BRITAIN'S BIRDS AND THEIR NESTS. 239 



Orkney to the north. It is probable that oui' own birds 

 are more or less resident throughout the year, but in 

 autumn large numbers of Jackdaws from northern Europe 

 may be seen arriving on our eastern seaboard. At times 

 their movements affect other parts of our area. In spring 

 a return migration may be noted. 



The original nesting -haunts of the Jackdaw were 

 doubtless cliffs and rocky crags. In such haunts, whether 

 by the sea, along a deep-cut river, or on a bare moun- 

 tain face, colonies are still often enough to be found. 

 But, like many other cliff-nesting birds to which the 

 presence of sea or stream is not essential, the Jackdaw 

 has discovered that man-made erections of stone form an 

 exceedingly effective substitute for natural walls. Where, 

 indeed, is the Daw so safe from man as among his own 

 chimney-pots ? 



Chimneys, indeed, form the typical situation when the 

 nests are on houses. Either the Daw is very conservative 

 in its choice of a nesting-place, coming to the same 

 house over and over again, or chimneys of modern form 

 are not suited to its needs. Probably both explanations 

 are true; but in any case it is usually on a few of the 

 older houses of a town that the colonies of Jackdaws are 

 to be found. Sometimes it is not a house, but a castle 

 or church, ruined or otherwise, that is chosen. Most old 

 cathedral cities can boast of a goodly number of Daws, 

 and if we obsei-ve them closely in their flight through 

 the air we shall soon discover that the great tower 

 harbours the chief colony. 



When the nest is upon an unchimneyed building 

 or on a natural cliff, it is almost always in a hole or 

 sheltered crevice of some sort. Other situations are 

 rabbit-burrows and holes in hollow trees, and, exception- 

 ally, among the branches of trees open to the sky. The 



