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and vivid observation, and subtle calls full of
of meaning. We tried to suppress sentimentality
and imagination and to remain objective. Was
Dumpy inviting her partner in to feed, or deferring
for having supplanted Sleeky's precedence in feeding?
On many occasions Dumpy displayed her 'at-homeness'
by walking around the floor of the room, and by entries
and exits through the door. Was this at any time
connected with domestic submission?
Another mystery was the disappearance of both birds for
two days on 26th and 27th July, and we were sure that
disaster had overtaken them. (We recalled the young
stranger marmalade cat that hung around for a day or
so about that time, until we chased it from the
window ledge where it was sniffing at the clog of food.)
On the evening on 27th I saw Dumpy skulking among the
potted plants on the patio. There had been a cocky
little speckled Robin about on those two days, but this
was our red-breasted friend. She did not respond
to my call, but soon appeared at the closed window
once I shut the door. All was well again, or nearly
so, there being a little shyness displayed for a time
from both birds of our pair, in particularly Sleeky.
On 12th August, a Bluetit visited the outside sill and
beat a tattoo picking up crumbs from a cake paper.
We began adding chopped nut to the food. Several
Blues and Greats became regular visitors to the clog
by the l8th, but at first did not seem to affect the
Robins at all, all birds visiting singly, and the
Robins effortlessly dominant. Yet there did develop
a slight diminution in their confidence, and on
19th I thought they waited until I moved away at
7 o'clock opening time. However, Dumpy was reported
as hopping around the room later that morning.
Then arrived the crucial day, Sunday 22nd August.
The Blues and a Great had arrived, and though not inter-
fering with the Robins, their deference was mingled with
impatient pressure to the extent that some darted in