England.
1911.
July 1-31
(No 3)

Drought
Effect of drought on bird life.

mostly turned light russet or pale straw color by the middle of the
month when harvesting was already in full progress - six or eight weeks
before the usual date. Shallow-rooted vegetation of every kind was, of
course, exceptionally poor and stunted and there were comparatively few
wild flowers but the trees and shrubbery looked as well as usual save
where they had been injured by insects - as in Sherwood Forest.
These conditions obtained everywhere I went save on the borders of
streams and on the steep slopes of high ridges and low mountains in north
Derbyshire where the grass continued pleasingly green in many places.
The effect of this exceptionally severe and protracted drought on bird
life such as is characteristic of English fields and meadows was scarcely
less marked and general than on the vegetation. It is true that there
were plenty of Sky Larks, House Sparrows, Yellow Hammers & Corn Buntings in
and about the fields of ripening grain but on inland meadow & pasture
lands I saw almost no lapwings, literally no Gulls and comparatively
few Rooks while even Starlings were much less numerous than usual.