England.
Niton, Isle of Wight.
1909
Aug. 26 [August 26, 1909]
(No 3)
  I am more and more strongly impressed with the
habitual, systematic shyness of practically all the smaller
British birds. The Robin appears to be almost if not quite the
only exception to the rule. He is surprisingly familiar & confiding
but all the others seem to regard man with profound distrust
and to avoid exposing themselves whenever he is near. This
is quite as true of the birds which frequent gardens as of
those found in roads and fields - or even more so I think.
In the garden here are very noisy birds - Robins, Wrens,
Blackbirds, Chaffinches and House Sparrows being the most common.
Whenever I walk through it I hear them all about me
and catch glimpses of them flying from shelter to shelter as
I advance or stealing through some thicket, perhaps within
a few feet of me. But not one, unless it be a Robin, ever
remains or come out into, any open, exposed place while
I am near at hand. Indeed it is almost impossible to
get a fair view of any of them. Even the House Sparrows
shun observation and the Blackbird is one of the most
inveterate and accomplished skulkers of them all, quite as
elusive, indeed, as the Wren. All these birds seek refuge in
low shrubbery & thickets when thus disturbed, as does the
Song Thrush, also. The tree-frequenting species such as the British
Warblers, the Chaffinch, the Green Finch & various others
are quite as difficult to observe for they conceal themselves
in the dense foliage of the oaks, beeches, horse chestnuts
& pines whenever I try to get a look at them through
my glass. But when I am seated at my writing in
the little greenhouse at the rear of the garden all these & other
birds, unaware of my presence in their midst, come out quite
fearlessly & run or hop about among the flowers and
along the graveled paths just as we see them at home.
Garden birds
Their extreme shyness