Since last spring we’ve had frequent sightings of Superb Fairy-wrens in our garden characteristically flitting from shrub to shrub which is heartening to see when, for
whatever reasons, there appears to be an overall dearth of small birds around here. Investigations reveal they’ve been nesting in a hedge of Mexican Orange
Choisya ternate within an adjacent yard. Incidentally, C. ternata proves a good food plant for the larvae of Orchard Butterflies
Papillio aegeus. The large larvae, particularly the instar that mimics bird poop, is quite spectacular.
Apropos the wrens, when I opened the back door this morning I was confronted by a neighbour’s cat. At first I thought the greedy brute was looking for a handout until
he opened his maw, dropped a masticated brown wren and sat back anticipating my appreciation of his hunting prowess. I urged him to leave by gently but firmly massaging his nether regions with the toe of my boot. The usually dull creature quickly comprehended
my sentiments and absquatulated.
When putting the fallen wren in the compost bin I glimpsed three brown wrens hopping along a fence, one of which was conspicuous by the absence of tail feathers. Probably
indicative of a near miss by a pouncing puss.
John Layton
Holt.
