BIRD NOTES 



now greets anyone who approaches the bush where the 

 jay intends to nest. But a few weeks later, the nest being 

 built and the hen being on her eggs, you may pass the 

 nest as noisily as you please without a sound of protest, 

 though the jay's anxious eye " wicked eye," the keeper 

 would call it is closely watching your every movement. 



" BIRDS that sing as they fly are but few," wrote White 

 of Selborne, and made a list, including only 

 Songs on lark, pipit, swallow, whitethroat, blackbird, 

 the Wing and wren. The thrush, as well as the 

 blackbird, will occasionally sing while 

 flying, sometimes while hopping after worms. The 

 little wood- warbler trills its summery song as it flutters 

 across the woodland glade. Goldfinches and linnets 

 seem so overflowing with happiness that they cannot 

 cease their songs for flight. Never does a linnet fly to a 

 pond to drink without twittering a grace on the wing, 

 before and after refreshment. 



SOME birds with strong voices are exceedingly shy of 

 showing themselves, like the nightingale 

 The Reel and the corncrake, and the grasshopper- 

 Birds warbler, which is as timid as a mouse, and 



lives a secretive sort of life under cover of 

 grasses or sedges. Like the nightingale, it sings its best 

 under the cloak of night ; or perhaps sings its very best 

 just as dawn is flushing. Then it mounts to some little 

 elevation, a twig or the top of a sedge, and with quiver- 

 ing form and widely-opened bill, with head turning 

 from side to side, shrilly utters the strange song which 

 earned it the name " Reeler." At the least alarm it 

 vanishes, like a concert singer leaving the platform. 



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