. Birds and their nests and eggs : found in and near great towns . small flocks even in the breeding the end of summer, when nesting is over,they congregate in large numbers, associat-ing often with linnets and chaffinches. Theyare then seeking their food, which consistsof seeds chiefly, of all kinds, those of the dan-delion being the favourite. In flight theykeep close together, and if disturbed thewhole flock take cover as soon as migrate in autumn, but many alsoremain with us all the year round. Green-finches are prolific, five or six (or more) eggsbeing laid at a ti
. Birds and their nests and eggs : found in and near great towns . small flocks even in the breeding the end of summer, when nesting is over,they congregate in large numbers, associat-ing often with linnets and chaffinches. Theyare then seeking their food, which consistsof seeds chiefly, of all kinds, those of the dan-delion being the favourite. In flight theykeep close together, and if disturbed thewhole flock take cover as soon as migrate in autumn, but many alsoremain with us all the year round. Green-finches are prolific, five or six (or more) eggsbeing laid at a time (the first batch in earlyspring) and rearing three or four broods eachseason. It is one of the nests to be lookedfor late in the season. It is built fairly high,generally at the top of a tall bush, or lowin a tree. The birds are very numerous insome places, and are widely distributed. THIRD WEEK IN JUNE 157 Plate XXIX shows an old decaying treetrunk in which were some holes. The edgeshad been freshly pecked. They weretoo small to admit the hand. Such a place. XXIX : Holes in an old trunk, with freshly-peckededges. should never be passed over when lookingfor birds nests as you cannot tell whether itbe occupied or not. Woodpeckers, tits,creepers, wrynecks, this last bird very early 158 SECOND VISIT TO THE NORTH OF KENT in the year, and some others might be nest-ing in it. On the way to the station we passed apretty Uttle church of Dickens fame, wherethe ten Uttle graves of Pips ten Httlebrothers (Dickens mentions only five) can beseen [see Dickens Great Expectations, p. i).We flushed a partridge in a field. The noiseits wings make when rising is always loudand quite startling if unexpected. I wasstruck with how it resembles the noise ahorse makes as he clears his wind passagessometimes when pulling a heavy cart up now evening many rooks were return-ing to their roosting-trees (the old andyoung birds had quitted the rookeries tofrequent the meadows {see Part II, p. 8
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