148 WILD BIRDS 



winter. But this does not help us to solve the 

 riddle of its migration. The first step in the piecing 

 together of a puzzle is often child-simple ; but soon 

 we find it does not help us in our task. Why need the 

 redwings, \ having come south and west in such 

 numbers/ leave in the spring to a bird ? A red- 

 wing's food through autumn and winter in England 

 is much the same as the food of song-thrushes and of 

 blackbirds save that the redwing does not care as 

 much as they for berries ; and there is no reason to 

 think that redwings could not rear their young in 

 England. Yet it has not been proved that a single 

 pair of redwings ever stayed through an English 

 spring to make a nest and rear a brood. There have 

 been stories of redwings nesting in England, but not 

 one well proven. 



It is the same with the fieldfare. Not a redwing 

 or fieldfare has nested with us, though we see field- 

 fares in May, and now and then in June. Did migra- 

 tion allow it, there would be nothing to forbid the 

 redwing staying through the spring and nesting in 

 English woods, for there is nothing in our climate 

 or food unsuited to it and its young. 



I should say the redwing is at least as well suited 

 to nest and rear its young in England as is the 

 " American robin," which is also one of the thrushes. 

 Yet, whereas the redwing will not nest with us, the 

 American robin, only find it fitting quarters, will 

 nest freely and bring off its young. But having done 

 so the American robin disappears in the autumn 

 and is seen no more I am thinking of American 



