58 Baby Birds at Home 



it is waiting for you it will often behave in 

 a manner suggestive of anger. Ducking its 

 body, drooping its wings, and spreading out 

 its tail for an instant, it utters a note sound- 

 ing like " chick, chack." 



The Wheatear is not a very accomplished 

 vocalist, but his song is pretty and generally 

 delivered on the wing. 



A hole amongst rocks, in a stone wall, 

 bank, or old peat stack is used as a nesting 

 place. The structure is formed of rootlets, 

 dry grass, and moss, with an inner lining of 

 wool, hair, feathers, or rabbit's down. 



The eggs number five or six, and are pale 

 greenish blue in colour. 



Young Wheatears are fed by both parent 

 birds upon caterpillars, moths, beetles, and 

 all kinds of insects. They do not leave the 

 nest until they can fly quite strongly, but 

 very soon learn to find their own food and 

 take care of themselves. 



During July Wheatears gradually work 

 their way south, and leave us for their 

 winter quarters in Africa and other warm 

 countries, to appear again, if the weather 

 should be mild and open, as early as February 

 or March. 



