" The nest is composed of small twigs, rootlets, dry grass or moss intermixed with mud." 



T 



THE BLACKBIRD 



HERE is no need to enter feathered vocalists, but I have never 



into any kind of descrip- 

 tion of this well-known 

 bird, which is common 

 practically all over the 

 British Islands and beloved 

 of most people, saving the 

 gardener, from whose fruit 

 trees it takes well-earned toll, and the 

 poacher, of whose unwelcome presence 

 it frequently warns the gamekeeper. 



The male is a much-appreciated vocal- 

 ist, and although his song does not 

 contain any great variety of notes, such 

 as he possesses are rich and flute-like. 

 They are delivered in a leisurely, stately 

 manner, and I cannot understand why 

 they should be mistaken, as they some- 

 times are, for those of the song thrush, 

 which are not so mellow and generally 

 poured out in a vehement flood. It 

 has been said that the Blackbird some- 

 times imitates the notes of other 



noticed this peculiarity half so much 

 as in the case of the song thrush. 



The male Black Ouzel as the bird is, 

 to my mind, better named in some 

 parts of the country is par excellence 

 the detective of the woods, and if a 

 cat, stoat, weasel, owl, or human poacher 

 happens to be on the prowl he may 

 always be trusted to find out and sound 

 the alarm in his clear ringing " spink, 

 spink, spink " notes. 



This species breeds practically all 

 over the British Islands, even to the 

 outermost of the Hebridean group 

 where I have heard the cock singing 

 from the top of a chimney within sight 

 and sound of Atlantic breakers. The 

 breeding season commences in March 

 and goes on until July, and even 

 August, during which time three or 

 four broods may be reared by the same 

 pair of birds. 



'35 



