Birds in Autumn.



367



A few water-hens, mis-called moor-hens, were paddling about,

hut rapidly disappeared under cover at our approach.


Woodpeckers are common, and their quick rhythmical tap

may often be heard.


If disturbed, partridges flap noisily away from where they

have been squatting in the long grass. A pheasant, when suddenly

startled, will often rocket with tremendous force straight up and

through the tree-tops.


Away in a large distant meadow countless black specks were

bobbing busily up and down.


Look at those Starlings worming,” remarked my cicerone.

A wagoner's boy passing along the road shouted “ Shoo.” Instantly

the whole flock rose in a cloud and flew to the tops of the elms close

to us. There must have been thousands of them. Not one was

still or quiet for a moment. The whole lot were on the move

incessantly, hopping from bough to bough, bobbing and bending and

turning and flapping unendingly, with quick jerky movements.


Their noise was deafening. Each starling kept up a sibilant,

half-whistling call, a sort of catch or round on two or three ascending

notes. After watching and listening for a few minutes, we clapped

our hands and shouted, and the flock went off at top speed to

another field. They continue like that all through the winter,

pairing off finally about February or March.


The Starling always builds in a hole, or anything that the

least resembles one, making a rough untidy nest, and has a prefer¬

ence for straw.


At the back of the house is an old brick-built shed, used as a

store by the carpenter. In one gable-end is an opening, two feet

square, through which the carpenter pushed his ladders. About

two years ago this shed was disused and the door was locked all

through the winter. One day, about the beginning of April, the

carpenter went in to have a look round to see if the place could be

used again. He had cleared everything out. Inside, at the bottom

of the wall, below the ladder opening, he found a big heap of straw,

nearly a barrowful. He could not understand how it came there.

A careful watch revealed two starlings at work. They carried

straws from the pig-styes and laid them on the lower ledge of the



