TVoodland Birds 



a tremulous squealing, which reminded me very 

 much of young Kingfishers, while the parents 

 flew around in a state of excitement, uttering their 

 sharp, angry, alarm cries. As soon as I withdrew 

 a little distance both birds overcame their natural 

 shyness, quickly alighting on the tree, and the 

 female soon entered the nest to quiet her noisy 

 progeny. 



The thick blackthorn hedge bounding the wood 

 is usually well tenanted, for the birds seem to 

 prefer light and air to the quieter and darker 

 recesses of the wood. Here Greenfinches' nests 

 are found in plenty, loosely built of twigs, roots 

 and moss, lined with horsehair and a few feathers, 

 and the birds themselves are easily recognised by 

 their stout build and general colouring olive 

 yellow above and light yellowish green beneath. 

 The most noticeable feature in their plumage, 

 however, is afforded by the bright yellow bar 

 on the wings, formed by the yellow outer webs 

 of the primary feathers. 



Most of the finches, the Greenfinches included, 

 assemble in bands during the winter, and frequent 

 the neighbourhood of farmyards or stubble fields. 

 To this generality the Bullfinch is an exception, for 

 these birds are almost invariably found in pairs, the 

 male remaining true to his spouse throughout the 

 winter months. It is then a common sight to see 

 them searching the hedgerows for berries, flitting 

 along one after the other, rendered conspicuous 



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