1891.
July 2
(No 4)
England.
Tintern. - Willow Warblers are either scarce here or they
have ceased singing. I hear a Chiff Chaff at all hours
of the day in the orchard above the house and in
the same place a Tree Pipit. The orchard below the
house is alive with birds mostly Warblers of two
or three species already referred to, Spotted Flycatchers,
and Tits, the latter as far as I can make out, all
Parus major, a fine, highly-colored species with
greenish under parts and a conspicuous black stripe
down the middle of the breast. It is shyer
than our Chickadee and much less active moving
among the branches nearly as clumsily as a House
Sparrow but occasionally landing back down at
the end of a twig. It is nearly as big as a 
House Sparrow. The call note is near like that of
our Chickadee but the song which I heard in
Delamere Forest resembles that of our P. bicolor.
House Sparrows are numerous in the town and 
swarming about the old Abbey where they nest
in the ivy and crevices in the walls. The notes
of the British bird are certainly different from
ours, shriller and more chirpy. These Sparrows
are much more wary than in America although
they come to the graveled walks and into
the door yards freely enough. 
  Robins are common here but they are
not singing at all freely. I see & hear them
oftmost in dense shrubbery on the hill-sides
but they also occur in the gardens in 
limited numbers. Swallows are occasionally
seen flying over the valley. No Sky Larks.