TAKING STOCK OF THE BIRDS 231 



so greedy and bold, so noisy and formidable-looking 

 that the small birds were quite driven out; all 

 except the starlings that came in hungry crowds and 

 were determined to get their share. 



At the beginning of December I had to move 

 to a nursing-home at the Convent of the Sisters 

 of the Cross at the adjacent village of Hayle, just 

 across the estuary* The Convent buildings and 

 grounds and gardens are fortunately outside the 

 ugly village, and my room had an exceptionally 

 big window occupying almost the whole wall on 

 one side, with an outlook to the south over the 

 green fields and moors towards Helston. An ideal 

 sick-room for a man who can't be happy without 

 the company of birds, and here, even when lying 

 on my bed before I was able to sit or stand by the 

 window, a large portion of the sky, rainy or blue, 

 was visible, and rooks and daws and gulls and troops 

 of starlings, and the curlews from the river, were 

 seen coming and going all day long* 



But it was much better when I was able to go 

 to the window, since now, by feeding them, I could 

 draw the birds to me. I fed them on a green field 

 beneath my window, where the Convent milch-cows 

 were accustomed to graze for some hours each day* 

 All through the winter there was grass for them, and 

 I was glad to have them there, as the cow is my 

 favourite beast, and it was also pleasant to see the 



