The Bird Book 



slung in the reeds or in osiers, seems far too fragile 

 a structure to support a young Cuckoo when it is 

 nearly fledged, and it must get well flattened down, 

 for the cup-shaped interior is purposely made deep 

 in order to prevent the eggs from rolling out when 

 it sways with the reeds in the wind. It does, how- 

 ever, prove equal to the strain, a fact that increases 

 our wonder at the architectural capacity of the 

 builders. Generally the nest is woven around 

 three reeds but sometimes is supported by only 

 two, and is composed of dry grass and roots with 

 a little wool or willow down. The eggs are 

 greenish white thickly blotched with greenish 

 brown. 



The Reed Warbler is found chiefly in the 

 Eastern counties and the South of England, 

 breeding plentifully in the Thames valley, but 

 becomes rarer towards the south-west and north. 

 Like other Warblers it is not easily observed, for 

 it skulks among the reed beds, seldom coming into 

 the open, though its song is quite a feature in the 

 riverside chorus of the districts that it frequents. 

 When the nest is built in osiers the bird is more 

 often seen, and one cannot fail to be struck with 

 its gymnastic feats as it climbs about, some- 

 times grasping an upright stem with each foot and 

 holding its body perpendicularly between them no 

 matter how they sway. 



It shares with the Sedge Warbler the habit of 

 singing far on into the night, but its notes are less 

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