THE WHITETHROAT 
A naturalist tells how he found a Whitethroat’s 
nest in a clump of blackthorn, overgrown with 
traveller’s joy.” All the time that he was looking at 
it the parent birds were in a dreadful state of excitement. 
Then he found another nest, close by, just ready for 
the eggs, but when the parent birds saw him looking 
they deserted it and built another, about four yards 
further on, in the same hedge. 
When the Mother Whitethroat is sitting she 
will almost allow herself to be touched before she 
leaves. She seems to think that the nest is more 
difficult to find when she is on it. As a rule she 
leaves the nest twice a day, for about an hour at mid- 
day, and then again for a shorter time at sunset. 
While she is away her mate sits on the nest. It is 
very beautiful to watch how tenderly the father feeds 
his wife with choice morsels of food, and how sweetly 
she returns this loving care by flutterings, and other 
marks of pleasure. 
The newly-hatched Whitethroats are queer, 
helpless mites, quite pink and naked, with the oddest 
tuft of down on each wee bald head. They seem 
always hungry, and open wide their yellow mouths, 
gaping for food. Their heads sway about in a heavy 
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