REED-BUNTING. 87 



this note over and over again with beaks loaded with insects. 

 The song is usually delivered from a perch, but the bird will at 

 times sing on the ground, where in addition to hopping it walks 

 when seeking food. Insects, especially tipulid flies and larvae 

 of moths, are the chief food in summer ; the young are probably 

 fed on nothing else, but in winter seeds and a little grain are 

 taken. The flight is jerky rather than undulating— a series of 

 forward and upward shoots ; when the bird alights on some 

 insecure vertical reed or other plant, it generally clings sideways 

 and flutters to secure its balance. From its perch it makes 

 frequent sallies to capture insects in the air. 



In winter a few, apparently life-paired birds, remain in their 

 summer haunts, but the majority become gregarious and 

 nomadic, joining with other buntings and finches. In northern 

 England most, at any rate, leave and either wander further 

 south or cross the sea. Early in February some return to the 

 nesting haunts, and the first arrivals roost sociably in reeds or 

 withies. In March oversea birds arrive, often accompanied by 

 Pied Wagtails and Meadow-Pipits. Soon nesting begins, and 

 the male may be seen, squatting on the ground and shuffling 

 round but always keeping an eye on his mate, evidently suggest- 

 ing building, A tuft of coarse marsh grass, the stocks of cut 

 osiers, and the base of a clump of rushes are favoured sites for 

 the nest (Plate 32), which is made of any handy material — 

 grass, reed blades, flags or moss, and lined with hair and 

 frequently the feathery awns of the reed. Both sexes incubate, 

 and when disturbed will squatter or struggle along the ground, 

 feigning a helpless or wounded condition so as to draw the 

 intruder from the nest; at times, however, the female slips 

 away quietly and quickly. A second, often a third brood is 

 reared ; eggs are laid in April, but may still be met with in 

 August. Four to six is the usual number in the first clutch, 

 but late nests often contain only three. They are varied in 

 ground and markings, but the one figured (Plate 41) is a usual 



