BIRDS OF BRITAIN
BY
J. LEWIS BONHOTE
M.A., F.L.S., F.Z.S.
MEMBER OF THE BRITISH ORNITHOLOGISTS’ UNION
WITH
100 ILLUSTRATIONS IN COLOUR
SELECTED BY
H. E. DRESSER
FROM HIS ‘BIRDS OF EUROPE’
LONDON
ADAM AND CHARLES BLACK
1907
Published November 1907
MISSEL THRUSH
Turdus viscivorus
Adult (right). Young (left)
PREFACE
The study of Nature has of late years enormously increased, and there is probably no branch of its varied and inexhaustible interests which appeals more strongly to young and old than the fascinating study of Birds.
Every one feels more or less interested in Birds, whether it be from pure affection for the Robins and Tits which beg our hospitality during the winter months, or joy at the coming of the Swallow and Cuckoo as heralds of spring.
For some the interest is perhaps merely a passing regret at the shooting of one of our rare and beautiful migrants, while with others the real love of bird life makes it a moment of intensest pleasure when, for instance, the melodious note of the Nightingale makes us dimly realise something of the innate beauty of Nature herself.
In the following pages will be found not only descriptions and plates of the birds themselves, but, wherever possible, notes on their ways and habits have also been given. These notes having been taken at first hand straight from Nature, it is hoped that they may give a small insight into some of those beautiful mysteries which it is our ambition to unravel, and that, at the same time, they may awaken and stimulate a further desire to know still more of the workings of the great laws of the Universe and the part they play in the lives of even the least of the feathered creatures.
It has been thought best to include in this book every species which has been known to occur in Great Britain, with a description of their leading characteristics and true habitat, so that any bird met with may be easily identified; and the plates have been carefully selected so as to give examples of the most typical species.
For facts relative to geographical distribution and other technical details the author has freely consulted Mr. Howard Saunders’ Manual of British Birds.
In conclusion, the author hopes most sincerely that this book may often prove to be of help and service to the genuine seeker after reliable information on British Birds, and also that it may encourage observation and further research in a branch of Natural History where discovery ever stimulates to fresh discovery and where interest never fails.
J. LEWIS BONHOTE.
Gade Spring,
Hemel Hempstead, Herts,
November 1907.
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
[1. Missel Thrush] Frontispiece FACING PAGE [2. Song Thrush] 4 [3. Fieldfare] 10 [4. Blackbird] 16 [5. Ring Ouzel] 20 [6. Wheatear] 22 [7. Stonechat] 30 [8. Redstart] 32 [9. Robin] 36 [10. Nightingale] 38 [11. Whitethroat] 40 [12. Lesser Whitethroat] 42 [13. Blackcap] 46 [14. Dartford Warbler] 48 [15. Fire-crested Wren and Golden-crested Wren] 50 [16. Chiffchaff and Willow Wren] 54 [17. Reed Warbler and Marsh Warbler] 60 [18. Grasshopper Warbler] 66 [19. Hedge Accentor (Hedge Sparrow)] 68 [20. Bearded Reedling] 72 [21. Long-tailed Tit] 74 [22. Great Tit] 76 [23. Marsh Tit] 78 [24. Nuthatch] 80 [25. Common Wren] 82 [26. Tree-Creeper] 84 [27. Pied Wagtail] 86 [28. Grey Wagtail] 88 [29. Blue-headed Wagtail] 90 [30. Tree Pipit and Meadow Pipit] 92 [31. Red-backed Shrike] 102 [32. Waxwing] 104 [33. Spotted Flycatcher] 106 [34. Sand-Martin] 112 [35. Greenfinch] 114 [36. Goldfinch] 118 [37. Tree-Sparrow] 124 [38. Chaffinch] 126 [39. Linnet] 130 [40. Mealy Redpoll] 132 [41. Bullfinch] 136 [42. Crossbill] 138 [43. Yellow Bunting (Yellow Hammer)] 142 [44. Cirl Bunting] 144 [45. Snow Bunting and Lapland Bunting] 150 [46. Starling] 152 [47. Jay] 156 [48. Magpie] 158 [49. Jackdaw] 160 [50. Rook] 166 [51. Skylark] 168 [52. Common Swift] 174 [53. Wryneck] 178 [54. Greater Spotted Woodpecker] 180 [55. Kingfisher] 182 [56. Cuckoo] 186 [57. Barn Owl] 190 [58. Long-eared Owl] 192 [59. Tawny Owl] 194 [60. Golden Eagle] 204 [61. Peregrine] 212 [62. Kestrel] 216 [63. Shag] 220 [64. Bittern] 228 [65. Sheld-Duck] 240 [66. Mallard or Wild Duck] 242 [67. Shoveller] 246 [68. Wigeon] 252 [69. Tufted Duck] 256 [70. Common Scoter] 262 [71. Red-breasted Merganser] 266 [72. Stock Dove] 270 [73. Turtle Dove] 272 [74. Red Grouse] 276 [75. Partridge] 280 [76. Land-Rail] 284 [77. Water-Rail] 286 [78. Moor-hen] 288 [79. Stone Curlew] 294 [80. Ringed Plover] 300 [81. Golden Plover and Grey Plover] 304 [82. Lapwing] 308 [83. Oyster-Catcher] 312 [84. Grey Phalarope and Red-necked Phalarope] 314 [85. Woodcock] 318 [86. Dunlin] 324 [87. Redshank] 342 [88. Curlew] 348 [89. Common Tern] 354 [90. Black-headed Gull] 360 [91. Herring Gull] 364 [92. Greater Black-backed Gull] 368 [93. Kittiwake] 370 [94. Richardson’s Skua] 374 [95. Razorbill] 376 [96. Common Guillemot] 378 [97. Black Guillemot] 380 [98. Red-throated Diver] 386 [99. Great-crested Grebe] 388 [100. Storm Petrel and Leach’s Petrel] 392
Diagram showing the Topography of a Bird.
Wing. 1. Lesser Coverts. 2. Median ” Greater or Major Coverts. 3. Primary ” 4. Secondary ” Quills, Remiges, or Flight feathers. 5. Primaries 6. Secondaries 7. Bastard-Primary. 8. ” Wing. Leg. Tarsus. Ist or hind toe. IInd or inner toe. IIIrd or middle toe. IVth or outer toe. *This joint is the heel proper, but is commonly called the thigh.
BIRDS OF BRITAIN
THE MISSEL THRUSH
Turdus viscivorus, Linnæus
It was by the sea-coast, on a bleak and wind-swept hill covered with short grass and patches of heather and gorse, that our attention was first directed to a light-coloured bird of fair size which rose at our feet from behind a tussock, and uttering a curious wild churring note, darted away against the strong south-west wind. Well has he earned his name of “Storm Cock” from his wild note and rapid flight. Watch him now, sustained by quick, continuous wing-beats, and now as the wind slackens carried along with a dipping motion and outstretched wings, the whole bird suggestive of strength and activity, and as fickle and changeable in his moods as the elements among which he delights to live.
It was in June that I first saw him, when he and others of his kind, who but a few months before were callow and helpless nestlings, were learning from the summer gale a taste of what they would have to face when winter brought its storms and tempests, for the Storm Cock is no migrant to warmer climes and softer breezes, but leads a regular roving gipsy’s life over our Islands, wandering from the northernmost corners of Scotland to the south of England, obeying no will but his own, and guided by no special impulse beyond that of satisfying his own appetite,—by no means a difficult task, as little in the way of berries or insects comes amiss to him. His common name of Missel Thrush (Mistletoe Thrush) is derived from his supposed fondness for this berry, but this is a point on which doubt still exists.
On the day when we first saw him, however, he was engaged in picking up the flies, ants, beetles, and other live prey which the scanty vegetation on the hill enabled him to see and capture easily. In spots where the ground was loose he would dig in his bill and turn over a small bit of earth, then stand with head held expectantly on one side, literally waiting for something to turn up. Often he would repeat this several times with little or no result, then all of a sudden down would go his head and we would make out something between his mandibles, then would come a quick movement of his head and his beak would be empty again.
Suddenly one of his brothers near uttered an alarm-note, and in an instant he was up and across the valley, where for the moment we could not follow him.
Thus, then, he spends his life from May till January: on cliffs by the sea, on bare moorlands, in thick woods—where the mountain-ash berries in their season form a favourite food—over open, cultivated fields where the freshly-turned furrow has unearthed abundant delicacies—or in the country hedgerow where hips and haws, elderberries and sloe are not less appreciated. Here to-day and gone to-morrow, a restless, wandering bird.
As early as January, however, he begins to think of nesting, and having secured a mate, retires to what is for him a comparatively sheltered spot, either to a wood, or preferably to a row of trees along a hedge, and not unfrequently to some fruit-tree in an orchard or garden. Whether or not the Missel Thrush returns year after year to the same spot to nest we cannot say, but, as a rule, the same garden or row of trees will every spring shelter a pair of these birds if once they have nested there.
Although he may probably build his nest quite close to our house, yet the Missel Thrush is always wild and shy, and is rarely seen except as he flies over the garden uttering his unmistakable note, or as he sits on the topmost branch of some tall tree and sings his love-song to his mate below. The song is wild, and consists of a somewhat incoherent medley of notes, which, if not calculated to appeal especially to our musical ear, strikes at any rate a note of harmony with the winter’s wind.
The nest is placed on a horizontal branch some 10 or 12 feet from the ground, and often at some distance from the trunk of the tree. The Missel Thrush is very conservative in its choice of a site, and seldom if ever chooses any other position. When built the nest is a fairly conspicuous object, with its foundation of twigs and mud and lined with grass and hay. Towards the end of February, however, we shall one day be surprised to see a large nest in some conspicuous position, and on examination will probably discover the hen, sitting on four to six eggs of a bluish colour with large reddish spots and blotches fairly evenly distributed over their surface. But even now, although we know exactly where the nest of these shy birds is, it will not be easy to see much of them.
When the young are hatched both parents attend most assiduously to the wants of the brood, feeding them on earth-worms, the favourite food of almost all the Thrushes. By the end of March the first brood is on the wing, and the parents busy themselves with a new nest for the reception of their second family. These, too, are hatched and on the wing by the middle of May, and then the whole family, young and old, leave their home to wander round the country until another January brings them back again to add their note of harmony to the winter’s wind.
The upper parts are of a uniform ash brown, under parts buffish white thickly spotted with dark brown. The sexes are alike in plumage. The young has the upper parts spotted with buff, and the spots below are much smaller. Length 11 in.; wing 6 in.
THE SONG THRUSH
Turdus musicus, Linnæus
One of the first signs that winter is thinking of releasing its grasp, and that spring, if still some way off, is nevertheless on the way, is the clear melodious song of the Song Thrush. Soon after daybreak (having breakfasted off the early worm) this bird may be heard in almost every garden that can boast of a shrub large enough to conceal him and his nest. Any sort of cultivated country forms his home, either the broad fields, scanty hedgerows, the carefully-cultivated garden of the wealthy, or even the small and dusty plot of the town-dweller.
SONG THRUSH
Turdus musicus
His food consists chiefly of insects, though worms form a considerable part of his diet, and snails are a delicacy of which he is extremely fond.
There must be few people who have not noticed our brown friend hopping down the garden path with his peculiar sidelong leaps, now and then varied by two or three quick short steps as he conveys a snail to his favourite abattoir. This usually consists of a moderate-sized smooth stone, on which the unfortunate snail is beaten till his house falls from him; when this is accomplished there is a quick gulp, and he is gone! Thus refreshed, our friend will mount a near-by twig, clean his bill by rubbing it several times on either side of his perch, preen and shake out his feathers a bit, and then resting on one leg he will whistle his song, which has been rendered by some writers in the following words:—“Deal o’ wet, deal o’ wet, deal o’ wet, I do, I do, I do. Who’d do it: Pretty Dick, Pretty Dick, Pretty Dick, Who’d do it.” This will go on for some time until perhaps he happens to glance down at the lawn which he considers his especial preserve. Here he sees something which causes his song to cease in an instant. It is his rival openly flaunting himself before him. There is a swirl of wings as he rushes to the attack! They meet! Their bills snap violently, and there is every prospect of a fight. Then suddenly the rival retreats precipitately into the nearest bush, hotly pursued by our friend, and we have time to notice the peculiar way in which the tail and wings are spread as they disappear. Then we see no more.
Such is the life of one of our commonest birds as we may witness it any day in early spring. By the end of March, or even earlier, its nest may be found in some sheltered nook. It is not often more than 10 feet from the ground, and is generally in the fork of some tree or bush, or on the beam of some old barn or potting shed; perhaps it may be found in the middle of a hedgerow, or occasionally even on the ground. It is composed of rough grass and bents, and lined with mud pressed round and smoothed so as to form a fairly deep cup.
The eggs are five in number, and in colour are a beautiful pale blue, with a few small black or purplish-mauve spots towards the larger end, these markings being in some cases entirely lacking. After a fortnight’s incubation the young are hatched; they are then almost naked and only slightly covered with down.
Incubation is carried on by the hen alone, but both birds assist in the feeding, the diet consisting almost entirely of earth-worms. In about a fortnight to three weeks after the young are hatched they leave the nest to find and earn their own living, whilst their parents busy themselves with the cares of another family, for a pair of birds generally rears three broods in the season. After the rearing of the last brood, which is over by the end of June or early in July, both old and young begin to moult. Consequently, at this time of year they are very quiet and skulking in their habits, but we may sometimes catch sight of them in the evenings and early mornings when they come out to feed on lawns and fields where the grass is short and where their favourite earth-worms abound. About the end of August a close observer will often miss his little friend for a few days or even weeks. Then one morning he will again see the familiar figure on the lawn and think that perhaps his companion has returned. But it is not so. The spring visitor has gone to another part of the country, probably not very far away, as this species is only a partial migrant, but nevertheless he has gone, and the bird which has taken his place has come from some more northerly locality to spend the winter. Probably we do not notice the change, and put down the temporary disappearance of our particular Song Thrush to the fact that we chanced not to see him. It is not so, however, for our friend of spring and summer has departed.
The general colour above, including mantle and wings, is uniform olive brown, some of the major and median covers having buffish tips. Breast yellowish, spotted with triangular olive-brown spots, the flanks uniformly olive, chin and throat white, margined with a row of dark streaks. Belly white. Bill brown, base of lower mandible paler. Legs pale flesh. Iris hazel. Length 9·0 in.; wing 4·6 in.
Young birds are spotted on the upper parts. This species is widely and generally distributed throughout the British Isles.
THE REDWING
Turdus iliacus, Linnæus
From the middle to the end of October, when the leaves are falling thickly from the trees, and the dull, dark days of winter are beginning to make themselves felt, we may be aware, while walking along a country lane or through a park, of a new arrival among our birds. There rises, probably from the ground, a dark-coloured bird, whose quick movement will at once catch our eye, and being in company with others similar to himself, we shall have no difficulty in recognising the Redwing. Tired possibly by his long journey, he will settle on the hedge a little in front of us, and begin diligently feeding on any berries he can find, as but little in that line comes amiss to our friend; and soon he will again drop to the ground, and we shall get a glimpse of the deep red feathers under his wings from which he has derived his trivial name. At this season of the year Redwings are essentially wanderers, moving about in flocks of from a dozen to thirty or more, stopping here and there where food is plentiful for a few days or weeks, and then moving on, always southward, as lack of food or the severity of the weather dictates. If the winter be mild, they may be found roosting in large numbers in thick hawthorn hedges or small plantations; for although fond of cover, and spending most of their time among undergrowth on the ground, they are not very partial to large woods, preferring thick hedgerows or small coppices. A cold north wind, accompanied by snow and frost, drives most of these birds away from our shores to sunnier climes: their place, however, is soon taken, if the hard weather be prolonged, by large immigrations of poor storm-driven birds from the north of the Continent, who reach us with barely sufficient strength to seek their food, and who receive, too frequently, an inhospitable reception. Such wanderers become exceedingly tame, and may be found hopping disconsolately round our gardens within a foot or two of us, and the mortality in such seasons as these must be very great. Happily this extreme severity does not often happen, and one is glad to think that as a rule our visitors, driven to us by hard weather abroad, find sustenance in our warmer, if still somewhat boisterous, climate.
In April, that strange homing instinct which animates almost every known bird, causes the Redwings to leave our hedgerows at their most beautiful time, and to seek a northern home where they may settle down and rear their young. There, where song-birds are scarce, his little warble, which would be unnoticed here in our wealth of songsters, is eagerly awaited, and eulogised as though it were the rich outpourings of a nightingale. His nest is built on the ground, or just above it at the foot of some bush, or even in a crevice a short distance up the trunk of a tree; but if so far north as to be beyond the limit of tree growth, a sloping bank or the shelter of some boulder will be selected as the site. The nest is substantially built of grass with a foundation of twigs, and is similar to that of our Blackbird, to which species also the eggs, though slightly smaller, bear a close resemblance. Two broods are sometimes reared in the season, especially in the more southerly parts of its breeding range, and after the duties of family life are over, the birds unite in small flocks, lingering in their northern home till autumnal storms drive them once more among us.
The male in winter is uniform olive brown above. Chest and chin pale buff, thickly and irregularly streaked with dark brown. Sides of face dark brown, a light buffish or white superciliary streak running from the base of the upper mandible over the eye. Flanks deep rich chestnut; remainder of lower parts white, slightly streaked on the sides with olive brown. Bill dark horn colour, legs pale flesh. Length 8·75 in.; wing 4·4 in. The sexes are similar in plumage, but the female is paler and duller in colour than the male. The young bird is spotted on the back, and after the autumn moult may still be recognised by the pale tips to the wing coverts.
Its breeding range extends north of 54° from the Yenesei westward to Scandinavia, and its breeding in our islands has not as yet been authenticated. In winter it is found throughout the south of Europe, extending eastwards through Persia and Turkestan.
THE FIELDFARE
Turdus pilaris, Linnæus
FIELDFARE
Turdus pilaris
Adult (left and centre). Young (right)
An unwonted note strikes our ears, a sort of “chack” or “chick,” and looking round we see that it proceeds from a flock of ten or a dozen birds flying on a straight course high in the air, with quick and regular wing-beats. At first sight they appear like Missel Thrushes, but their flight is less erratic, and their unmistakable note tells us that the last of our migrant Thrushes has arrived to spend the winter with us. Like the Redwing, the Fieldfare is emphatically a bird of the North, although, as he always nests in trees, he does not touch high latitudes, like the Redwing, being restrained in that direction by the limit of tree growth. In summer the woods of the far north form his home, and, as if he himself felt the solitude and intense stillness that reigns there, he breeds generally in small colonies of from ten to a dozen pairs. The nests are generally placed in the first fork of a birch tree, from 4 to 8 feet above the ground. The eggs closely resemble those of the Missel Thrush, but are rather smaller. The Fieldfare’s song is very feeble, and consists of an incoherent warble, varied with the “chack, chack” of his call-note. However he is not the only denizen of the woods that feels the need of companionship, as it will generally be found that a few pairs of Redwings have also nested near the colony, and their more melodious song is an added element of cheerfulness. Amid such surroundings the young Fieldfare is hatched, and is carefully tended by his parents, who supply him with worms, insects, beetles, and in fact any small living thing that they can capture. They are most bold and noisy in defence of their young, flying close round an intruder’s head, and uttering their alarm-note unceasingly. The young bird being duly fledged, leaves his nest, and in company with others of his own age wanders about the woods, feeding on insects or any fruit he can find; while his parents, to make the most of the short summer, busy themselves with the cares of a second brood. It is not until the first storms and snows of winter come that the Fieldfare leaves his summer home, though during the few weeks that have elapsed since he left the nest he may have wandered aimlessly far from his birthplace. The chill mists of autumn, however, remind him that he must move south, so reluctantly, as if clinging to the edge of winter, he finally takes flight, and we in England hear his “chack, chack” towards the end of October, his numbers being continually augmented as each fresh northerly blast drives some of his kind farther and farther south. While with us, as he is essentially a sociable bird, he attaches himself to wandering flocks of Missel Thrushes and Redwings, and among the former he may always be distinguished by his light-coloured rump, which shows up conspicuously against the darker wings and mantle. Thus he wanders the whole winter through, feeding chiefly on the hips and haws in the hedges, and probably also on worms and grubs, for he may frequently be met with in ploughed fields. At night, with much “chacking,” he goes to roost in some thick hedge, coppice, or plantation, where, in company with the Missel Thrushes, he will seek the highest branches, while the Redwing roosts in the thicker growth below. In hard weather he does not seem to suffer like the Redwing, possibly from his marked preference for berries, which even the heaviest snow does not cover. It would seem as if the long journeys which he has to take were distasteful to him, for summer is nearly with us before the last Fieldfares have left our shores, as not uncommonly they may be seen until the middle of May; or perchance he knows that the inhospitable climate, to which he resorts to breed, driven by some irresistible and incomprehensible force, will not till then afford him and his progeny the necessary sustenance. Be that as it may, we can still hear his cheery voice long after we have left winter behind us.
The sexes are alike in plumage, but the female is rather paler in colouring. The adult male in winter has the head and neck slate grey, the feathers of the crown having dark centres which are hardly noticeable at this season; mantle and scapulars deep rufous brown; wing coverts less rufous and showing traces of paler tips. Rump grey; quills and tail dark brown. Fore-neck pale yellow, streaked with dark brown on the sides; chest rufous streaked with brown; flank feathers dark brown with broad white margins concealing the darker colour. Lower breast and chest white. In summer the pale edgings to the under parts wear off, causing him to become nearly black on the flanks and lower breast, while the dark streaks on the crown become much more conspicuous. Bill horn coloured in winter, yellow in summer. Legs and feet dark brown. Total length 10 in.; wing 5·5 in. The plumage of the young bird resembles that of the adult on the back, but the head and rump are much browner; some of the feathers of the mantle have lightish centres, though the amount and extent of these varies greatly. Below it is of a uniform pale yellow, deeper on the breast, each feather having a black terminal heart-shaped spot.
This species is generally distributed throughout the British Isles from October to May; breeding throughout Scandinavia, Russia, and Siberia as far east as the Lena. It does not, as a rule, nest south of the Baltic, though there are said to be isolated colonies in the high mountain regions of Central Europe, the Alps, and the Pyrenees. Its winter migrations extend throughout the whole of Southern Europe and Asia Minor, including both sides of the Mediterranean basin.
THE BLACK-THROATED THRUSH
Turdus atrigularis, Temminck
This is an Eastern species, breeding in Siberia from the Ural Mountains eastwards, and wintering in Persia, Afghanistan, and India. Stragglers have frequently been obtained in Europe, and two or three examples have been taken in these islands.
The adult is brown on the upper parts and whitish below, except for the chin, which is spotted, and the throat and breast, which are black. Length 9·75 in.; wing 5·45 in.
WHITE’S THRUSH
Turdus varius, Pallas
A large Thrush, rather bigger than a Missel Thrush, and not unlike that species in its immature plumage. It is of extremely rare occurrence on our islands, and has only been obtained in about eight or nine counties of England, and on three occasions in Ireland.
Young Missel Thrushes have been frequently recorded as belonging to this species. White’s Thrush may, however, always be distinguished by having fourteen tail feathers instead of twelve, and the under side of the wing, which in the Missel Thrush is pure white, has in this species a broad black bar across the centre.
Its summer home lies across Siberia, east of the Yenesei, through Northern China and Japan, whence it migrates in winter to South China and the Philippines.
THE BLACKBIRD
Turdus merula, Linnæus
Mingling with the Song Thrushes on the lawn, but always recognisable by his much longer tail and darker colour, we may at all times of the year see the Blackbird. He is hardly so familiar as his neighbour the Thrush, and prefers to keep near the shrubbery, where, on the least sign of real or imaginary danger, he may retire, and by remaining motionless be secure from observation; but if we follow him, and approach too near, he will fly away, uttering his loud alarm-note of “Cluck, cluck!” He will not be long away, however, and if we remain quiet he will soon be back again, crossing the lawn with long, measured hops, stopping now and again to look round and to spread and “flirt” his broad fan-shaped tail. The Missel Thrush will be sitting on the eggs, and the Song Thrush will have nearly completed her nest, before our sable friend begins to think of matrimonial cares. Towards the end of February his clear flute-like notes will be heard from the shrubbery or hedgerow—a song which, if more mellow in tone, is far shorter and more monotonous than that of the Song Thrush, although the performance of some individual Blackbirds is longer and more pleasing. He will now sing almost continuously, with the exception of a few short intervals spent in chasing his mate, who, unlike him, wears a dull suit of russet brown. And he will have to prove himself a preux chevalier ere he can win his lady fair, for there will almost certainly be two or three other suitors to fight, and the victor alone can claim the lady, while the ousted competitors retire from the field. This extreme combativeness makes the species appear scarcer than is really the case, as each pair will claim suzerain rights over a comparatively large space. The nest is built low down in some bush or hedgerow, on the ground in a bank, in a furze bush or on a heath, and is formed entirely of grass and bents, with a little mud for the foundation, but well lined with finer bents; it is rather larger in diameter, and shallower, than that of the Thrush. The eggs, four to six in number, have a pale blue ground colour, thickly mottled with reddish markings, sometimes uniformly distributed over its surface, at others confined to broader blotches forming a ring round its larger end, or again, in some cases, the markings may be entirely absent. The young, like those of most Thrushes, are fed almost entirely on earthworms, though insects are also swallowed; two or three broods are reared in the season, and as summer advances and fruit ripens, visits are paid to the neighbouring orchards and gardens, the spoils from which form, during the season, a very large proportion of their diet, so there is no doubt that the gardeners’ complaints of them are only too well justified. With the advent of the migration season in September and October large numbers leave our shores, only, we fear, to be caught and eaten by our neighbours across the Channel, where members of the Thrush family are considered great delicacies. Many however remain, spending the winter in thick hedgerows, shrubberies, and woods, or anywhere in fact where there is a bush high enough to shelter them. Furze-covered commons are favourite localities, as are also the open heather-covered tops of low hills.
BLACKBIRD
Turdus merula
Adult male (centre). Adult female (right). Young (left)
Our friends, however, do not all follow the laws of migration; some do not leave the neighbourhood of their home unless driven away by stronger rivals. And so it happens that year by year, as winter relaxes its grasp, we can see our orange-billed friend on his accustomed perch in hedge or bush singing away in full consciousness that his own power has earned him the right to do so, and quite prepared to defend it again and again, till in course of time he is ousted by another minstrel, who reigns in his stead by the law that “might is right.” The Blackbirds found migrating along our shores are either the surplus population, driven farther afield by competition, or wanderers from the colder parts of the Continent of Europe from which it regularly migrates.
The male is of a uniform deep glossy black, with bright orange bill. Legs and feet black. Iris hazel. Young males in their first winter have a black bill. Total length 10·1 in.; wing 5 in.
The female is of a uniform dull sooty brown above; chin greyish, with dark brown streaks; chest reddish brown, each feather with a darker tip, giving it a mottled appearance. Flanks dark brown, sometimes mottled with lighter. Vent sooty grey.
The young of both sexes resemble the female in general appearance, but the feathers of the head and back have light shafts. Young males are a shade darker in colour. Generally distributed throughout the British Isles, except Shetland and the Outer Hebrides, where it only occurs on migration.
THE DUSKY THRUSH
Turdus dubius, Bechstein
This species breeds in Eastern Siberia, from the valley of the Yenesei to the Pacific. Several stragglers have been obtained at different times in Europe, but the only British example was shot in 1905 near Gunthorpe, Notts.
The general colour is greyish brown above, streaked with darker, becoming more rufous on the rump. Quills broadly margined with rufous. Below white, breast and flanks boldly marked with black; under wing coverts and axillaries rufous.
THE RING OUZEL
Turdus torquatus (Linnæus)
“Chuck, chuck”—“chuck, chuck, chuck!” The note is strangely reminiscent of the Fieldfare, but it is now June, and even the latest stragglers of that species have left us. We are on a hillside in Wales, below us lies the Irish Channel, with hardly a ripple on its surface, the hill itself is almost covered with a short growth of furze and heather, the intervening spaces being carpeted with short moss and grass, kept well cropped by the hardy race of sheep for which the Principality is justly famous. “Chuck, chuck”—this time we catch a glimpse of the bird, the beautiful white half-moon on his breast showing up clearly against the black of the rest of his plumage as he sits on one of the boulders that project through the vegetation and refuse to be hidden. He rises, and making a swift semicircular flight, pitches on another point of vantage, whilst the hen also appears and regards us with anxiety. However, as we stay still, she presently disappears, and he, ceasing his monotonous note, hops behind a tussock of grass, and all is quiet. Suddenly he reappears with a fine insect in his beak; we are still regarded with suspicion, and the clucking note is often repeated as he flies round us several times, continually settling for a few seconds to make sure whether our presence is for good or ill before he betrays the whereabouts of his nest, the all-absorbing interest of his life at the present time. Soon he takes another flight, and we lose sight of him as he disappears in a small gully. Following quickly we are just able to see his mate come from the steep side of the ravine, and almost simultaneously he appears and joins her in fluttering round us in a terrible state of agitation, and doubtless with a feeling that had he been more patient we should have gone away without finding his home. As, however, his cries produce no effect, he flies off and settles some distance away. A few feet down the bank, and cunningly hidden near a sheep-path, underneath an overhanging tuft, is the nest, built almost entirely of grass and bents, as is the case with most of the Thrushes, but with little or no mud. The young, four in number, being well grown, scramble out of the nest, calling out at the same time, and bringing their parents round us again, more vociferous than ever. We have, however, no evil intentions, and having satisfied our curiosity we continue our walk. Suddenly a bird rises from behind a stone at our feet, flies a few yards, and disappears round another boulder, this action is repeated several times, till finally, becoming really alarmed, he flies rapidly away over the spur of the hill. His plumage is uniformly dark, just a little lighter on the breast, and we recognise (if we did not already know it) a young bird strongly on the wing; a few yards farther on we see a hen bird, possibly his mother; she leaves her nest with four eggs, which much resemble those of a Blackbird. The nest was placed on the ground, under the shelter of a bramble. On all the moorlands and hills of the British Isles this Ring Ouzel may be found during the summer, nesting either as already described, or in holes of old walls, barns, or in fact wherever a spot can be found well concealed and sheltered from the wind. Towards the end of September he leaves his summer home and is then generally distributed throughout the country, although often overlooked owing to his resemblance to a Blackbird when seen from a short distance. Watch him, however, till he settles, for when alarmed he invariably perches on the top of the hedge before dropping down the other side, while the Blackbird, with his characteristic motion of the tail, enters the hedge at once low down on the near side. The Ring Ouzel is not at home in the cultivated lowlands, and by the end of October they have all left the country.
RING OUZEL
Turdus torquatus
Adult male (left). Adult female (above). Young (right)
In Cornwall and Devon they reappear again at the end of February, and working their way northwards through Wales, commence to nest early in April, as soon as spring has made itself felt on the hills. A few may spend the winter in our most south-western counties, and it is probable that our home-bred birds travel entirely by a western route, and that the birds met with in the east and southeast of the country are all foreign bred, for till the end of April birds are found still pursuing their northward journey to lands beyond ours.
The general colour of the upper parts is brownish black, with lighter margins to the wing coverts. Under parts brownish black with broad white crescentic gorget. The female is lighter, and has a narrow gorget. In autumn both sexes have the feathers margined with grey. Length 10 in.; wing 5·5 in.
THE ROCK THRUSH
Monticola saxatilis (Linnæus)
The Rock Thrush is an Eastern species that breeds sparingly from Central Europe eastwards through Southern Siberia and North China, and southwards in Greece, the Balkans, Asia Minor, and Persia. It has only once been obtained in our islands, namely in Hertfordshire in 1843.
The male is greyish blue on the head, neck, and mantle; white on the rump, tail and under parts bright chestnut. The female is speckled brown above, chin and throat whitish, breast and under parts buff mottled with brown. Length 7·5 in.; wing 4·75 in.
THE WHEATEAR
Saxicola œnanthe (Linnæus)
WHEATEAR
Saxicola œnanthe
Adult male (right). Female (centre). Young in autumn (left)
Before the March winds have subsided, and while the trees and all vegetation are still in their winter sleep, the first of the Wheatears appears in the south-west of England. A lively and sprightly little chap is he, as he sits on a tussock of grass or on a fence, jerking his tail, or darting with a quick sharp flight to some other elevation, showing, as he does so, his conspicuous white rump, while his dark wing feathers and tail and grey back prevent the passer-by from mistaking him for any other species. He is a bird of the open, preferring large sandy stretches or wide moorlands, and it is only during migration that he affects woodlands and the more cultivated districts. As a rule the male birds are the first to arrive, being followed in about a week or ten days by the hens and less vigorous males. Having chosen his mate, about the first or second week in April, he will begin to look for a nesting-site, generally a little way down a rabbit-burrow, or in moorland districts a hole or crevice of a rock or stone wall will be chosen, but wherever placed it will be secure from observation. The nest is loosely built of grass, moss, rabbit fleck, fur, and feathers, or any material that comes handy, and having laid six or seven eggs of a uniform pale-blue colour the hen commences her business of incubation, in which the cock takes no part. He is, however, in constant attendance in the vicinity of the nest, frequently uttering his apology for a song, which consists merely of a few notes carelessly strung together, singing apparently rather from exuberance of spirits than because he really appreciates music, for often, as a spider or other insect comes within his range of vision, he will suddenly break off his song, seize the tempting morsel, and fly up again with his sharp “chack, chack.” The nest is somewhat difficult to find, and as a rule can only be discovered by watching the hen bird, who may be recognised by her browner tints; if, however, she suspects you of watching her, she will refuse to return for some considerable time. If you allow your attention to be diverted, she will seize the opportunity to dart home, and your trouble will have been in vain. With the wants, however, of six children to attend to, she will betray less caution; both parents then look after the young, and they may be watched with comparative ease, as, having secured a luscious beakful of insects, spiders especially being a great delicacy, they hop or dart with their peculiar sharp flight from point to point, till finally they are gone, and on approaching the spot where they vanished, you will suddenly see them reappear from some hole or cranny.
The young leave the nest as soon as they are able to hop and flutter, and are then jealously guarded by their parents, who fly round in great excitement if you approach too near. They are soon well on the wing, however, and the old birds are free to burden themselves with another family. During the early part of May, a large variety of the Wheatear may sometimes be seen, most frequently along the sea-shore; these are birds whose home is in the Far North, and which regularly pass through these islands at this time. They are larger and finer birds which have wintered in Africa and have remained on in Southern climes, refusing to be lured away when their English brethren left, but, judging their time as accurately as though possessed of the most reliable of calendars, they leave their tropical winter home when spring in temperate regions has well advanced. Not to be tempted by the attractions our country can offer in its most delightful month, they pursue their journey with restless energy to the apparently inhospitable shores of Greenland. These wanderers, however, do not concern us much; they are gone, and our summer residents are busy with their second brood, and when this is hatched, young and old spend the rest of the warm weather in their home; renewing their plumage, and preparing themselves for the shortening days of autumn, when they pass away to the sunny shores of the Mediterranean and to North Africa, though a few stragglers may possibly be found during the winter in some warm and sheltered nook of Cornwall or Devon. They have gone—October has brought the cold weather, trees are rapidly becoming bare—we go out one morning and find to our surprise that apparently our summer friend has returned; by the next morning he is gone again, and we realise that these passing birds had only stopped to rest before undertaking another night stage on their long journey from the Arctic.
The male is grey on the head, neck, and back; wings black; rump, forehead, and superciliary streak white; lores and ear coverts black. Tail feathers, except the two central ones, which are black, white with broad black tips; underparts white, buffish on the throat and breast; under wing coverts mottled with dark grey and white. The female is brown on the back and ear coverts and much more buff below. The young are greyer and spotted above and below with buff. Length (of small race) 6 in.; wing 3·75 in.
THE ISABELLINE WHEATEAR
Saxicola isabellina, Rüppell
This is a south-eastern species inhabiting the plains of South Russia and Asia Minor in summer, and being a permanent resident in Palestine, Egypt, and East Africa. Only one example has been known in Western Europe; it was shot in Cumberland on November 11, 1887.
This species very closely resembles the Common Wheatear, but may be distinguished as follows: It is more tawny, has more black in its tail, and the under wing coverts are white. Length 6·5 in.; wing 3·9 in.
THE BLACK-EARED WHEATEAR
Saxicola stapazina (Linnæus) nec Vieillot
The home of this species is in Southern Europe and North Africa. It has occurred in Sussex on three occasions during both the autumn and spring migrations.
Frontal line, lores, and a large patch extending backwards beyond the ear coverts, wings and wing coverts, black; mantle and breast rufous, rest of the plumage including the throat white. In the female the black is replaced by brownish and the upper parts are brownish grey. Length about 5 in.; wing 3·5 in.
(N.B.—The name stapazina has, until recently, been used for the next species, whose proper name is occidentalis.)
THE BLACK-THROATED WHEATEAR
Saxicola occidentalis, Salvadori
This is a very common summer visitor to the south of Europe, breeding regularly in France as far north as the Loire. It has occurred here on two or three occasions only.
In the male the crown and upper back are golden buff; wings black; under parts pale buffish white; under wing coverts black. The female is duller and browner. Length 5·6 in.; wing 3·5 in.
THE DESERT WHEATEAR
Saxicola deserti, Rüppell
This, as its name implies, is a southern desert species and is found widely distributed throughout North Africa and Egypt, to Persia and Afghanistan. It has been taken in Great Britain on at least three occasions—twice in Scotland and once in Yorkshire. It somewhat resembles the preceding species, but may always be distinguished by its tail, which is black almost to the base. Length 5·6 in.; wing 3·6 in.
THE WHINCHAT
Pratincola rubetra (Linnæus)
A merry little fellow is he, arriving in this country with our other summer migrants about the middle of April. His haunts are open fields and pastures, so that he does not often come across his near relation the Stonechat, whom in actions, and to some extent in dress, he clearly resembles.
You will generally first have your attention drawn to him by hearing his well-known note of “u-tick” as you walk across the field, and looking round you will see a small thick-set bird, hanging on to some slender stem which happens to be taller than its fellows; if you approach nearer he will fly a little farther on and settle again. His flight, and the habit of settling on some outstanding stem or spray, is very reminiscent of the Stonechat, but in spring his much paler breast and dark-striped head and buffish face will prevent any confusion. The hens and the young more closely approach in general appearance to the allied species, but the lesser amount of white on the tail and on the head may generally be noted.
Soon after they arrive the nest is begun; this is built on the ground, either under a tussock of grass, or more preferably, if possible, in a sloping bank. It is loosely constructed of grass and bents, and lined with horse hair. The eggs, six or even seven in number, are pale blue, very like those of the Stonechat, but bluer and with less of a greenish hue; as a rule they are absolutely unspotted, but occasionally a few minute rusty specks are present at the larger end. The hen alone sits, but both parents attend to the young. As soon as the first brood is on the wing, generally by the end of May, the parent birds busy themselves with the cares of another family, after which they wander about the open and unenclosed country, till, at the end of August and during the first half of September, they leave our shores for the summer regions of the south.
The male has the upper parts dark brown, mottled with buff. There is a clear, white, superciliary streak; tail feathers dark brown with white bases; wings brown, showing a conspicuous white patch near the body. Under parts bright fawn colour, turning to buff on the belly. The female is similar, but paler and duller; the young resemble the hen, but are slightly spotted on the breast. Length 5·25 in.; wing 3 in.
The species is generally distributed in England, except on the south-west, where it only occurs on migration. In Scotland it is local but widely distributed. In Ireland it breeds in the north, but only occurs in the south on migration.
THE STONECHAT
Pratincola rubicola (Linnæus)
On any rough common, where furze or tangles of bramble form almost the only cover, you may see the Stonechat; summer and winter alike he is there, brightening with his deep chestnut breast and jet-black head and back the otherwise comparatively lifeless spot.
You cannot miss him, or rather, he will not miss you, for as you approach he will rise and settle on the topmost spray of some furze bush, or possibly on the tall stem of grass or thistle.
Jerking his tail with the quivering movement characteristic of his tribe, as though it were on a spring, or uttering his little call of “Tick, tick,” he will move ahead with dipping flight to some other point of vantage as you approach, and display as he does so the white on his tail and wings. A bright and happy little chap he is! Living in the open country-side the whole year through, finding there plenty of food, which consists chiefly of caterpillars and other insects, even in our inhospitable winters. Early in April he chooses his mate and sets up housekeeping: the nest, which is loosely built of grass and moss and lined with hair, is very well concealed, being placed near the ground in the centre of a clump of furze or bramble. There, protected by the natural chevaux de frise, the six pure blue eggs are laid, and in due course the young are hatched. The male does not sit, but is always to be seen in the vicinity of the nest, and continually brings tit-bits to his mate. Both parents tend the young with great care, and after they have left the nest the family may often be found wandering about together, the male on the approach of danger sitting on the topmost sprays of some bush, while his family remain concealed in the cover, following him singly or two or three at a time as he moves on. A second brood is generally reared in the season, and in autumn, after the moult, a certain amount of wandering takes place, generally in family parties, and at such times we may frequently find them in turnip fields, or on the edge of thick hedgerows, in cultivated country. These wanderings, however, do not generally extend to any great distance from their true home, to which, or to some neighbouring common, they return to spend the winter.
The plumage of the young is brown. The full-grown female resembles the male except that the colouring is less brilliant, and the white markings are not so conspicuous. The male has the head, throat, and back black; a patch on either side of the neck white; tail and wings dark brown with a conspicuous white patch on the wing coverts; breast and under parts bright rufous, lighter on the abdomen. The female has the upper parts striped with brown and the throat spotted with black. The white patches are smaller. The young are mottled and spotted with brown all over. Length 5 in.; wing 2·55 in.
STONECHAT
Pratincola rubicola
Male (right). Female (left)
THE SIBERIAN STONECHAT
Pratincola maura, Pallas
This is the representative of the preceding species in Northern Europe and Asia. One example only has been shot on our shores, viz. a male, in Norfolk, on September 2, 1904.
It is characterised by the pure white rump, but in other respects closely resembles the Common Stonechat.
THE REDSTART
Ruticilla phœnicurus (Linnæus)
Coming with the rush of our spring warblers, the Redstart, by its bright plumage, soon makes his arrival manifest. No one can mistake him, as with black head, white forehead, and red breast he sits on some tree in the garden, or on one of the pollard willows that fringe the stream, his tail vibrating with that curious sideway motion peculiar to his kind. It is in these early April days that he is seen to best advantage, staying in favoured spots till the advent of others of his tribe, a few days later, causes him to select both mate and nesting-site, after which he drives to “fresh fields and pastures new” those of his kind who seem inclined to throw too amorous glances on his chosen mate. A hole in a tree on the outskirts of a wood, along a river, or in a park, is the selected spot for their residence. The nest is loosely constructed of moss lined with hair, and in it are laid five to six eggs of a delicate blue colour much resembling those of the Hedge Sparrow. The hen is a much duller coloured bird than the cock, but with a red tail, which she moves with the same characteristic motion; she undertakes alone the duties of incubation, her lord and master keeping her well fed with insects, flies, and any living creature of suitable size that he is able to capture. In the intervals of catering for her or while listlessly waiting for “a bite,” he will trill out his little song, which is, however, very feeble in quality as in quantity, for it consists merely of a disconnected ramble through a few short strains that are repeated again and again.
The male has the crown, nape, and mantle dark slate grey, rump and tail feathers (except the two centre ones, which are brown) chestnut. Forehead white; chin, throat, and cheeks black. Under parts, including the axillaries and under wing coverts, chestnut. The female is brown on the whole of the upper parts except the rump and tail, which are chestnut as in the male but duller. Under parts dull rufous. The young in their first plumage are spotted above and below. In winter both sexes have broad dull margins to their feathers, which conceal, to a great extent, the bright colours of the male. Length 5·4 in.; wing 3·1 in.
REDSTART
Ruticilla phœnicura
Male (right). Female (left)
This species is fairly common in England except in the south-west, where it becomes very rare. In Scotland it is local but widely distributed. In Ireland, however, it is only known to breed in one or two counties.
THE BLACK REDSTART
Ruticilla titys (Scopoli)
The Black Redstart occurs with us as a regular autumn migrant but only in small numbers, frequently remaining till well on in winter. On the Continent south of 52° it is an extremely abundant summer visitor, becoming more numerous in the east. In the southern limits of its range and in North Africa it is resident, though its numbers become augmented each season by individuals that have bred farther north.
The male is extremely dark in appearance and may be easily recognised from the Common Redstart by its uniformly black breast, the white outer margins to the secondaries, and black under wing coverts. The hen is much darker than our bird, especially on the back, which is of a uniform umber brown, but the unfailing characteristic of this species in all plumages and at all seasons is the dark brown or blackish under wing coverts. Length 5·75 in.; wing 3·4 in.
THE BLUETHROAT
Cyanecula suecica (Linnæus)
There are two forms of this species, one in which the blue throat exhibits a red spot, and the other in which the blue throat exhibits a white spot. The former form is found breeding in Northern Europe and Siberia, wintering chiefly in South Asia and North-Eastern Africa; while the latter breeds in Central Europe south of the Baltic. The females and young of the two forms are practically indistinguishable. It seems probable that a few examples of this species occur annually on migration along our eastern coasts, but much more numerously in some years than in others. These visitors are for the most part immature, and until recently all the adult males that had been taken belonged to the northern or red-spotted form. During the last five years, however, two examples of the white-spotted form have been obtained on the Sussex coast. There is a variety of the white-spotted form in which the throat is unspotted, but it has not yet been satisfactorily identified in this country.
When on migration they will generally be found skulking in hedges and undergrowth near the coast.
The male has the upper parts of a warm brown. There is a white stripe passing through the eye; the upper tail coverts and bases of the tail feathers bright bay, rest of tail dark brown. Chin, throat, and gorget brilliant ultramarine blue, succeeded by bands of black, white, and bay; rest of under parts whitish. In the female the whole of the under parts are whitish with a brownish band across the chest. The young in first plumage is not unlike a young Redbreast, but has bases of the tail feathers bay. Length 5·3 in.; wing 2·85 in.
The name suecica refers strictly to the red-spotted form, the white-spotted form having been named wolfi by C. L. Brehm in 1822.
THE ROBIN
Erithacus rubecula (Linnæus)
Of all our British birds, none perhaps has gained so complete a hold upon our imaginations, and the more sympathetic side of our nature, than our red-breasted friend. He is a welcome guest in every home in the kingdom, and in turn acknowledges the compliment by trusting us as do few of our native birds. It is in winter perhaps that we know him best; however cold and stormy the weather, he always appears happy, cheerful, and sprightly, as he hops along the garden path or seeks his breakfast at the dining-room window, returning thanks by a brilliant but short outburst of song from some neighbouring bush or wall.
He has only one fault, and that is extreme pugnacity—other birds (not excluding that great bully the Sparrow) live in awe of him and keep a respectful distance, but it is a different matter with those of his own kind who are always “spoiling for a fight.” As soon as one has found a good point of vantage, or, if he be not too hungry, some dainty morsel, he will call out with a peculiar shrill single syllabled “tzsee,” as much as to say, “I have found something good and dare you to take it.” This challenge is almost sure to be taken up and swiftly repeated, not once but many times. The challenged one will slowly approach, there will be a short sharp fight, not much damage apparently being done to either combatant, and away will go the vanquished, while the victor, having eaten the “bone of dissension,” fluffs out his feathers, reels off a few bars of his song, and then flies off to repeat the performance elsewhere. So the winter passes, till gradually, as spring comes round, and with it other birds, we are apt to forget our little winter friend, his memory being only kept alive by occasional glimpses of a red breast in the thicket or on the ivy covering the wall. The Robin who cheered us in the cold winter days, though we are perhaps unaware of the fact, has really gone, being engaged in bringing up his brood in some other part of the country, and his place has been taken by another from the south. There was probably a short interregnum, but we did not notice it, imagining probably that more abundant food had caused him to refuse the modest pittance of bread-crumbs that we were accustomed to put out daily for his especial benefit. The new-comer is certainly rather a shyer bird, at least we see less of him, but he is too busy to hang round the house; when he first comes he has to make sure of his footing, any rivals within call have to be disposed of, not in the half-hearted happy-go-lucky way that was good enough during the winter, but effectually disposed of once and for all. His next care is the choosing of a comfortable site for his nest; this is generally in some hole in a bank or wall, at no great height from the ground, and concealed with considerable care. The nest itself is chiefly composed of moss, with a lining of horsehair carefully felted together. The Robin is an early breeder, the nest being often completed by the end of February or early in March, but the eggs, usually six in number and of a pale reddish-buff colour, sometimes nearly white with red spots, are not, as a rule, laid till quite the end of March or beginning of April. As is customary in this family the incubation is carried on by the hen alone, while he roams about the vicinity, feeding her as opportunity offers, or sitting on some twig trilling forth his song. After the young are hatched he has but little time for singing, and has to work with a will to keep the six hungry youngsters satisfied, the hen also assisting him. When they leave the nest the young are clad in a uniformly mottled greyish-green plumage, which, however, is soon moulted, and they then become like their parents.
ROBIN
Erithacus rubecula
Adult (right). Young (left)
The first brood off their hands, the parents busy themselves with a second, and sometimes even with a third, and then towards the end of July they become restless, and both old and young are seen no more in their summer haunts. We shall not have long to wait however,—probably some casual wanderers will frequently be seen, here to-day and gone to-morrow, wandering about in an irresponsive manner as the spirit moves them—but as the leaves fall and the days shorten, these wanderings will cease, and we shall find a cheery robin at our windows day after day, a bright spot of vigorous life in the midst of the sleeping vegetation, till we lose him again in the following spring amid the bustle and rush of reawakening life.
The sexes are practically alike and have the upper parts olive brown; frontal band, lore, chin, throat, and upper breast reddish orange, bordered on the throat and breast with bluish grey; flanks brown; rest of under parts white. Length 5·75 in.; wing 3 in.
THE NIGHTINGALE
Daulias luscinia (Linnæus)
The name of this bird is familiar to every one—ornithologist or otherwise. Poets have sung his praises for centuries, and not in vain, for there are few who do not in consequence feel a desire to hear this unsurpassed musician of the bird world. Like all good things, however, our songster does not overwhelm us with his melody. On his arrival in this country, about the third week in April, he bursts forth, pouring out his ecstasy in glorious and varied song. What a thrill it gives us as we listen on a warm spring evening to the liquid notes bubbling forth and resounding through the still air. He pauses for breath, and we can then hear in the distance the voice of another and yet another answering the song, the more distant warbling sounding as echoes of our own musician, till the whole country-side is full of exquisite melody. We retire, feeling in ourselves the magic of that “breath of spring” which has brought the ever-welcome wanderer to our shores once more. To attempt to describe that song in words would be impossible; loud and clear with full-toned deep liquid notes, now rising with impassioned fervour, and then, suddenly stopping, he recommences after a telling pause with a low plaintive cry. There is no mistaking it when heard; it is the trained voice breathing soul and fire with every note, compared with which the songs of our other birds, however bright and joyous, are like dismal pipings.
NIGHTINGALE
Daulias luscinia
Soon after his arrival comes his mate, and then the song will be at its best and continue both day and night, till one wonders how and when he can sleep. Nest-building is begun almost immediately; a site is chosen on the ground in some thicket, and a delicate cup is formed of dead leaves loosely laid together with a lining of horse hair and other finer materials. The eggs are of a uniform dark olive green and are generally six in number. The hen alone sits, and when disturbed hops away silently from her nest, rendering it very difficult to be discovered. Small woods and coppices are the situations most popular with these birds, especially narrow strips of woodland bordering fields, to which they often make excursions in search of their food. This consists entirely of insects; spiders and flies forming the greater bulk, though no insect comes amiss. These are almost entirely sought for on the ground, and in fact he very seldom seeks the upper branches of the trees or bushes, preferring to remain hidden in their lower recesses.
As soon as the young are hatched the song ceases, and a harsh croak is the only sound emitted as he watches us passing near his nest. One brood only is reared, and then they seem to disappear from our “ken.” Shy and silent birds, always keeping to the thick cover, they spend a few weeks quietly, feeding on the abundance of insects provided at this time of year, and then when the moult is over and they are strengthened for their journey, they leave us for their sunny winter home in Africa, while we remain behind to cherish, amidst gales and rain, the memories of those glad spring nights.
The plumage above is warm brown, passing to reddish brown on the tail and tail coverts; under parts greyish white, buffish on the flanks and breast. The young have light centres to the feathers of the upper parts and are indistinctly barred on the breast. Length 6·5 in.; wing 3·35 in.
In our islands this species has a very restricted range, being only known to the south-east of a line from the Humber to the Severn. In Shropshire and South Wales it is sometimes heard, and the same may be said of Devonshire, where, however, of late years a pair or two have nested annually.
(This species sometimes exceeds in size the Greater Nightingale or “Sprosser,” which has been recorded from this country, but our bird may always be recognised by the larger bastard primary, which in the “Sprosser” is minute.)
THE WHITETHROAT
Sylvia cinerea, Bechstein
WHITETHROAT
Sylvia cinerea
Quiet and unobtrusive in his colouring, and like all his class retiring in his habits, this extremely common summer visitor is often hardly noticed. Early in April the Whitethroats begin to arrive, and from then to the end of the month populate our hedgerows in ever-increasing numbers. When he first comes he may be seen sitting on some outstanding twig or on the telegraph wires that border the road, trilling forth his short but pleasing song, which, like that of most warblers, is a mere medley of notes put together without any apparent order or meaning, though to our little brown friend himself it is doubtless pleasing, and it is indicative of the vigour and energy he feels with the prospect of the return of summer. Anon he will drop from his perch into the hedge, throwing up his tail as he does so, rather after the manner of a Blackbird, and will rapidly wend his way by means of short leaps from twig to twig, giving him apparently a creeping motion, whence his local name of “Nettle-creeper.”
On the arrival of his mate a few days after himself, they set up housekeeping with little or no delay. The nest is a very delicate structure built low down in some bush, or in a clump of nettles on the outside of the hedge, it is composed of grass and bents lightly but strongly interwoven and lined with a few horsehairs, and though looking very fragile and thin, it serves its purpose well. The eggs, four to six in number, are of a yellowish-olive colour blotched and spotted, especially near the larger end, with purplish blue. The hen alone sits, while her mate warbles his song to relieve her tedium, or searches for insects and flies, which he continually brings her. The young are hatched in about eleven days, and in another fortnight are hopping about accompanied by their parents, who still tend them for a short time, till the cares of another family engross their attention. For the rest of the summer these birds may be found in small parties in woods, fields, furze, commons, or hedgerows, wherever cover is to be obtained, feeding on caterpillars, flies, and insects, of which there is an abundance at that time of year. In July and August they renew their worn plumage and become extremely fat, and then when the September equinox warns them that the best of the summer is past, they go southwards to the shores of the Mediterranean and to Africa, there to pass the winter till returning spring once more prompts them to risk the perils of the journey and to revisit their summer home.
The male has the head and neck dark grey, mantle and wings brown with broad rufous edges to the secondaries. Tail feathers brown, except the outer pair that are white and the next pair that are tipped with white. Under parts white, fading to pale vinous on the breast and flanks. The female is duller and has the head brown; the young are rather more tawny. Length 5·5 in.; wing 2·8 in.
This bird is common throughout the United Kingdom except the extreme North of Scotland.
THE LESSER WHITETHROAT
Sylvia curruca (Linnæus)
LESSER WHITETHROAT
Sylvia curruca
The Lesser Whitethroat arrives a little later than the preceding species, namely about the end of April, and at once disperses throughout our woods and coppices and sets to work nest-building. The nest is still more fragile than the Whitethroat’s and lacks the lining of horsehair. It is generally placed moderately high up, about four or six feet from the ground, in a bush or hedge bordering a coppice. The eggs, four to six, are of a light cream ground colour, with a zone of dark spots round the larger end. The hen sits very closely and does not leave her eggs unless almost touched; she does not then fly, but hops quietly away into the undergrowth, where she remains motionless till the danger, real or imaginary, has gone. The young when fledged resemble their parents, and two broods are as a rule reared. Its song is a monotonous “Sip, sip, sip,” repeated again and again.
Although by no means scarce, it is seldom seen unless specially searched for, most of its time being spent quietly hopping about the undergrowth searching for food, which consists almost entirely of minute insects, small caterpillars, etc. etc. It is never seen in flocks, even when migrating, a few family parties in autumn being the most that are ever noticed together.
This bird has no distinctive plumage, and except for its note is very difficult to identify. The crown is smoke grey, cheeks and rest of the upper parts brownish grey, the outer feathers of the tail having white outer webs. Under parts whitish, becoming buff on the flanks. Bill black; legs slate colour. Length 5·25 in.; wing 2·6 in. The female and young are rather duller in colour.
In our southern, eastern, and midland counties it is a fairly abundant summer visitor; in the West and North of England and South of Scotland it is decidedly rare, and over the rest of our islands it is a very irregular straggler and has only once occurred in Ireland.
THE ORPHÆN WARBLER
Sylvia orphea, Temminck
This species nests abundantly in Spain and more sparingly in the South of France, but has been taken in this country on at least two occasions, on both of which the evidence pointed to its breeding or having bred with us. The eggs, except in size, are much like those of the Lesser Whitethroat.
The bird itself much resembles a Blackcap, but the throat and breast are white and the three outer pairs of tail feathers show some white. The female is rather duller and browner. Length 6 in.; wing 3·1 in.
THE SARDINIAN WARBLER
Sylvia melanocephala, Gmelin
This small species, which is not unlike the Blackcap in general appearance, has a comparatively restricted distribution, being practically confined to the Mediterranean basin. The only British specimen that has hitherto been obtained was shot on June 3, 1907, in Sussex.
General colour of upper parts dark grey, except the head, which is black. Lower parts white, greyish on the flanks. Length 5·5 in.; wing 2·5 in.
THE BLACKCAP
Sylvia atricapilla (Linnæus)
Those whose good fortune does not allow them to live within earshot of the Nightingale, point to the Blackcap as having a song little, if at all, inferior to that of the prince of songsters.
Comparisons are at all times odious and in this case misleading, for to our mind no comparison can possibly be made between the two; the song is not only different, but lacks also the passion and tone so characteristic of the Nightingale.
Although a few Blackcaps sometimes winter in Devon, they are really migrants, and we gladly welcome this little bird when he makes his appearance in the spring. He will not often be seen, for, like all his tribe, he delights in woods and coppices, keeping low down in their leafy shade, and hopping along quietly from branch to branch as we approach.
His nest is very slight, made of dry grass lightly woven together and lined with a little horsehair. The eggs are very variable, being usually of a dirty creamish colour, blotched and spotted with darker brown, or sometimes of a reddish tint with dark red spots. Their food consists almost entirely of insects, and it is on this diet that the young are reared, but as the berries and fruit ripen in the hedges or our gardens a large toll is taken, especially of currants and raspberries, of which they are extremely fond. Like the Nightingale their song ceases with the hatching of the young, and for the rest of the year they are almost silent except for a harsh scolding note if the nest or young are approached. Towards the end of summer it leaves us, but for some time previous to its departure it has been so quiet and skulking that its actual departure will probably be quite unnoticed.
The adult male has the head black and the rest of the upper parts ash brown. Chin greyish white; throat, breast, and flanks ash grey; belly white. Bill horn colour. Legs lead colour. The female has the top of the head reddish brown and the young at first resemble her. The males, however, assume their black head in their first autumn, but occasionally the cap shows a decided tinge of rufous. Length 5·75 in.; wing 2·75 in.
This species is fairly common in England and Wales but rarer and more local in Scotland and Ireland.
THE GARDEN WARBLER
Sylvia hortensis, Bechstein
In our minds this bird, for some reason which is not very clear, is always associated with the Blackcap. They are almost identical in habits and live in similar situations, but at the same time, although both species may often be found breeding together, the one is generally common in localities where the other is scarce and vice versa.
It is rather a late arrival, rarely appearing in numbers before the end of April, and has never been known to winter in these islands.
BLACKCAP
Sylvia atricapilla
Female (above). Male (below)
The nest also resembles that of the Blackcap in structure, and though the present species never lays the reddish type of egg common to the Blackcap, its eggs are very similar to the creamy variety of the latter, but the markings are as a rule more blotchy and the clear-cut small spots are far fewer.
“Garden” Warbler is to some extent a misnomer, as it is seldom found in gardens, preferring woods and coppices in the open country, and not visiting the currant bushes anything like so frequently as the Blackcap.
The sexes are alike and are of a uniform olive brown, rather darker on the wings and tail. Under parts buffish white. There is a pale streak over the eye and a greyish area on the lores.
The young are almost indistinguishable from their parents. Length 5·75 in.; wing 3 in.
Except that it is scarcer and more local, its distribution in our islands is similar to that of the Blackcap.
THE BARRED WARBLER
Sylvia nisoria, Bechstein
Making its summer home in South Sweden, Denmark, East Germany and Central Europe, our islands lie too far to the west for this species to be known except as a rare straggler. About a dozen examples are known to have occurred in our eastern counties, always in autumn; it has also been taken in Skye and on two occasions in Ireland.
The general colour above is ash grey faintly barred with slate on the upper tail coverts. Under parts whitish barred with grey. The young bird is hardly barred at all and somewhat resembles a large Garden Warbler. Length 6·5 in.; wing 3·4 in.
THE SUB-ALPINE WARBLER
Sylvia subalpina, Bonelli
Breeding numerously in Spain and South-East France, this species has only once occurred here, namely on St. Kilda in June 1894.
The upper parts are dull grey and under parts chestnut. There is a red ring round the eye and a conspicuous white moustache-like streak extending backwards from the bill. The female is much duller and the under parts are pale buff. Length 4·7 in.; wing 2·3 in.
THE DARTFORD WARBLER
Sylvia undata (Boddært)
DARTFORD WARBLER
Sylvia undata
Male (above). Young (below)
This bird, which is extremely rare and local with us, is the only resident member of its genus in these islands. Braving as it does our changeable and stormy climate, it is perhaps not surprising that its numbers are few, for, feeding almost entirely on insects, it must at times suffer severely from lack of food. Local, perhaps, is hardly a strong enough word to express the very stay-at-home habits of this cheery little fellow; he seems to have gone to the opposite extreme, and, while his congeners cross large stretches of the earth twice a year, he remains at home practically on the same bush. In habits he is very skulking, hiding in thick furze bushes. He will, when disturbed, take a short flight and then dive down into the thickest part of another shelter, and all we can notice in the short glimpse we get of him, is that he is extremely dark. The common on which he lives, may be many miles in extent, and apparently uniformly covered with furze and rank grass, and yet he will only be found in a special batch of furze perhaps not a hundred yards in length; there, summer and winter, we may always find a small colony, while on the rest of the common we shall hardly ever see a single individual. In spring he becomes bolder, and we may watch him as he sits on the topmost spray of a bush, flirting his tail and throwing his body and wings into many and varied positions while he rattles forth the hurried medley of notes which serves him for a song.
The nest, which is placed low down in a furze bush and well concealed, is formed of bents and furze loosely woven together and is lined with horsehair, wool, or finer grass according to the materials at hand. The eggs are whitish, very closely speckled with reddish brown, and two broods are frequently raised in the season. The sexes are alike, and have the upper parts dark slate grey. Tail long and fan-shaped, the two outer pairs of feathers having white margins and tips. Under parts chestnut streaked with white in autumn. Length 5·1 in.; wing 2·2 in.
It is found only in the South of England and sparingly in Norfolk, Suffolk, and the Midlands.
THE GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN
Regulus cristatus, K. L. Koch
The Goldcrest is the smallest of all our birds, and though not often seen it is extremely abundant wherever a fir or cone-fir plantation is to be found. Here it spends its life hopping about restlessly in search of the small flies and insects on which it exists. It has hardly any song, and the call-note is a very feeble high-pitched squeak, which often may be heard when the bird itself is invisible. The nest is, perhaps, the neatest and most beautiful structure of any to be seen in our islands, the Long-tailed Tit’s not excepted; it is deep and cup-shaped, the outside being as well finished as the interior. The bough of a non-deciduous tree is almost invariably chosen, and from the end of the bough the nest is suspended, being firmly secured to the small lateral twigs. It is composed of moss, leaves, and fir needles woven with the aid of wool and cobwebs into a compact felted mass, the interior being lined with wool and a profusion of feathers. Six to ten eggs form the clutch; they are creamy white, minutely and profusely dotted with reddish brown.
In autumn this species wanders about in small parties, while large numbers frequently arrive on our eastern shores from the Continent in October.
General colour above yellowish olive green. Forehead whitish, bordered on either side by a blackish streak. Crown of the head and crest bright lemon yellow, becoming deep reddish orange behind. Wings brown with white tips to the secondaries and a black bar across the upper part. Median and greater wing coverts with white margins. Under parts greenish buff. The female lacks the bright orange in the crest and the young bird has no crest. Length 3·6 in.; wing 2·1 in.
FIRE-CRESTED WREN
Regulus ignicapillus
(above)
GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN
Regulus cristatus
(below)
THE FIRECREST
Regulus ignicapillus (C. L. Brehm)
This species is a rare wanderer to our southern counties during the winter months, although doubtless from its extreme similarity to the Goldcrest it may have been overlooked on several occasions. It nests throughout Southern and Central Europe, migrating southwards from its more northerly quarters on the approach of winter.
In appearance it hardly differs from the Goldcrest, but may be distinguished at all ages by a yellow frontal streak that passes backwards over the eye, succeeded by a black line through the eye, while another black streak runs backwards from the nape. Length 3·7 in.; wing 2·1 in.
THE YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER
Phylloscopus superciliosus (J. F. Gmelin)
This is an Asiatic species breeding in North-Eastern Siberia and wintering in South China, Burma, and North-Eastern India. It has been obtained on several occasions in these islands.
The upper parts are olive green, under parts pale yellow. There is a faint yellowish stripe along the crown of the head and a very conspicuous yellow stripe, which passes over the eye, from the base of the bill to the nape. There are two bands of lemon yellow across the coverts, and the inner web of the outer tail feathers is margined with white. Length 3·8 in.; wing 2·15 in.
PALLAS’ WILLOW WARBLER
Phylloscopus proregulus (Pallas)
A single example of this Asiatic species has been obtained in Great Britain, its true home being across Eastern Siberia, where it nests from Lake Baikal to the Himalayas and Northern China. It closely resembles the Yellow-browed Warbler, but its colours are brighter. The crown stripe is well marked. The inner web of the outer tail feathers is not margined with white, but its most distinctive feature is the bright lemon yellow rump. Length 3·7 in.; wing 2 in.
THE GREENISH WILLOW WARBLER
Phylloscopus viridanus, Blyth
In summer this species inhabits Western Siberia from the Urals to the Himalayas and has only occurred once in England. It is very similar to our Willow Warbler, but the tips of the greater wing coverts are whitish and form a distinct bar. Length 4·25 in.; wing 2·25 in.
THE CHIFFCHAFF
Phylloscopus collybita, Vieillot
It has yearly been our delight to listen for the cheery “chiff chaff” which announces the first arrival of this bird. Winter is hardly over, the March winds still blow and the trees are bare, but still he comes to brave our inclement weather and retain his position as the first harbinger of spring. A small green Warbler of skulking habits, we will have to watch carefully if we wish to see him, for as we approach he will leave his post high up on some tree and hide in the undergrowth. For some weeks he wanders about the country, here to-day and gone to-morrow—apparently at the dictates of his own will, but in reality ever creeping up steadily northwards in the trail of departing winter. At the end of April or beginning of May, having chosen his mate, the duties of nest-building begin. The nest is loosely placed in some bramble thicket or undergrowth in a wood, and often appears as though it had been carelessly thrown there. It is dome or oval shaped, loosely built of bents, moss, and leaves, and warmly lined with feathers. The six eggs are white, dotted and spotted with dark reddish brown.
Its food consists almost entirely of small flies, caterpillars, and other insects, which it captures among the branches and leaves of the trees, rarely descending to the ground. Two broods are reared in the season and the rest of the summer is spent quietly and unobtrusively till, in October, the first storms of winter and growing scarcity of food compel it to retire southwards. This it does reluctantly, and a certain number spend the winter in the milder climate of Devon and Cornwall.
The upper parts are olive green; wing coverts, quills, and tail feathers brown, edged with the same colour. Under parts whitish. There is a pale yellowish white streak above the eye. The sexes are alike in plumage and the young are slightly greener. Length 4·6 in.; wing 2·35 in.
This species may be distinguished from the Willow Wren by its smaller size and darker legs. The second quill is equal to the seventh and the outer webs are emarginated near their tips up to and including the sixth. In the Willow Wren the emargination only reaches the fifth and the second is equal in length to the sixth. It should be remembered that the first quill is very short and inconspicuous, so that the first apparent quill is the second.
This species is scarcer and more local than the Willow Wren. In Scotland it is local and is only a straggler to the north of that country and the surrounding islands.
THE SIBERIAN CHIFFCHAFF
Phylloscopus tristis, Blyth
One example of this small warbler, that breeds in Western Siberia, migrating to Turkestan and India in winter, was obtained at a lighthouse off the Orkneys in 1902. It is rather smaller and browner than our common Chiffchaff and has the under parts buffish white. It may, however, always be recognised by the shortness of the second primary, which comes between the seventh and the eighth, or is even shorter than the eighth.
CHIFFCHAFF
Phylloscopus collybita [Vieillot]
(above)
WILLOW WREN
Phylloscopus trochilus
(below)
THE WILLOW WREN
Phylloscopus trochilus (Linnæus)
The Willow Wren is closely allied to the Chiffchaff and so like it in general appearance as to need a critical examination, when dead, to enable it to be recognised. In habits also there is little difference to be noted. Its range is more extensive, for as far north as the birch woods extend, this hardy little wanderer makes his home, retiring at the end of summer to Southern Europe and Africa. Throughout our islands it is extremely common. Arriving about the last week of March, it at once makes its presence known by its bright little song, which is very short and somewhat resembles the Chaffinch’s; it is repeated again and again, and may be heard right through the summer and sometimes again after the moult in the late autumn, just before their final departure.
The nest is similar in size, shape, and materials to that of the Chiffchaff, but differs in its position, being generally placed very near and often right on the ground, always well concealed in the undergrowth, whereas with the Chiffchaff it is always off the ground, sometimes only an inch or two, but more often some eighteen inches or two feet. The eggs are white with pale rufous spots; these markings are much paler than on those of the Chiffchaff, less clean cut, and more numerous.
Apart, however, from the breeding birds, an enormous number of Willow Wrens pass through this country at migration time. England seems to lie in the main track of these birds when they are making for their summer quarters in higher latitudes. From early April to the middle or end of May they simply pour through this country in incredible numbers. The whole extent of the south coast is involved, and often for several days at a time they arrive in millions. These birds pass straight on, relentlessly pursuing their course, and having crossed the Channel one night, prepare during the following day for a still longer journey across the North Sea during the coming night. Early in August the return journey commences, and in still greater numbers they steadily pass southwards, till by October they are, let us hope, enjoying peace and plenty under sunny skies.
Extremely like the Chiffchaff, but rather larger, brighter in colour, and with paler legs. Its distinctive characteristics have been noted under the preceding species. Length 4·9 in.; wing 2·7 in.
THE WOOD WREN
Phylloscopus sibilatrix (Bechstein)
Although a member of the same family as the last two species, this bird is much more local. It is not until the end of April that he reaches our shores and his clear and melodious little song, which may be syllabled as “chit, chit, chit, chit, tri-tr-tr-tre,” can be heard. His favourite haunts are suitable woods where large timber, especially beech, abound. Here he may be seen as, with the restless activity so characteristic of his family, he searches among the upper branches of the trees for those insects which, with berries of all kinds, form his staple food.
At the foot of some beech-tree, on the ground, or more rarely in some tangled thicket, the nest is built and well concealed by the use of materials similar to the surroundings among which it is placed. It is lined with grass and horsehair, but feathers, so freely used by the Chiffchaff and Willow Wren, are never found. The eggs are white, very thickly and uniformly mottled with dark red. After the young are hatched it becomes silent, and leaves us early in September.
The adult has the upper parts of a bright yellowish green, with a characteristic yellow streak above and behind the eye. The wings are brown edged with yellowish green. Throat and breast sulphur yellow, rest of under parts white. Bill and legs brown. Length 5·2 in.; wing 3·1 in. The larger size and brighter coloration are distinctive of this species.
It is a local bird, but may be found in suitable spots throughout the United Kingdom. In the north, however, it becomes rarer.
THE RUFOUS WARBLER
Aedon galactodes (Temminck)
This handsome species is only a summer migrant to the South of Spain, and the few that have occurred in England are merely stragglers carried out of their course. It has been taken in Sussex and once in Devon, in all cases during the autumn.
It is a conspicuous bird, like a large pale-coloured Nightingale, and may be recognised by its fan-shaped tail with black subterminal spots and white tips. Length 6·5 in.; wing 3·5 in.
RADDE’S BUSH WARBLER
Lusciniola schwarzi (Radde)
This species, which breeds in North-Eastern Siberia and migrates in winter to China and Burma, has only once been obtained in this country, namely in October 1898, by Mr. Haigh, on the Lincolnshire side of the Humber. Mr. Haigh’s attention was drawn to it by the loud and powerful note. The general colour above is olive brown, tinged with tawny on the rump. Under parts yellowish white. There is a broad white superciliary stripe, which ends abruptly in a manner characteristic of this species. Length 5·5 in.; wing 2·45 in.
CETTI’S WARBLER
Cettia cettii, Marmora
A single example of this species, whose home is in Southern Europe and the Mediterranean basin generally, was obtained in Sussex in May 1904.
The upper parts are chestnut brown, darker on the wings and tail. There is a white superciliary stripe. Under parts white, turning to grey on the breast, flanks, and under tail coverts. Length 5 in.; wing 2·3 in.
THE ICTERINE WARBLER
Hypolais icterina (Vieillot)
This fairly common European bird is only a rare visitor to our southern and eastern shores, and has once been taken in Ireland. It breeds in North-Eastern France, Denmark, Scandinavia, and throughout Northern and Central Europe, migrating south-eastwards in autumn, Italy forming apparently the western limit of its route. The eggs are very distinctive, being pale pink with black spots.
The upper parts are greyish olive, the lores and a streak over the eye yellow. Under parts lemon yellow. Length 5·2 in.; wing 3·1 in.
THE MELODIOUS WARBLER
Hypolais polyglotta (Vieillot)
Although the presence of this species had long been suspected, as well as the possibility of it having bred with us, it was not until 1897 that the first authenticated example was procured at Burwash in Sussex. It is a southern species, breeding abundantly in Spain, North Africa, and South-Western France. Its eggs very closely resemble those of the Icterine Warbler.
Except for its smaller size, it is very difficult to distinguish this species from the preceding one, but its proportionately shorter wing, its larger bastard primary and the second primary being shorter than the fifth, form unfailing characteristics. Length 4·9 in.; wing 2·5 in.
REED WARBLER
Acrocephalus streperus (Vieillot)
A near ally to the Sedge Warbler, this bird seldom reaches this country till the beginning of May, and at once repairs to the reed-beds, where his whole life, except when actually migrating, is spent. Wherever suitable reed-beds occur in the southern and eastern parts of our islands, he is fairly abundant and reveals his presence by his song, which is a harsh medley of notes volubly rattled out, and somewhat like that of the Sedge Warbler. It is easy to hear him, but to see him is a task requiring much patience and careful watching. He keeps entirely concealed by the reeds among which he lives, creeping along from one to another and assuming all kinds of strange attitudes. Now he hangs head downwards, or again, grasping a neighbouring reed with one foot, he will swing himself round and climb straddle-legged up two reeds, till on reaching the top he will perhaps take a short flight, only to dive in again a few feet farther on.
REED WARBLER
Acrocephalus streperus [Vieillot]
(above)
MARSH WARBLER
Acrocephalus palustris
(below)
The nest is a most beautiful structure, carefully supported on four or five growing reeds which pass right through its walls and thus hold it secure. For the size of the bird it is extremely deep, a wise provision to prevent the eggs from being rolled out when the reeds are bent with the wind. The materials used are dry grass, bents, and moss, with a lining of finer materials. The eggs, four in number, are pale green, thickly freckled and mottled with a darker tone of the same colour.
When the young are hatched the inside of their mouths is of a deep red colour with two very conspicuous black spots towards the hinder end of the tongue; at this time the song of the parent ceases and we hear and see but little more of this species. With the autumn gales he leaves us for the marshes of Spain or the deadly swamps of Africa, where the small flies and insects on which he feeds may be found in abundance at all seasons.
The upper parts are of a uniform warm brown, slightly brighter on the rump, and there is a pale buff stripe over the eye. The under parts are white, the flanks and under tail coverts buffish. Length 5·25 in.; wing 2·5 in.
It is unknown in Scotland and Ireland.
THE MARSH WARBLER
Acrocephalus palustris (Bechstein)
This species resembles the preceding one so closely that even when examined in the hand, they are hard to distinguish. The general hue is, however, more greenish and less rufous than the Reed Warbler, and the legs are lighter in colour, being brownish flesh instead of yellowish brown. Alike as they are in appearance, their life history is very different. The Marsh Warbler is by no means confined to reeds, but may be found in osier beds, cornfields or coppices, being content, like the Sedge Warbler, with a very small extent of water. It sings its song, which is much sweeter and more melodious than that of the Reed Warbler, from the topmost sprays of its home, and the nests are never suspended in reeds but placed low down in some osier or small bush. The eggs are pale greenish white, blotched and marked with dark green, and are so characteristic that they cannot well be mistaken for those of any other species. It has a wide range in Europe, becoming scarcer towards the west, but in this country it is very local, and restricted as a breeding species to a few places in the south.
Very difficult to distinguish from the Reed Warbler, but the general hue is much greener, and the difference in the colour of the legs has already been noticed. Length 5·25 in.; wing 2·7 in.
THE GREAT REED WARBLER
Acrocephalus turdoides (Meyer)
Although common on the neighbouring shores of the Continent, this species has occurred here very seldom. It is abundant throughout Europe in summer as far north as the southern shores of the Baltic, and nests commonly in France, Holland, and Belgium. It inhabits reed-beds or thick cover near the margins of streams, ditches, and ponds. It does not skulk like the Reed Warbler, but, on the contrary, is always sitting on the top of the tallest reeds and flying about from one clump to another.
The upper parts are warm olive brown, with light margins to the wing and tail feathers. There is a dull whitish streak from the bill over each eye. The under parts are buff; chin and belly whitish. Length 7·8 in.; wing 3·75 in.
It has been taken only in the South and East of England.
SEDGE WARBLER
Acrocephalus phragmitis (Bechstein)
The presence of a human being seems to spur this delicate species to song, for if, when strolling near some river or pond towards the end of April, we inadvertently pass this little songster, he will at once burst forth with his noisy chattering notes, as though loudly protesting against this unseemly invasion into his privacy. He is by no means shy, though he usually keeps to the low-growing alders, willows, or whatever other cover there may be, and should we come so close as to disturb him from his shelter, he merely flies on a few yards and recommences his song with redoubled energy. Although rather local in distribution, he is not rare, but is never found except near water, although that water may be only a horsepond surrounded with hawthorn bushes. About the beginning of May, having selected his mate and decided on a spot suitable for a home, family cares will be commenced, and the nest, placed within a foot or two of the ground and well concealed, will be begun. The nest is formed of grass and bents, loosely woven together and lined with finer materials and, occasionally, a few feathers. The eggs, four to six in number, are uniform pale clay brown, sometimes showing mottlings of a darker shade and having a dark hair streak towards the larger end. The young are fed on insects, which form also the chief diet of the parents, though berries are eaten in the season.
Two broods are often reared, and at the end of summer young and old pass away to the tropics. The sexes are alike in plumage, but the female is slightly duller. The upper parts are tawny brown, becoming brighter on the rump and upper tail coverts; the crown is broadly streaked with black, and edged on each side with a broad yellowish-white superciliary stripe. Chin and throat white, breast and under parts buff. Length 5 in.; wing 2·5 in. The young are slightly spotted with brown on the throat.
Generally distributed throughout Great Britain, becoming rarer in the north.
THE AQUATIC WARBLER
Acrocephalus aquaticus (J. F. Gmelin)
The Aquatic Warbler is by no means scarce in Europe, but is one of those south-eastern species that extend north-westwards through France and breed sparingly in Holland and Denmark. From recent observations it seems probable that a few examples regularly pass through this country on migration every autumn, but owing to its resemblance to the Sedge Warbler, it has probably often been overlooked.
In general colour it is lighter and paler than the Sedge Warbler, and the wing coverts have broad buffish margins. Its characteristic feature, however, is the conspicuous buff stripe down the middle of the crown. Length 4·9 in.; wing 2·4 in.
THE GRASSHOPPER WARBLER
Locustella nævia (Boddært)
Though never very abundant, this skulking species is commoner than is usually supposed. Arriving towards the end of April, its peculiar trilling song, which has earned it many local names, may often be heard. It sounds, however, so much like the noise made by a grasshopper that the bird is frequently unrecognised.
This species is rarely seen, for it loves to remain concealed in the thick undergrowth, either in a compact hedge or in large stretches of sedge and rough grass, but, if we trouble to trace it by its song, we may be lucky enough to see a dark bird moving near the ground with hesitating flight. As it drops after a very short journey into the cover again, we may have time to notice the rounded tail, which is always spread as it settles and is the best clue by which to identify this species on the wing. Approach the spot where he disappeared and you will search in vain, for he has already crept away, and in a few minutes the song will recommence several yards off.
As with all the Warblers, insects form their chief food. The nest, built of grass and bents loosely woven together, is placed low down and well concealed in the rough herbage near the ground, and as the bird seldom flies from it, but creeps silently away on our approach, it is exceedingly difficult to find.
Six eggs form the clutch; the ground colour is whitish, but they are very thickly and uniformly mottled and freckled with reddish brown. The general colour above is greenish brown, each feather having a darker centre. Wings and tail brown, the latter showing faint bars. Under parts brownish, slightly spotted on the throat and breast, darker on the flanks and paler on the belly. The sexes are alike in plumage. Length 5·4 in.; wing 2·4 in.
SAVI’S WARBLER
Locustella luscinioides (Savi)
This species was once a regular migrant to certain favoured localities in the East Anglian fens, but subsequent drainage has so affected its haunts that it is no longer to be found there. The last known British specimen was killed over fifty years ago. Possibly a few individuals may sometimes occur on migration, as it still breeds locally in some parts of Holland, but, except for historical interest, it can no longer be included among our British birds.
GRASSHOPPER WARBLER
Locustella nævia
Adult (above). Young (below)
The sexes are alike, and in size it slightly exceeds that of the preceding species. The upper parts are of a uniform reddish brown, under parts whitish, passing to buff on the breast and flanks. Length 5·7 in.; wing 2·6 in.
THE HEDGE ACCENTOR
Accentor modularis (Linnæus)
Of dingy colour, quiet, unobtrusive, yet ever busy, the Hedge Accentor, vulgarly misnamed the “Hedge Sparrow,” resembles in his character those among us who are content, even in the bustle of our great cities, to go quietly on their way, doing good wherever they find opportunity and receiving uncomplainingly the kicks which their busier brethren are often only too eager to bestow.
And so it is with the Hedge Sparrow; year in, year out, he is ever with us, quietly and diligently seeking his food along a hedge bottom, on the edge of a coppice, on the garden path, or wherever else he may happen to find himself. He does incalculable good in destroying numbers of noxious insects, and when winter comes, and such food is scarce, he turns his attention to seeds of all kinds, thus helping to keep down many weeds which would otherwise overrun our fields and gardens. Peaceful by nature, he has become very common, and imagining ill of none he is tame, hopping up from the path just in front of us, and disappearing quietly and without sound into the nearest cover, and then, working his way by quiet “creeping hops” (if such an expression be allowable) to the bottom of the bush or hedge, he reappears behind us. We in our turn, it is true, do not often molest him, in fact he is generally ignored and his presence unsuspected, and even when seen, many of us think—“only a sparrow!” and judge him and his acts by those of a race as different from him in habits and qualities as we are from the Chinese!
When he does utter a note, which is towards evening or when suddenly alarmed, it is a short shrill “iss,” rather like a pencil being drawn across a slate; his song, which is commenced in March and only carried on during the breeding season, is like his own character, very sweet and unobtrusive, being in fact a low warble, wandering through its inconsecutive measures without any marked phrases or pauses. By early April he will have chosen his mate and the site for his future home, and now and again one may see him having a slight tiff with a neighbour, who may covet his particular nesting-place, but it is nothing serious, for the said neighbour, if defeated, will have his home but a few yards farther on and apparently enjoy possession unmolested.
HEDGE ACCENTOR (HEDGE SPARROW)
Accentor modularis
The nest is a beautiful structure; the foundation is made of twigs and leaves, and the nest itself is of moss, strongly felted together and lined with horsehair; it is perfectly circular in shape and somewhat deep. Here are laid four eggs of a beautiful blue with no spots or blotches to mar the purity of the colour: altogether this little home is in its quiet way one of the most beautiful of our common natural objects; but—“it is only a sparrow,” and the passer-by either destroys it or goes on without a thought for our little friend or the beauty of his home. When his mate begins her tedious business of incubation he attends to her wants with unremitting care, bringing her any delicacies in the shape of insects, flies, and caterpillars he can find. The young at first look like balls of down, and when they open bright orange-coloured mouths they are quickly filled with what is apparently a favourite food—luscious green caterpillars. When they leave the nest the young wear a dull mottled brown plumage, and without more ado take their place in the world around, and lead a quiet unobtrusive life near the home where they were bred, till their end comes by some natural means, or till their career for good is suddenly cut off and they are shot as being “only sparrows”!
The sexes are nearly alike, the head, nape, chin, throat, and upper breast are slate grey, rest of the upper parts rufous brown, with darker streaks; flanks brown streaked with darker, belly white. The female is slightly duller. The young are brown, spotted with buff all over. Length 5·5 in.; wing 2·75 in.
This is a numerous species throughout our islands.
THE ALPINE ACCENTOR
Accentor collaris (Scopoli)
The Alpine Accentor is an inhabitant of the mountainous regions of Central and Southern Europe, and, like our Hedge Accentor, of very stay-at-home habits, rarely leaving its home until the snow forces it down into the valleys. In England and Wales it has occurred about a dozen times.
In general colour above it is not unlike the preceding species, but the wing coverts are tipped with white, forming a double bar across the wing. Chin and throat white mottled with black, rest of under parts greyish brown, the flanks mottled with chestnut. Length 7 in.; wing 4·1 in.
THE DIPPER
Cinclus aquaticus, Bechstein
Wherever a mountain torrent is to be found in these islands we are almost sure to find this bird, as he sits on a boulder which juts out among the rushing water. In shape he resembles the more familiar Wren, but he is essentially a water bird, and seeks most of his food, which consists entirely of aquatic insects and their larvæ, in the bed of the stream.
Diving into the water it reaches the bottom by the aid of both wings and feet, and when there progresses, apparently, by its feet alone.
The nest, placed in the crevice of a wall, often on the under side of a bridge or between two boulders in the centre of the stream, is a large domed structure of moss and leaves, having an elliptical entrance low down on one side.
Four to six dull white eggs form the clutch, and two or three broods are reared in the season, the first eggs being laid early in March. Its song is begun in autumn and continues throughout the winter till well on in spring.
A strictly resident species, this bird may be found in its haunts at all times of the year and is exceedingly common in Scotland, where there are few burns that are not tenanted by two or three pairs. In hard frosty weather, however, when its natural home is frozen and food scarce, it wanders over the country and may at such times be found by tidal ditches on the sea-shore.
Its flight is rapid and direct, and when on the move it almost invariably follows the course of the stream.
The adult has the head and neck brownish, rest of the upper parts dark slate grey. Chin, throat and upper breast white, lower breast chestnut, passing into black on the flanks and belly. Bill blackish, legs brown. The young lack the chestnut on the lower parts. Length 7 in.; wing 3·6 in.