Songs of the Fields 



cation, and by noon Monday I resumed a series 

 of pictures of her nesting history. There were sev- 

 eral dozen of them, representing every phase of 

 her home life, the one I use here being especially 

 individual. 



Both birds attended the young alternately, 

 with the difference that when the father fed them 

 he removed a faeces and flew away. When the 

 mother arrived she performed the same operation, 

 and then, setting her breast feathers on end, slowly 

 moved over the young, who thrust their heads 

 against her breast, and she brooded them until the 

 male returned. I loved to see the young move 

 toward her and watch the sudden swell of the 

 feathers to admit them. Several times I was 

 tempted to record it, but thought the act was too 

 fast for my lens. However, as I had almost every- 

 thing else, I decided to try, and that morning as 

 I detected the impulse to lift the feathers with the 

 snuggling of the young, I snapped. The bird that 

 disdained shelter and kept his head out when the 

 mother moved over the nest, left it before the day 

 was done. 



Robins are true orchard birds, wonderfully 

 friendly, and great worm consumers; in fact such 

 fabulous numbers are fed to young robins that The Value 

 many times over one is repaid for the few apples of a Robm 

 and cherries they pick later. They are invaluable 

 aids in agriculture, and every robin nest a farmer 

 17 257 



