68 Baby Birds at Home 



The Stonechat is fond of perching on the 

 tops of furze and other bushes, but never stays 

 long in one place, fluttering in the air to catch 

 some passing insect, or descending to the 

 ground to pick up a grub. Its call-note 

 sounds like " u-tack" and its short, soft, low 

 song is frequently delivered on the wing. 



A good many Stonechats stay with us all 

 the year round. 



The nest is very difficult to find, and both 

 parent birds guard their secret by trying to 

 decoy intruders away from its presence. It 

 is situated on or near the ground amongst 

 heather, rough tangled grass, or at the foot 

 of a gorse bush, and is built of rootlets, dry 

 grass and moss, with an inner lining of hair, 

 wool, or feathers. 



From four to six, or even seven, eggs are 

 laid. These are pale bluish green in colour, 

 spotted round the larger end with reddish 

 brown. 



The young ones fledge before they are able 

 to fly very far, and sit about amongst the 

 furze bushes or heather, calling from differ- 

 ent quarters to their parents for food, and 

 the old birds may be seen alighting first in 

 one place and then another, with insects. 



