A BIRDLOVER'S YEAR 



they utter their plaintive piping whistle 

 and swish overhead into the next parish ! 

 To the lowlander the coming of the golden 

 plover is one of the ornithological treats of 

 autumn. 



But perhaps the chief feature of October 

 is the settling down of the different birds into 

 their winter quarters and the local move- 

 ments of our so-called residential species. 

 Nearly all birds indulge in a certain amount 

 of travelling, be it only of a local nature ; 

 the thrushes and finches all move from place 

 to place, as do also the linnets and even 

 the tits. October is the time for these 

 small journey ings, when so many little 

 birds cross over the march, their place 

 being filled by their congeners from the 

 next county. 



The long-tailed tits form into parties along 

 with other small birds and scour the country- 

 side, whilst the skylark, who is a real over- 

 seas traveller, will be joining in the autumnal 

 journey south. 



In the garden the robin sings sweetly as 

 he " eyes the delver's toil," the tiny wren 

 gives burst to his amazing little volume of 

 song, and ever and anon the tree creeper 

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