THE BLACKBIRD FAMILY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 285, 2 December 1933, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE BLACKBIRD FAMILY.

(By Desmond Jenkins, 27, Mount Roskill Road, Mount Roskill, 5.3.; aged 13 years.)

High up in an old, gnarled oak, midst the densest ot foliage, securely built in a sturdy fork, mother blackbird had made her nest. A more suitable place could not have been selected, for beyond the cryii-tal-clear rill stretched the farmer's fields and orchard, while on the neighbouring bank of the waterway was the moor covered with sighing trees. The two blackbirds knew of the lily covered pond situated on the waste land where they could obtain abundant supplies of insects for food. • There the busy hen' bird had laid i:a the nest four blue eggs, which, in due course, became four featherless babieu. After the first few days the baby birds became interested in the surrounding landscape, and often asked their parents many curious questions, whereupon they would be told to go to sleep. Bay by day the ever-hungry chicks under the patient care.of the two ulackbirds thrived until the now half-grown babies were informed that they must learn to fly. "Flap your wings twice and wriggle your tails," instructed father blackbird. "And the first one to alight on that twig will receive this slug." He displayed the fat slug in front of the greedy birds' eyes. This was repeatedly done until one little babe, the strongest of all gingerly fluttered off the side of the nest and eventually perched on the slender branch. , "Bravo!" clurped mother blackbird, presenting the proud chick with the promised reward. "We'll do it, too!" chorused- the remaining baby birds, and soon all four birdies perched shivering on the swaying twig. "Now, back to the nest, children," said mother bird and with the four young ones behind her she fluttered back to the nest. After a short period the young ones were able to make excursions to the nearby orchard where they £easted upon the early fruit or grubs.

"Take great care of your babies whilst they are learning to fly," advised the old motherly duck living in the froginfested pond, "for the weasels may devour them." The mother blackbird nodded her wise old head approvingly. "The farmer's boy shoots all the feathered folk that dare to venture near the fields, where the stupid old scarecrow is lying," continued the old duck plucking the green buds from the willow branches which trailed in the rippling eddy. Each night, as tho sun, a radiant golden ball, sank beneath the horizon, the young birds turned homeward and at twilight alighted on the nest where they were greeted by their anxious parents. At last the time came for the now fully fledged blackbirds to abandon their old home, so the following morning as the sunlight filtered through tlie foliage the family prepared to leave the neut for ever.

"Good-bye mother and father," chorused the young birds sadly. "We'll never forget you and dear old home," So saying they fluttered to the topmost branch of the oak, soared into the blue sky, and were gone. Mother blackbird with misty eyes watched her dear babies until they eventually disappeared in the haze. She turned regretfully away and accompanied by her faithful mate winged her way towards the thickct on the moor, where the two wer> soon lost from view. The battered old nest lay on the prong swaying in the cool hreeze. Throughout the weary months it lay in the iruj battered by the winds and the driving rain until finally having rotted with age it fell from the old, gnarled oak into the brook on which it was carried until it slowly sank to the cool green depth? of that quiet waterway.