n6 Baby Birds at Home 



Laplanders call it by a name signifying the 

 " Grass Duck." 



By the end of June or the beginning of 

 July the male Widgeon has undergone a 

 great change in his appearance. He has 

 dropped his wedding garments, so to speak, 

 and donned a darker and more soberly 

 coloured dress, which makes him resemble 

 to a greater extent his mate in her coat of 

 dark and reddish brown feathers. 



The nest of the Widgeon is made on the 

 ground amongst heather, rushes, coarse tall 

 grass, flags, reeds, and under small bushes. 

 It consists of dead rushes, reeds, leaves, and 

 dry grass, with an inner lining of down 

 plucked from the breast of the female. This 

 down is carefully folded over the eggs when- 

 ever the bird leaves her nest of her own 

 accord. 



The eggs number seven or eight and are 

 creamy white in colour. 



Like other members of the family to 

 which they belong the ducklings are covered 

 with down, and leave the nest directly they 

 are hatched and take to the water in charge 

 of their mother. 



