MEADOW-PIPIT. 115 



west coast and through western counties than by the eastern 

 route. Passage birds continue noticeable until the middle of 

 April, travelling with various wagtails and Reed Buntings, and 

 roosting with them in reed-beds, though in their moorland 

 haunts they sleep on the ground. As a rule the resident birds 

 leave the high moors in winter and return early in the year. 

 The old idea was that all our breeding birds retired from the 

 high to the low ground but did not leave the country, and a 

 later theory is that they all emigrate, their place being taken by 

 winter visitors. Neither is correct, for some residents return 

 to the moors in early February before the migrants have 

 arrived, and other British-bred birds undoubtedly go abroad, 

 since many ringed examples have been recovered. 



The Meadow-Pipit or Titlark is one of the most abundant 

 upland birds, nesting on the highest moors, where on a warm 

 spring day dozens may be seen fluttering up from the heather 

 for their short nuptial flight, and the air is full of their trilling 

 songs, quick repetitions of sharp notes as they ascend and 

 float down with outspread pinions. The songs are less frequent 

 than the alarm notes, peep, peep, peep, of the anxious parents 

 when the safety of the nest in threatened ; the birds flit before 

 the intruder, settling on the rocks or heather and calling 

 persistently \ the flight, jerky rather than undulating, is only 

 for a few yards. In his anxiety the cock betrays the presence 

 of the nest, but the hen is a close sitter and leaves reluctantly. 

 When migrating the flocks are often very large and remain for 

 days in suitable feeding grounds. Many hundreds frequent 

 the sewage farms of large towns, roosting in osiers and feeding 

 by day on the mud of empty tanks. Salt marshes are resorted 

 to, and when these are flooded by spring tides the birds follow 

 the receding water, apparently feeding on marine worms, 

 Crustacea or small molluscs. Many winter on the sewage 

 farms, but in reduced numbers ; indeed the winter flocks are 

 small. 



