Dunipace House, Larbert, Scotland.
1909.
Sept 12-13
(No 2)
  The entire place swarmed with birds of various kinds.
At sunrise each morning I heard Robins singing in every
direction, sometimes two or three at once. Finches of several
kinds were incessantly flying to & fro and calling among the
trees, Thrushes and Blackbirds took advantage of every opportunity
when there was no one about to venture out a little way on to
the lawns which were dotted with them at times but if I
so much as showed myself on the front door-step they
all retreated perceptibly into the nearest covert as is their
habit everywhere in this country. I had a good chance to
watch them from my chamber window. The Blackbird differs
in behavior from our Robin more than I had thought.
It is true that it feeds on lawns in much the same general
way but when thus engaged it carries its tail higher and its
motions are slower and less graceful. It seems to hop rather
than run and at each advance covers only a yard or so
at the most and often only a couple of feet. However it
listens for its earthworms with head bent down & turned
and afterwards extracts them from the ground, precisely in
the manner of our bird. When not engaged in feeding
it keeps well concealed among the densest foliage (usually
low down in a thicket). I have yet to see more than
two Blackbirds close together & Harvie-Brown assures
me they never assemble in flocks at any season. On
the whole their habits and behaviour seem to me most 
nearly like that of our Brown Thrasher among American 
birds. The Song Thrush looks and acts at times 
very like our Robin - when one cannot see its spotted
breast. Its long quick easy run on the lawn is similar,
its flight much the same and it is eminently
gregarious in autumn & winter.