44 BIRD BIOGRAPHIES 



Great-crested Grebe were often heard. 

 Coots and Moorhens were calling, 

 Thrushes were singing loudly in the 

 coppice behind. High up in the sky a 

 Lark was trying to outrival the birds in 

 the trees, for all around the birds seemed 

 to know that the sunshine and the 

 warmth were the promise of a beautiful 

 springtime to come down upon the earth. 

 The tall brown reed-stalks, relics of the 

 summer that had gone, were bending 

 to the west wind, and sparkling ripples 

 seemed to be running across the water 

 to join the green meadows over beyond. 



Pee-e-e,pu,pee-e! The loud notes startled 

 me, and there coming down the creek I 

 saw a flash of colour as brilliant as the 

 sun itself; another followed, and the next 

 moment on a branch not far from me 

 two Kingfishers were sitting. Pee-e-e 

 one bird called again, and almost im- 

 mediately flew down to the bank and 

 entered a small hole. While she was 



