THE FAERY YEAR 



The Ploughman's Queue 



The outburst of some farmers against grain- and 

 seed-eating birds is not unnatural. During frost or 

 snow, a very sparrow-endurer, if he visit a few stacks 

 of unthreshed grain oats, barley, or wheat in the 

 fields or about the barns, may feel a little sympathy 

 with the owner. At his approach a large party of 

 sparrows, mingled with finches and a few pairs of 

 yellow-hammers, flies off unwillingly. The birds 

 are dropping back, however, almost as he turns 

 away. Clinging to the sides of the stacks, they feed 

 on the grain, and often will pull out and carry the 

 straws to a spot where they can easily extract the 

 grain. A favourable spot is a quiet road or lane 

 close by the stacks. Sparrows, yellow-hammers, 

 and finches will fly with straws to a hard road, 

 where they can pick out the grain more easily than 

 in the field, and are less likely to lose it. The 

 latter advantage they may not be aware of. They 

 are quite as conscious of the former as is the song- 

 thrush that flies with its snail to the road or stone 

 on which it can smash the shell. 



Then there are the long trains of rooks, which, 

 as a farmer angrily declares, half blacken a field. 

 But in frosty weather should not a farmer soften 

 towards rook and starling ? The grass lands being 

 hard-frozen, they follow the plough, with a few 

 skylarks and often a pair or two of pied wagtails. 

 No robin ever better understood the good to him in 

 the garden spade than they the good in the plough. 



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