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Mr. A. R. Williams,



the favourite resorts of Blackbirds, whence they fly out or hop

through at the approach of passers-by. Severe weather drives them

to the dung-heaps, where they feed close to the men loading or

tipping and spreading. Standing a moment to watch with bright

eyes, darting on a worm, tugging it out, swallowing it with gusto,

hopping a yard or two, then repeating the performance, makes the

Blackbird a lively and interesting object. “ Blackbird” is rather a

misnomer. Some are quite black, sooty, but the plumage varies up

to light brown in individuals, light enough to make countrymen

hesitate before pronouncing them to be Blackbirds. The lighter

colouring usually denotes females, but is not peculiar to them.


The general winter habits of Thrushes correspond closely with

those of Blackbirds. The larger and more speckled Missel Thrush is

a familiar resident in Dorset. It resorts less to the haunts of man

than the Song Thrush, keeping more to the fields and downs. The

common Thrush becomes very bold in severe weather, carefully

searching dung-heaps, stable and dairy yards, excavations, any place

.where the earth is disturbed, for food, also finding hidden snails and

cracking their shells on a stone, and paying little heed to the

presence of animals and men at work.


In late autumn and early winter considerable numbers of

Redwings fed in the water meadows. When the hard frosts set in

after Christmas they disappeared. The name “ Redwing ” must

have arisen from very careless observation, for it is not difficult to

see that the red is on the flanks under the wings, which are them¬

selves brown.


The black markings and large amount of grey and buff and

white in the feathering easily distinguish Fieldfares from other

Turdinae. No bird suffered more from the harsh weather of January

and February, 1917. Dead Fieldfares were frequently picked up near

hedges. There appeared to be as many of them dead from cold or

hunger as all other birds together. Wrens, smallest of birds, came

safely through the great frost, and no dead ones were found. They

hopped in the most lively manner about the hedges, looking in

excellent condition, apparently not inconvenienced by the rigors of

the weather.


Robins were ubiquitous. Not in any numbers, for it is



