SPOTTED FLYCATCHER
Muscicapa grisola
Adult (right). Young (left)
The upper parts are tan brown, with dark streaks on the crown, and pale margins to the wing coverts. Under parts whitish, streaked on the throat, breast, and flanks with brown. The sexes are alike in plumage. The young are similar in colour to the parents, but spotted with buff. Length 5·8 in.; wing 3·3 in.
Similar in habits but different in appearance, the Pied Flycatcher is much rarer and more local than the preceding species. Its breeding haunts are chiefly in the west, in Wales, Lancashire, Westmoreland, and Cumberland, though it has occasionally bred in other counties. As a migrant, however, it occurs regularly in the south and east, and, though not very numerous, a goodly number pass through the country, entering by the south coast and leaving again in the east from Norfolk northwards. A return migration takes place in August and September.
During these migrations it may, of course, be found in various kinds of country, but its breeding haunts are restricted to well-wooded spots, gardens, orchards, and the outskirts of woods.
The song is more elaborate than that of the Spotted Flycatcher, but it is by no means a great effort, and may be syllabled “tzit tzit tze trui trui trui!” several times repeated. The nest is always placed in some hole, usually in a tree, though exceptionally in the crevice of a wall; it is composed of bents and moss, and lined with feathers and hair. The eggs, sometimes numbering as many as nine, are of a uniform pale blue. Insects form its chief diet, but it is not so exclusive an insect-feeder as the preceding species, nor does it seize so much of its food on the wing, but frequently drops from its perch to pick a spider or other creeping thing from the ground.
In spring the male is black, with a white forehead and white outer margins to the secondaries. The under parts are white. The female has the upper parts olive brown, and those parts which are white in the male, rather buffish in tint. The young bird is spotted, but after the first moult it resembles the female, except that the wing patches in the male are more distinct. The young male assumes his full plumage at his first spring moult. Length 5 in.; wing 3·1 in.
This species is of irregular and local distribution in Eastern Europe as far west as certain portions of Germany and South-east France, and it is only a few stragglers, driven out of their course by adverse weather or carried along by a rush of other migrants, that reach our coast.
In size it resembles our common species of Flycatcher, but differs in coloration. The adult males are of a uniform greyish brown above, with ashy grey cheeks and with the chin and throat reddish orange. The females and young lack the ash grey on the head, and the reddish orange of the chin and breast is very much paler. Young males do not acquire the red breast for two or three years. The four outer pairs of tail feathers have conspicuous white bases. Length 5·1 in.; wing 2·8 in.
Perhaps one of the greatest mysteries surrounding bird life, and awaking, even in the most unthinking, some sense of wonder, is the way in which some of the smallest and most delicate of birds cross enormous stretches of land and water twice a year. This mystery of migration has been especially typified in many countries and from olden times in the Swallow. Essentially a bird of the air, choosing the houses of man for nesting-places, and extremely abundant throughout our islands, he cannot fail to force himself on our attention and to become so associated in our minds with summer days that his first appearance in spring is eagerly looked for. As soon as the March winds have died down the first few stragglers make their appearance, and the early October gales are well over before the last has left.
During the whole of April they continue to arrive and disperse through the country, and by the beginning of May we shall find them revisiting the same chimney or eave where their brood was hatched in the previous year. They have but a feeble love-song, merely a rapid twittering, which is especially indulged in during the early hours of dawn, while waiting for the sun to call to life the flies and gnats on which they breakfast. Choosing a beam in a barn or outhouse, or a projecting brick in some old chimney as support, they build a neat cup-shaped nest of mud strengthened with straw to bind it together, and line it with bents, dry grass, and feathers. The eggs, generally six in number, are of a white ground colour dotted or blotched with reddish brown. The duties of incubation devolve on the hen, who is frequently fed by her mate, but soon after the young are hatched and she is free once more to seek her own food, both parents take their share in the duties of housekeeping.
This bird, eminently adapted for flight, with long pointed wings and short feeble legs, is hardly ever still. Round and round he circles, sometimes high, sometimes low, wherever food is most abundant, only perching for a few moments on some bare twig or telegraph wire to warble his twittering little song, and then once again to glide with graceful ease through the pathless air. Two families are generally brought to maturity, but he is in no hurry to leave his home and so he stays on well into the autumn.
Previous to his departure, however, we will see them collecting in large flocks at certain places, and for once they seem eager to economise their strength, spending much of the day sitting and resting. This goes on for a few days and then suddenly they all disappear, and we shall see them no more till next spring. Where have they gone, and how? By what instinct will they find their way over hundreds of miles of sea, perhaps, for the first time, and yet again in due season return to their birthplace? By what power will they be able to undertake so long a journey and not fall exhausted on the way? Such are some of the questions that force themselves upon us, and our inability to answer them helps to keep alive that spirit of wonder and reverence for the powers of nature that is too apt to be overlooked in this matter-of-fact twentieth century.
Its colour above is of a deep metallic blue; forehead and throat dark chestnut; pectoral band blue, rest of under parts buffish pink, somewhat variable in tint. Tail forked, the outermost pair much longer than the rest, and all except the central pair with white patches on the inner webs. In the female the outer tail feathers are shorter and the chestnut less intense. The young are duller, and the chestnut on the throat is very pale. Length 7·5 in.; wing 4·9 in.
This species is found in Southern Europe west of Italy through Asia Minor to Persia and Afghanistan. An adult male was picked up dead on Fair Isle near the Shetlands early in June 1906.
It may easily be recognised from our own Swallow in having the tail black; rump, nape and sides of neck, rusty red; and the under parts rufous finely streaked with black. Length 7 in.; wing 4·8 in.
More local and less abundant than the preceding species, from which it may always be distinguished by its white rump and shorter tail, the House-Martin is nevertheless sufficiently common to be familiar to every one.
In habits, except for its method of nest-building, it closely resembles the Swallow. It arrives about a week later, and stragglers may sometimes be seen even as late as November, long after the bulk of their comrades have departed. These stragglers are either family parties that have delayed their departure till the young were ready to fly, or more often inhabitants of the far north passing through on their long journey to the tropics.
Nest-building is not commenced till the middle of May, and by this time many of last year’s nests, which they would fain repair, are tenanted by that abominable pest—the Sparrow. The nest is built entirely of mud, plastered bit by bit against the side of some house which has overhanging eaves. No straw is used to bind it together, but it is gradually built up to join the eaves till only a small hole is left as a doorway. The lining is composed of fine grass and many feathers, and the eggs, which rarely exceed four in number, are pure white. At least two broods are reared in the season, and then as the weather gets colder they gradually collect near rivers, where their food, in the shape of flies and gnats, is more abundant, till finally, after assembling like the Swallows in large flocks, they suddenly take their departure.
The whole of the upper parts, except the rump, which is white, are glossy blue-black; the under parts, including the feathers on the feet, white. The tail is very slightly forked. The sexes are alike in plumage. The young resemble their parents, but lack the gloss and are consequently brownish. They may also be recognised by having white tips to the inner secondaries. Length 5·3 in.; wing 4·25 in.
SAND-MARTIN
Cotile riparia
Adult (right). Young (left)
This hardy little wanderer, the smallest and dullest of the Swallow tribe, braves our climate ere the March winds have ceased. At first he is generally found in the neighbourhood of water, but he gradually spreads over the country and eventually assembles in the sand-pits or gravel banks, where he makes his home. Though not attaching himself to the dwellings of man, he is a sociable little bird and breeds in colonies, which are in some places very large. They nest in tunnels which they excavate for themselves in the perpendicular face of a sand-pit. These tunnels are straight and narrow with a slightly enlarged chamber at the end. Their length varies from eighteen inches to three feet, and the different passages occasionally meet and may be used in common by two pairs. A slight lining of bents and feathers are added, and the eggs, five in number, are pure white and somewhat pear-shaped. When the breeding season is over they scatter through the country, keeping largely to the courses of large rivers, and by the end of September have almost all departed to other climes.
The sexes are alike and have the upper parts brown. The under parts are white, with the exception of a brown pectoral band. There is a small tuft of buff-coloured feathers above the hind toe. In the young the feathers of the back have pale margins. Length 4·8 in.; wing 4 in.
Were it not so common, occurring abundantly throughout these islands, this bird would be appreciated as one of our prettiest songsters and by no means unattractive in plumage.
The winter is spent in company with other Finches and Buntings in the fields or stackyards, where it feeds on the grain and other seeds, and we must confess that it performs its share in despoiling the farmer of his hard-earned produce, paying at the same time a sort of compensation in the destruction of numerous weeds. It is resident, and towards the middle of April constructs a somewhat untidy nest of twigs, rootlets, and moss, lined with grass, hair, and feathers, usually placed at a moderate height in a hedge, against the bole of a tree, or more rarely among ivy against a wall. The eggs, six in number, are large for the size of the bird and very pale blue, spotted, especially towards the larger end, with pale rust-red spots. During the summer large numbers of grubs and caterpillars are consumed in addition to the usual seeds; the young are fed by regurgitation. The call-note is a long drawn-out “tsweer,” and is uttered with monotonous frequency during the spring and summer months, but it has also a very pretty warbling song full of little trills and modulations which it utters when sitting on a branch or when courting its mate with drooping wings and outspread tail, and every feather on its body quivering with excitement and passion.
GREENFINCH
Ligurinus chloris
Male (below). Female (above)
The male has the upper parts olive green, rather yellower on the rump and forehead. There is a golden-yellow eye-stripe. The wing feathers are dark brown with bright yellow outer margins. Tail feathers, except the central pair, which are black, yellow at their base with black tips. Under parts greenish yellow, rather darker on the flanks. The females are much duller than the males and very brown on the upper parts in winter. The young are brownish yellow, streaked on the breast with darker brown. The males do not acquire their full plumage till their second year. Length 6 in.; wing 3·5 in.; but some examples are much smaller.
This fine and handsome species, whose appearance is only marred by the excessive size of its beak, is by no means so rare as it is usually considered. It is found locally in most wooded districts of England, but becomes scarcer in the north and is decidedly rare in Wales. To Scotland and Ireland it is, however, only a rare and occasional wanderer. Extremely shy, avoiding the haunts of man, and keeping to the tops of high trees, its presence is very difficult to detect, and the call-note, which is a weak and high-pitched “sit,” would not attract attention unless specially listened for.
The nest, which is built fairly high up near the top of a tall hedge or in a tree, a tall hawthorn being an especial favourite, is composed of fine twigs lined with rootlets, and much resembles that of a Bullfinch, except that the cup is considerably deeper. The eggs are extremely handsome, being of a bluish green, boldly blotched and streaked with black or olive grey. This bird has one weakness which leads to his destruction, namely, a great fondness for green peas, in search of which, forgetting his usual caution, he will leave his haunts to forage in the nearest garden, where as often as not he pays for his rashness with his life.
His food consists almost entirely of seeds and berries, insects forming a very small portion of his diet. In winter he collects in small family parties and wanders about from wood to wood but seldom strays very far from home.
The male has the back brown, becoming lighter on the rump; the upper wing coverts blackish; median coverts whitish. Wing feathers black with white patches on the inner webs and steel-blue tips, the inner primaries being curiously expanded at their tips. Tail feathers with black bases and white tips. The head is yellowish brown, paler on the forehead; nape grey; lores, chin, and a narrow stripe at the base of the bill black. Under parts brown. Bill deep lead colour in summer, horn coloured with black tips in winter. The female is much duller. The young have the head yellowish; mantle mottled brown; under parts white spotted and barred with dull brown. Length 7 in; wing 4 in.
A cold autumn day, the clouds hang lowering in the sky; on one side flows the river, sullen, dark, and swollen by the recent rains, on the other stretch wild and bare meadows whose flat level is broken by clumps of nettles, thistles, and other coarse plants distasteful to cattle. One thing alone breaks the general dreariness—it is a flock of Goldfinches, who, as they hang in strange attitudes on the thistle heads, show the bright yellow of their wings, making it appear as though some plant, forgetful of the season, was about to burst into flower. As we approach to get a closer view, first one and then another will rise and in undulating flight move on to another clump and call his companions to a fresh hunting-ground with his little “ti-whit!” His bright colours and the ease with which he adapts himself to cage life have led to a great diminution in his numbers, in addition to which the higher and more scientific methods of farming have sadly restricted his feeding-grounds. Legislation, however, has stepped in, so that, although still a comparatively local bird, he is steadily increasing in numbers, and we have reason to hope that he may long remain a welcome inhabitant of our fields. The whole winter is spent roaming about on waste lands feeding on seeds or berries, and destroying countless weeds which would otherwise overrun the land. In spring the flocks break up, and our friend returns to the orchard or garden where he nested the previous year. He constructs an open cup-shaped nest of moss, bents, and small twigs fairly high up in some tree, often covering the outside with lichen to assimilate better with its surroundings. The lining consists chiefly of hair and thistle-down, and the eggs are blue, spotted and streaked, especially at their larger ends, with reddish brown. The young are fed at first by the regurgitation of half-digested food from the crops of their parents, and at this time of year a large number of insects are consumed. Two broods are often raised during the season, and then the family party wanders out into the open fields to seek their food, returning at night to the gardens, till they get gradually farther and farther from home and no longer visit their summer haunt till the following spring.
This bird is so well and generally known that no detailed description is necessary. The female may be distinguished by her more slender bill and brownish shoulders, (lesser wing coverts). In the adult male the shoulders are jet black, but young males sometimes show traces of brown.
The young, known as “grey pates,” are greyish brown on the upper parts and lack the characteristic markings on the head. The true Russian Goldfinches are rather larger in size and have a nearly white rump. The true “Siberian Goldfinch,” which is seldom or never imported, lacks the black on the head. Length 5 in.; wing 3 in. Many of the Goldfinches sold by dealers as Russian and Siberian are merely large fine birds of our native species, probably imported from abroad.
GOLDFINCH
Carduelis elegans
Male (left). Female (centre). Young (right)
There are various varieties known to dealers as cheverels, bastard cheverels, pea-throat, etc., which differ from the usual form in having the throat white or partially so. They sometimes command a higher price, as they are said to have a finer song, but this is by no means necessarily the case.
Though nearly allied to the Goldfinch, this bird is very different in appearance, being much smaller and of a yellowish green with black markings. Scotland is its chief home, where it lives among the fir-trees, making excursions daily into the open country to seek its food. In winter it wanders through our islands, but is never very abundant and always irregular in its visits. It has occasionally nested in fir plantations in the South of England, but it is only in the north-east corner of Scotland that it may be considered a common breeding species. The nest is placed near the top of a fir-tree or at the end of a lateral branch at some distance from the ground. The materials are similar to those used by the Goldfinch, and the eggs also bear a close resemblance to those of that species, but are slightly smaller. It has a pretty little song, rather more melodious and varied than that of the Goldfinch, and when courting will frequently rise in the air and slowly descend with fluttering wings and outspread tail. Aphides, when in season, form a large portion of their diet, and from this point of view they prove themselves of great service to man; for the rest, any seed or berry is eaten, but from their habit of seeking their food in the open the seeds of weeds and grasses are chiefly consumed.
The general colour above is greenish yellow streaked with black, except for the rump, which is brighter and unstreaked. The head is darker and there is a yellow superciliary stripe. The quills and wing coverts are black with yellowish margins. Tail feathers yellow with broad black tips. Chin black, upper breast bright greenish yellow; rest of under parts yellowish streaked with black, especially on the flanks. The female is much duller, the prevailing tint being greyish green streaked with dull brown. The black chin of the male is a variable feature. Length 4·6 in.; wing 2·8 in.
The Citril Finch inhabits the mountainous regions of Central and Southern Europe, migrating southwards in winter. A specimen was taken alive in January 1904 near Yarmouth.
The nape and sides of the neck are greyish; back dull green with dusky streaks; wings and tail black; the whole of the rest of the plumage yellowish green. The female is rather duller. Length 4·8 in.; wing 3 in.
Breeding throughout the greater part of Central and Eastern Europe, there is no great improbability that some, at all events, of the few examples of this species that have been obtained in England are genuine stragglers and not birds that have escaped from captivity. They have mostly occurred on our southern or eastern coasts, with the single exception of one taken near Dublin.
The forehead, rump, throat, and breast are yellow; upper parts and flanks olive streaked with brown; belly white. The female and young only differ from the male in being duller, and in winter both sexes exhibit far less yellow. Length 4·5 in.; wing 2·7 in.
Noisy, quarrelsome, and vicious, will perhaps sum up the character of this species. Cunning, crafty, hardy, and omnivorous, he is always literally in clover, and under such circumstances is it to be wondered at that his numbers have increased so as to be beyond all limits? Wherever man settles, there, sooner or later, will he make his appearance, sitting on the roof or in the shrubbery, and uttering, especially in the mornings, his monotonous and impertinent chirp. In spring he pulls up the crocuses, later he turns his attention to young and succulent plants just forcing their way above the ground, or if a new-sown lawn be the object of one’s solicitude he will make it his business to see that the hoped-for grass-plot remains a barren tableland. As summer comes on, the drain-pipes are blocked by his untidy nest—a mere heap of straw and hay warmly lined with feathers. If a tree or the ivy against the house be chosen for a site, the nest is better made, and is in fact a substantial dome-built structure with the entrance at the side, but its position is readily betrayed by long untidy bits of straw left trailing outside. The eggs are five or six in number and bluish white spotted and blotched with ash brown. By the end of summer he will have reared two broods of five or six youngsters each, and for a time our gardens are allowed a brief respite, while old and young gather in immense flocks in the harvest-fields, and then following the grain they spend some weeks round the freshly-made stacks in the farm-yard. As winter comes on they return once more to towns and gardens, where, by assuming a cold and starved appearance, they beg and frequently receive our charity, till the blooming of the spring flowers once more enables them to start their round of theft and damage. So much for their relations towards man, and it is to be feared that their relations towards other birds have also no redeeming point, for they are so quarrelsome that none of the more delicate and beautiful of our birds will live near them, and the House-Martin clinging to his home with pathetic persistence is driven away again and again by this impudent marauder.
Is there, however, not one good word to be said for him? He is at least by no means bad-looking—the chestnut of his back, his slate-blue head, black and white cheeks, and black throat all tend to add a touch of life and beauty to our gardens which they would otherwise lack; and then in summer he destroys countless noxious insects while feeding his brood, and in towns how companionable he is, hopping about our window-sills or on the roadway, evading the passing traffic with a knowledge born of long practice—surely these at least are compensations that entitle him to some regard.
These arguments, however, all fail. Remove the Sparrow and his place will soon be taken by other birds more beautiful, who will destroy insects, not merely when they have their broods, but throughout the year, and they will soon populate our towns and gardens to as great an extent as the present pest. Remove him? Yes! but how? There’s the rub. Man in the face of the Sparrow is, at present, powerless. True, the bitter war he deserves is not waged on him in this country, but abroad, in Australia and America, relentless persecution is carried on, and though his numbers may be kept in check he is still able to yearly inflict a loss and damage that can only be measured in millions of pounds.
At the same time man is largely to blame for this increase. By careful farming, woods and thickets which should shelter many other species of birds are cut down or reduced, and thereby a similar reduction of their inhabitants is created; grain, the Sparrow’s favourite food, is cultivated in enormous quantities, and birds of prey who might tend to keep the Sparrow within reasonable limits are ruthlessly destroyed. Under these circumstances, then, is it to be wondered at that the Sparrow, having a large number of his competitors for food reduced, his enemies swept away, and unlimited food supplied, should increase beyond all reasonable bounds, especially if added to this we remember that he is exceedingly crafty and cunning, soon recognising and avoiding traps and becoming very difficult to approach in places where he is frequently shot at. He is at the same time adaptable and able to attach himself to the dwellings of man, who supplies him (albeit involuntarily) with a plethora of food; under such conditions his increase is only the result of one of Nature’s first laws, the “survival of the fittest.”
This species is too well known to need a description. The female lacks the black on the throat and the grey and chestnut on the crown, and her colours generally are much duller. The young approach the female in general coloration, but young males often show traces of black on the throat. Length 6 in.; wing 3 in.
TREE-SPARROW
Passer montanus
Although so closely allied to the preceding pest, the Tree-Sparrow is a bird of very different temperament and habits, and worthy to be numbered among our bird friends. Many spend the winter with us, but it is partially migratory, and their numbers are increased each spring by arrivals from abroad. It is a rather local and scarce bird, but even in places where they are common they are so shy that they are hardly ever seen, and are considered in consequence much rarer than really is the case. It shuns the habitations of man, whether because of the overpowering insolence of its larger relative or not is a debatable point, but the fact remains that if we want to see it we must find some secluded and undisturbed spot. Holes in pollard willows or in some hedgerow tree are generally chosen for a nesting-site, inside which a substantial nest of grass abundantly lined with feathers is formed. Five eggs form the clutch. These are greyish in ground colour, delicately but thickly mottled with brown, and it is an almost invariable rule that one egg of a clutch should be conspicuously lighter than the others. Little is known of the habits of this bird; its food consists chiefly of seeds and berries, but in summer insects form a large part of its diet and the young are almost entirely reared on them. Its notes and song very closely resemble those of its commoner relative but are slightly more musical and less harsh.
The adult has the crown and nape dark chestnut, rest of upper parts chestnut with darker centres to the feathers; upper and lower wing coverts tipped with white and forming two distinct bands. Cheeks white with a triangular black patch in the centre. Chin and throat black; rest of under parts greyish white passing to brown on the flanks. Length 5·6 in.; wing 2·75 in. The sexes are alike in plumage. The young are similar to their parents but duller.
It is a scarce and local species but widely distributed, and doubtless from its retiring habits and resemblance to the House-Sparrow it is often overlooked.
“Pink, pink!” Who among us does not know the Chaffinch with his bright “pink, pink,” and perky walk, as he goes down the garden path in front of us, or flies into the nearest shelter showing off the white bars on his wings as he does so. No matter how severe the winter or how hot the summer, he is always with us, a constant visitor to our gardens, and when we go into the woods and fields we shall still find him equally at home. Early in February he begins his song, which consists merely of a short run down the scale ending up in the syllables “de-wi.” Pairing takes place early in the season, but some weeks elapse before he thinks of nesting, well knowing that the insects so necessary for his young are not yet born. At the end of April his mate will begin to build the nest, while her lord and master sits quietly by, encouraging her with his song but not deigning to soil his beak or feet with honest toil. The site chosen is very variable; the fork of some giant tree or against the trunk of a hedgerow elm supported by a lateral shoot are the places most frequently used, but it is often situated in a hedge, and sometimes in the ivy against a wall. The nest itself is a beautiful mass of moss, grass, and wool carefully felted together with cobwebs and thickly lined with hair, lichens being often added on the outside to make it assimilate better with the surroundings. The eggs, generally four in number, are greenish blue, spotted and clouded with deep reddish brown, but occasionally the markings are entirely absent.
CHAFFINCH
Fringilla cœlebs
During incubation the male waits on his hen with great care, bringing her all the titbits and delicacies in the way of insects which he can find, and both sexes are assiduous in their attentions to their young.
After the duties of housekeeping are over, the rest of the year is spent in the woods, hedgerows, and gardens, feeding promiscuously on insects, seeds, and berries. Towards the middle of October large flocks, in which sometimes one sex largely predominates, reach our shores from more northerly breeding haunts; most of these, moving southwards, feed largely on beech-mast in company with Bramblings and then pass on, but many remain to keep us company during the winter, till early in spring they return again to their breeding quarters.
The male has the crown and nape bluish grey; back reddish brown; rump greenish; upper wing coverts white; greater wing coverts black tipped with white and forming two conspicuous bars. Wing and tail feathers black, the former edged with yellowish white, and the two outermost pairs of the latter spotted with white; cheeks and under parts reddish brown. Bill horn coloured in winter, deep lead grey in summer. Legs dark brown. The female is of various shades of yellowish brown, but the white wing bars are conspicuous. The young at first resemble the female. Length 6 in.; wing 3·4 in.
This bird, closely allied to the Chaffinch, is only a winter visitor to this country, visiting us in large numbers every autumn, when it will usually be found feeding on the beech-mast. In years when the “mast” is plentiful these birds seem to be much more numerous than in other seasons, but this is probably due to the fact that, tempted by the abundance of food, they elect to pass the winter with us instead of moving on southwards. Frequenting the open field in company with other Finches, it feeds also largely on seeds and berries, though in summer it becomes, like the Chaffinch, chiefly insectivorous. Its breeding range extends across Europe and Asia, in the sub-Arctic birch forests, whence it migrates southwards through Central Europe, but seldom reaching the Mediterranean basin. In our islands it is commonest in the north and east, becoming scarce in the west and south-west. In Ireland it has only occurred at very irregular intervals. It commences the return journey in March or earlier, the actual time being largely dependent on the state of the weather, and by the first week in April the last stragglers have usually left us.
The male in summer has the head, nape, and upper parts blue black, with the exception of the rump, which is white. Upper wing coverts orange buff; greater wing coverts black tipped with white. Throat and breast orange; belly white; flanks spotted with black. Bill deep lead grey. In winter the black of the upper parts is largely concealed by broad buff margins to the feathers and the under parts are much duller. Bill yellow with a black tip. The female is dull brown on the back and a brownish white below. The young resemble the female. Length 6·1 in.; wing 3·6 in.
A single example of this bird, which inhabits the high mountains of Central and Southern Europe, was observed consorting with Larks near Rye in Sussex in February 1905.
The head and neck are grey; upper parts brown with darker centres; wing coverts, secondaries, and the whole of the under parts white; tail feathers, except the central pair, which are brown, white tipped with black; chin black. Length 6·4 in.; wing 4·53 in.
A delightful little bird of sombre plumage is the Linnet, and as a cage-bird he has long been a prime favourite. In this country he is generally distributed and fairly common. Almost any kind of country suits him—hedges near open and cultivated land, furze-clad commons, or the wild hillside all afford him shelter and food. In habits he is gregarious and may be seen during the winter in small parties of from eight to ten flying from place to place, with cheery twittering, and if the weather be severe, especially when snow is on the ground, he collects in enormous flocks of several hundreds. Their food consists of seeds and berries, though insects are largely eaten during the summer months. The nest is placed in a furze bush or hedge at no great distance from the ground, and is a neat and compact structure of grass and bents bound together with a little moss and wool, and lined with hair, wool, and feathers. The six eggs are of a delicate pale blue blotched with moderately large reddish-brown spots. Two broods, at least, are reared in the season, and when the cares of housekeeping are completed they wander about at random until the following spring brings a return of more serious occupation. The song, although very pleasing, cannot be called great, and is a kind of continuous chuckling which is often delivered whilst on the wing. The flight is as a rule strong, rapid, and undulating, the flocks often travelling considerable distances to reach a favourite feeding-ground or when returning to roost in a well-sheltered plantation. During the courting season the male indulges also in a very pretty love flight; he rises some distance in the air and then slowly descends with rapid flutterings of his wings and out-spread tail, singing at the same time with all his might.
In autumn large numbers reach us from the Continent, and there is also a certain amount of emigration among our home-bred birds.
LINNET
Linota cannabina
Male (above). Female (below)
The upper parts in the male are brownish, greyer on the nape and more rufous on the mantle. Wing and tail feathers black with white outer margins. Crown of the head and breast deep crimson; flanks brown; belly white. Length 5·5 in.; wing 3·15 in. In winter the red on the crown and breast is deep brown and the feathers of those parts have broad yellowish margins. The female resembles the male on the upper parts, but the mantle is duller and the white of the primaries is much less in extent. The under parts are yellowish brown streaked with dark brown, and the head is also streaked with brown.
The young resemble the female, but are paler.
This species breeds in circumpolar regions far north above the limit of tree growth, wherever a few dwarf birch or willow afford it enough cover for nesting, and is only an irregular winter resident in our islands. It has been subdivided into various races by systematic writers, on differences which need not concern us here, but although the commonest form met with in these islands belongs, as we would naturally suppose, to the North European race, the Greenland form has also been noticed on several occasions. Wandering through the country in small parties and associating with our native Redpolls, this species frequents gardens, stack-yards, or still more frequently, the low scrub that may be found in many places along the coast. With us its food consists almost entirely of small seeds, but during the breeding season in the north it feeds largely on insects. Its stays with us are of short duration, for it rarely arrives before the first cold weather in November and leaves our shores again early in February to revisit as soon as possible its northern home.
It is very similar in general appearance to the following species, but is larger and paler, especially on the rump. Length 5·1 in.; wing 2·9 in. The Greenland race is larger still, almost equalling the Linnet in size. There is still another form which has occurred in these islands and which may be recognised by its nearly white rump.
This species is a regular resident with us and may be found in most of our counties. As a breeding bird, however, it becomes scarcer in the south of England and local in Scotland, its chief haunts at that time of year being the north of England, Wales, and Ireland.
During the winter months it wanders about in large parties and its chuckling call-note may often be heard as they pass from one field to another. It nests chiefly in woods, the nest being placed against the trunk of some tree at a moderate height from the ground. The nest is an extremely neat structure of twigs and moss, beautifully formed and lined with vegetable down, wool, and feathers. The eggs, except in size, are much like those of the Linnet, but the ground colour is darker and the spots are smaller. In summer the Lesser Redpoll feeds chiefly on insects, but seeds and berries are eaten at all seasons and especially in winter.
MEALY REDPOLL
Linota linaria
Female (above). Male (below)
They may be found in all kinds of country, generally associating with other Finches and Buntings, but they are rather more partial to woods, gardens, and orchards. Their song bears a family resemblance to that of the Linnet, but is not so melodious or sweet. This bird is very tame and confiding, and may often be watched as it moves about in the trees of some orchard, examining them carefully for insects and reminding one in its actions of the Tits.
The male has the upper parts of a warm brown with darker streaks. Lores and throat black; the crown, rump, and breast are carmine; rest of the under parts whitish, becoming browner with dark streaks on the flanks. In autumn the red tints on the rump and breast are much obscured by the broader pale edgings to the feathers. The female is rather smaller than the male and lacks the red on the breast and rump. The breast is buff with dark stripes, and the rump similar in colour to the mantle but paler. The young resemble the hen but lack the red on the crown. Length 4·75 in.; wing 2·75 in.
In winter this species shows far more red on the breast than does the Mealy Redpoll at the same time of year.
Inhabiting moorlands and breeding among the heather, this gregarious species may be found from the Midlands northwards. In England, however, it cannot be called common, but in parts of North Wales, Scotland, and Ireland it is abundant. It nests in colonies, the nests being placed on the ground or in a low bush; they are neatly made of rootlets, pieces of heather, and moss, lined with hair and wool.
The eggs, like those of the other Redpolls, are blue spotted with red. Two broods are reared in the season, and as soon as the first brood is fledged the whole colony will sometimes move off to an adjacent spot for the second brood, so that they may be found with young in the nest one week, and a few days later no sign of them or their young will be found at that spot. During the summer their food consists largely of insects, while seeds form their chief diet in winter. After the breeding season they leave the upper moorlands and wander south, a fair number reaching the south of England, especially in severe winters. It chiefly frequents the wild open country and marshes by the sea-shore, but in the more wooded localities it is rarely found and it seldom perches on trees. It has a pleasing little song and the call-note is a loud “twah-it,” whence its English name of Twite.
General colour above dark brown with slightly paler edgings to each feather. Wing feathers blackish with white outer margins, as in the Linnet. Tail somewhat forked, the feathers being black with whitish inner margins to the three outer pairs. Under parts buffish white streaked with brown. In the male the lores, cheeks, throat, and rump are suffused with rose red, but the female shows no red whatever. The bill in both sexes is deep horn-coloured in summer and yellowish in winter. The young resemble the female. Length 5 in.; wing 3 in.
Better known probably as a cage-bird than as a wild inhabitant of our woods and gardens, the Bullfinch is nevertheless by no means rare. It inhabits woods, coppices, and thick hedgerows, and is rather a skulking species, but may be recognised when on the wing by its white rump. The call-note is a rather plaintive “whee-ou,” and it is easily attracted by imitating its call. Possibly it pairs for life, at least it is generally found in pairs, and even during the winter the male shows considerable affection for his mate, generally keeping close to her and frequently feeding her. The song is a feeble medley of soft flute-like notes, and is generally accompanied by a side to side motion of the tail and body. The nest is commenced in May and consists of a shallow platform of twigs placed three or four feet from the ground in a thick bush or hedge, and is lined with fine rootlets. The eggs, usually four or five in number, are greenish blue spotted and streaked round the larger end with black or pale purplish lilac. The young are fed by regurgitation, insects forming a large proportion of the parents’ food during the summer.
When fledged young and old wander about for a time together, but the old birds soon forage on their own account and leave the young to look after themselves. Berries, especially those of the privet, are largely consumed in autumn, but all kinds of seeds form their diet during the winter months, and in spring they turn their attention to young buds, more especially those of fruit-trees. For this they may well be forgiven as they make ample compensation by destroying caterpillars innumerable during the summer months.
The male has the whole of the head a glossy blue-black, mantle brownish grey. Larger wing coverts black tipped with whitish to form a conspicuous bar. Primaries brown; secondaries and tail glossy black; rump white. The whole of the under parts bright brick-red turning to white on the vent. The female is duller and the under parts are of a uniform brown. The young resemble the hen but lack the black crown. Length 6 in.; wing 3·25 in.
This species is generally distributed throughout the wooded districts of England, Wales, and Ireland, but is rather more local in Scotland.
The Scarlet Grosbeak breeds from Northern Russia across Siberia to Kamchatka, and in winter it is chiefly found in the Oriental region. As a straggler on migration, however, it has visited many places in Europe to the west of Russia, and one or two examples have been obtained in this country.
The adult male has the greater part of its plumage rose red, browner on the mantle and flanks. Quills and tail dark brown with paler buffish margins. The female is olive brown with darker striations, the under parts dull white, buffish on the throat and breast, and striped with brown on the flanks. Length 5·5 in.; wing 3·25 in.