THE BIRD-LIFE OF LONDON 
recognised. ‘The Wheatear is by no means a shy bird, 
if a somewhat wary one, and it usually first arrests the 
attention as it sits quietly on some coign of vantage 
watching your movements or glides along close to the 
ground to a safer resting-place. As likely as not it utters a 
series of clicking notes, which sound like pebbles knocked 
together, accompanying them with a flicking motion 
of the tail and wings. In the earlier part of the nesting 
season the male utters a short and rambling song, often 
when fluttering in the air. The food of this species 
consists of worms, small snails, insects and larve, and 
various small fruits. It is a somewhat early breeder, 
commencing to buildin April, and the eggs are laid during 
that month and May. A covered situation seems always 
to be selected, such as under a heap of stones or bricks, a 
hole in a wall, or a rabbit-burrow. ‘The nest is loosely 
made of dry grass and roots, lined with hair, wool, and 
feathers, and the egg—usually five or six—are pale blue. 
It is a difficult nest to find, and the old birds are wary in 
the extreme. “I'he Wheatear seldom perches, im, trees, 
but often sits on telegraph wires and posts. In autumn 
Wheatears gather into parties, which eventually become 
flocks and migrate in company. 
The Wheatear cannot readily be confused with any 
other British species. "The male has most of the upper 
parts bluish grey, merging into white on the lower back ; 
the under parts are pale buff; the eye-stripe and ear- 
coverts are black; above the eye is a white streak; the 
wings are black; the tail black and white. The female 
has the body plumage nearly uniform sandy brown, the 
wings and tail nearly as in the male. Bill, tarsi, and 
toes black; irides dark brown. Length 6$inches. The 
young in nestling plumage resemble the female in general 
colour, but are spotted above and below. 
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