1 62 Among the Birds in Northern Shires. 



and parents get on to the adjoining fields. They 

 return in many cases to the nest trees to roost, and 

 then each evening the din is deafening as troop after 

 troop of tired birds come straggling in from all 

 directions and caw themselves hoarse before drop- 

 ping off to sleep in the tall trees. 



Another familar bird of the farm is the Starling 

 a species that does not reveal its beauty unless 

 examined minutely. There are few birds in this 

 country more gorgeously arrayed with metallic sheen 

 than a fine old cock Starling in the full flush and 

 vigour of spring plumage. His lemon-yellow bill 

 at this season also increases the effect. As harmless 

 as it is useful, it keeps close company with the 

 Rooks, although it shows little inclination to follow 

 those birds on to the arable land; it loves the grass 

 fields and manure heaps, being somewhat of an 

 unclean feeder. Then it always selects a covered 

 site of some kind for nesting purposes, being most 

 adaptive in this respect. We used to place boxes 

 for its accommodation in the trees; and we have 

 known a disused pigeon-cot fastened to a high 

 wall packed to its utmost capacity with nests. Few 

 birds are more attached to their breeding- place. 

 For many years a pair of Starlings bred in a hole 

 in a tall elm-tree in one of the fields. From this 

 nest we actually obtained forty eggs in a season, 

 and sometimes for a couple of years in succession 



