166 BIRDS OF LOCH AND MOUNTAIN 



One never sees a Willow Warbler idle ; he is 

 always on the move, flitting from bough to bough 

 and eagerly examining the under part of each leaf 

 for the succulent green fly of which he is very fond. 

 In fact, I have repeatedly seen Willow Warblers 

 engaged in eating the green fly from sickly rose 

 trees and producing quite an appreciable effect on 

 the plants. 



The Willow Wrens rear only one brood during 

 a season, and after the beginning of July gradually 

 become silent for about a month during their 

 moult. Early in August, however, their song is 

 recommenced, and during last summer they con- 

 tinued in full song throughout August, although 

 after the nesting season is over the song is 

 usually uttered only occasionally. The notes are 

 begun in a high key, and gradually descend 

 lower and lower, but often rise again just 

 before the close of the song. The bird does not 

 need to be still while he sings, but pours forth his 

 sweet music while busily hunting for food, without 

 even pausing in his search. 



Though the nest is usually placed on the 

 ground, amidst the long grass or heather, it is 

 occasionally found in a tree at a distance of 10 feet 

 or even more above the ground, while the photo- 

 graph of the nest here reproduced was situated in 

 the mouth of a rabbit scraping. The nest, however, 

 was unfortunately destroyed before the young were 

 fledged. Occasionally the Cuckoo victimises the 

 Willow Wren, but this is rarely the .case compared 

 with the Meadow Pipit. 



To ascertain the hour of the morning at which the 

 Willow Warbler commences his song, as compared 

 with other birds, I noted the time when various 



