CHAFFINCH LANE 125 



number, of our walks within the twelve-mile radius. 

 Chaffinch Lane was once, not so very long ago, a 

 mere waggon track, little frequented. Such a lane 

 which then led to the farm land, if left, as many were, 

 to run wild, formed a retreat of great attraction for 

 all kinds of birds. If a road is actually closed to all 

 traffic, birds seem reluctant to make it their abode ; 

 but if only a few people walk these daily, or if the 

 road is used for farm traffic, the birds are sure to be 

 found in greater numbers ; for most of our suburban 

 birds like the company of man. 



This old roadway, now a footpath, which really 

 leads to nowhere, is overgrown with bushes, and 

 these abound with bird life. During the days of 

 early spring I often wander down Chaffinch Lane, 

 for it is here that we can nearly always reckon on 

 catching a first glimpse of the whitethroat creeping 

 about the lower herbage ; and here, too, we may 

 often see the gay-plumaged redstart flittering on 

 before us, for many migratory birds come here and 

 remain for a time on their first arrival for the season 

 in the country. The lesser whitethroat, which may be 

 readily recognised by his breast tinged with pink, is 

 seen and heard here earlier than elsewhere. The lesser 

 whitethroat when it first arrives has a beautiful pale 

 pink tinge on its breast feathers, but before many 

 weeks have elapsed this disappears, the chief cause 

 being the black state of many hedges; the birds 



