A BIRDLOVER'S YEAR 



comes flying over many a windy wave 

 To Britain, 



calls softly from the trees that are gathered 

 on the right-hand side. This latter bird 

 is one of the real migrants who undertake 

 twice yearly a mighty over-seas journey in 

 order to reach our shores at nesting time. 

 These are the birds of passage 



that change their sky 

 To build and brood ; that live their lives 

 From land to land. 



In the Lane the blackbird " plays on his 

 boxwood flute," and that prince of songsters, 

 the thrush, may be heard and seen at all 

 times of day, but here again one notices 

 during the winter months the diminished 

 number of song thrushes that are to be seen 

 only an occasional bird. 



How quickly the summer days pass, and 

 how eagerly one awaits the return of spring ! 

 Then is the time for bird song, when the 

 lanes and woods seem almost vocal, "and 

 upon his dulcet pipe the merle doth only play." 

 Then, like Tennyson, one waits to hear the 

 song thrush " Sing the new year in under 



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