xvit HEDSTART AND WHlTkTHROAT 159 



Besides the sea-birds that come into this country to breed, 

 such as sand-pipers, pewits, terns, etc., there are some few of 

 our smaller birds that arrive in the spring to pass the summer 

 here. Amongst these I may name the redstart, the spotted 

 flycatcher, the whitethroat, the wheatear, etc. 



The redstart is not very common : it breeds in several 

 places, however, up the Findhorn ; at Logic, for instance, where 

 year after year it builds in an old ivy-covered wall. The young, 

 when able to fly, appear often in my garden, for a few weeks, 

 actively employed in doing good service, killing numbers of 

 insects ; and every spring a pair or two of flycatchers breed in 

 one of the fruit-trees on the wall, building, as it were, only half 

 a nest, the wall supplying the other half They cover the nest 

 most carefully with cobwebs, to make it appear like a lump of 

 this kind of substance left on the wall ; indeed, I do not know 

 any nest more difficult to distinguish. It is amusing to see the 

 birds as they dash off from the top of the wall in pursuit of 

 some fly or insect, which they catch in the air and carry to 

 their young. The number of insects which they take to their 

 nest in the course of half an hour is perfectly astonishing. 



Another bird that comes every spring to the same bush to 

 breed is the pretty little whitethroat. On the lawn close to 

 my house a pair come to the same evergreen, at the foot of 

 which, on the ground, they build their nest, carrying to it an 

 immense quantity of feathers, wool, etc. The bird sits fearlessly, 

 and with full confidence that she will not be disturbed, although 

 the grass is mown close up to her abode ; and she is visited at 

 all hours by the children, who take a lively interest in her pro- 

 ceedings. She appears quite acquainted with them all, sitting 

 snugly in her warmly-feathered nest, with nothing visible but 

 her bright black eyes and sharp-pointed bill. As soon as her 

 eggs are hatched, she and her mate are in a great bustle, 

 bringing food to their very tiny offspring — flying backwards 

 and forwards all day with caterpillars and grubs. 



Both this and the larger kind of whitethroat which visits us 

 have a lively and pleasing song. They frequently make their 

 nest on the ground in the orchard, amongst the long grass, 

 arching it over in the most cunning manner, and completely 

 concealing it. When they leave their eggs to feed, a leaf is 

 laid over the entrance of the nest to hide it ; in fact, nothing 



