BIRDS 



95 



Tail and wings brown, edged with yellow-green and tipped with white. The 

 hen is, as usual, duller. Its song, generally heard in woods or from the top 

 of tall trees, is very characteristic. It begins with a " Tick-tick-tick," and 

 ends with a remarkable shivering trill, in which the bird sings with head thrown 

 back and the whole body quivering. Once heard, it can always be recognized. 

 It has been syllabled as follows : " Wheeou-wheeou-wheeou-ip-sip-sipp-sipsip- 

 sipsipp-srreeeeee " ; but generally the latter part only is sung. The call-note 

 is " Wheet." The nest is on or near the ground, in dead bracken or tangled 

 herbage. It is a domed structure of bracken, leaves, grass, etc., lined with 

 grass and hair but without feathers (this is a distinguishing feature). The 

 eggs are white, with red spots. 



Wheatear. This bird gets its name from the Anglo-Saxon " whete-aer," 

 white rump, the conspicuous mark which serves to distinguish it readily. 

 This patch shows most plainly when the bird is flying. On alighting and closing 

 its wings, it disappears in such a way that the bird in its full plumage seems 

 to vanish into the tones of its surroundings. Probably this same protective 

 coloration explains its consistent habit of always flying low, so as to harmonize 

 with the ground. Its upper parts are a blue-grey, a black streak passing 

 through the eye to the ear coverts; the tail is black, except the base of the 

 outer feathers, which is white ; wings blackish brown ; cheeks, throat, and 

 breast tawny buff ; the rest of the under parts creamy white. The hen is 

 duller brown, except for the white markings. The bird haunts moorlands 

 and wild pastures ; in the North it is con- 

 sidered "unlucky" probably from its habit 

 of frequenting old disused churchyards. Its 

 note is " Tack-tack," but it has a short, 

 joyous song not unlike the opening of the 

 Skylark's ; it also mimics other birds. The 

 nest is placed on the ground, on downs or 

 open country under rocks or among stones ; 

 sometimes in curious places an old kettle 

 or a drain pipe. It is of dry grass lined with 

 hair, wool, etc., and generally where one nest 

 is found, others may be discovered. The 

 eggs are pale blue, sometimes with speckles 

 of red. The food consists of spiders, insects, 

 and their larvae. The bird is a summer 

 migrant. 



Whinchat. This small sandy-brown bird short, thick-set, 

 with black streaks ; blackish wings with white spot (sometimes 

 two), a prominent white streak over the eye, a white patch at 

 base of tail, rosy breast is to be seen on commons and moor- 

 lands, singing a low, persistent, warbling song, sometimes for 

 half an hour at a time. 



Whinchat. 



