Birds of Britain 



bluish colour with large reddish spots and blotches fairly 

 evenly distributed over their surface. But even now, 

 although we know exactly where the nest of these shy 

 birds is, it will not be easy to see much of them. 



When the young are hatched both parents attend most 

 assiduously to the wants of the brood, feeding them on 

 earth-worms, the favourite food of almost all the Thrushes. 

 By the end of March the first brood is on the wing, and 

 the parents busy themselves with a new nest for the 

 reception of their second family. These, too, are hatched 

 and on the wing by the middle of May, and then the whole 

 family, young and old, leave their home to wander round 

 the country until another January brings them back again 

 to add their note of harmony to the winter's wind. 



The upper parts are of a uniform ash brown, under parts 

 huffish white thickly spotted with dark brown. The sexes 

 are alike in plumage. The young has the upper parts 

 spotted with buff, and the spots below are much smaller. 

 Length 11 in. ; wing 6 in. 



THE SONG THRUSH 



Turdus musicus, Linnaeus 



One of the first signs that winter is thinking of releasing 

 its grasp, and that spring, if still some way off, is neverthe- 

 less on the way, is the clear melodious song of the Song 

 Thrush. Soon after daybreak (having breakfasted off the 

 early worm) this bird may he heard in almost every garden 



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