The Open Air 



My pair of starlings were frequently at this ledge 

 last autumn, very late in autumn, and I suspect they 

 had a winter brood there. The starlkig does rear a 

 brood sometimes in the midst of the winter, contrary 

 as that may seem to our general ideas of natural 

 history. They may be called roof-residents, as they 

 visit it all the year round; they nest in the roof, 

 rearing two and sometimes three broods; and use it 

 as their club and place of meeting. Towards July 

 the young starlings and those that have for the 

 time at least finished nesting, flock together, and 

 pass the day in the fields, returning now and then to 

 their old home. These flocks gradually increase; 

 the starling is so prolific that the flocks become 

 immense, till in the latter part of the autumn in 

 southern fields it is common to see a great elm-tree 

 black with them, from the highest bough downwards, 

 and the noise of their chattering can be heard a long 

 distance. They roost in firs or in osier-beds. But 

 in the blackest days of winter, when frost binds the 

 ground hard as iron, the starlings return to the roof 

 almost every day; they do not whistle much, but 

 have a peculiar chuckling whistle at the instant of 

 alighting. In very hard weather, especially snow, 

 the starlings find it difficult to obtain a living, and 

 at such times will come to the premises at the rear, 

 and at farmhouses where cattle are in the yards, 

 search about among them for insects. 



The whole history of the starling is interesting, 

 but I must here only mention it as a roof-bird. 

 They are very handsome in their full plumage, which 

 gleams bronze and green among the darker shades; 

 quick in their motions, and full of spirit; loaded to 

 the muzzle with energy, and never still. I hope 

 none of those who are so good as to read what I have 



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