard the hen settle a few yards off, andat the sound the nestling began as beforeto prepare for his dinner, shaking out hiswings and piping. PLATE L\\\
Text Appearing After Image:
Young Pigeon being fed. WOOD AND WASTE 175 As before, too, though his eyes wererivetted to his parent, yet his body pointedto the claw scratched bough leading to thenest. Again he sat with his head pointingacross his shoulder, as step by step the oldbird sidled dovm the bough. Once more, after due pause for exactmeasurement of distance, were the beaks ofparent and child locked together, and asbefore the contents of her crop transferredto him. Both parents, I believe, fed thenestling, but the female was the more boldand more frequent visitor. How often young Pigeons may be fed invery early life or immediately before leavingthe nest I have no means of knowing, butabout nine oclock and about four oclockwere *Pidgys meal hours during a con-siderable portion of his nest life, andexperience gained by the artificially rearedbirds bears out the belief that Pigeonsonly feed twice a day. My trio, while ontheir made-up nests, were never ready forfood oftener, and to this day in full libertycome

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