Birds of Britain 



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 huffish face 

 w^ill 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 them- 

 selves 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, 



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