THRUSHES AND CUCKOOS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20758, 29 December 1930, Page 9

THRUSHES AND CUCKOOS.

BIRD LIFE IN REMUERA. AN INTERESTING STORY. There is an interesting story connected with a small branch of pohutukawa which was sent to the Herald office last week by Mr. George L. Campbell, of 6, Marua Road, Remuera. The extraordinary thing about the branch is that it has two thrushes' nests attached to it directly opposite each other, so that the one faces up and the other down. How they came to bo so constructed was observed by Mr. Campbell, who states that the two thrushes concerned have built in the same pohutukawa tree in his garden for many years past.

For three years in succession a pair of cuckoos have selected these thrushes to hatch out their eggs. This year the cuckoos arrived in November up to date and then Mr. Campbell found the thrushes building their nest oil a single straight branch. When it was completed it rolled under with the birds' weight, so they set to work and built another on top, the bottom one acting as a balanco weight.

In dne course the eggs were laid, and, in the absence of the thrushes, the female cuckoo dropped in and laid her egg. Mr. Campbell watched the nest daily, as he wanted to catch the cuckoo before it grew too big and feed it by hand. Unfortunately, the cat had also found the nest and as soon as it touched the nest it rolled over and tipped the young birds out. The noise made by the parent birds brought people out from the house and the cat jumped down and ran off with the young cuckoo. The young thrushes were unhurt and Mr. Campbell was able to save them.

Last year the young cuckoo left the nest the very morning Mr. Campbell was going to put it in a cage and it was too quick to be caught about the garden. Mr. Campbell is anxious to know if any Herald reader can toll him whether it is the parent birds that Keturn each year to the same place to lay again or whether it is the last one hatched that comes back. The birds arrive in his garden on November 4 each year.