6 OUR FAVOURITE SONG BIRDS 



of varied and almost continuous song ; the higher 

 trees are resonant with the songs of Buntings and 

 Chaffinches, the evergreens with the love-notes of 

 Bullfinches, Greenfinches and Goldcrests ; the open 

 breezy fields re-echo the song of the Tree Pipit, the 

 Wood-Lark and the Redpole ; the water-side the per- 

 sistent melody of Sedge-bird, Reed Warbler, Reed 

 Bunting and Dipper. Intermingled with this burst 

 of song, the sweet plaintive minstrelsy of Robin and 

 Wren and Accentor is heard continuously ; whilst 

 the gorse coverts and thickets are full of singing 

 Linnets and skulking Grasshopper Warblers. The 

 Thrush and Blackbird are in constant and splendid 

 voice, the Sky-Lark sheds a torrent of song from 

 the clouds. The sombre Nightingales are now in 

 almost overpowering voice ; the Swallow and the 

 Martin sing at intervals as they fly along, or briefly 

 rest. Morninor and evenino- are the times to hear 

 this matchless orchestra at its best ; for then which- 

 ever way we may turn some sweet warbler or 

 another greets us gladsomely ; here, there and every- 

 where the songs of birds are sounding. From before 

 dawn until the sun's rays gain too much power, 

 and then in the late afternoon until dusk the crash 

 of song is bewildering. June is almost an exact 

 counterpart of May so far as concerns the songs of 

 birds. It is another month of almost constant song, 

 a little less energetic perhaps as a whole, but cer- 

 tainly one of the two most musical months in the 



