. Egyptian birds for the most part seen in the Nile Valley . ading into buH on the flanks and under tailcoverts ; a faint light stripe above eye ; legs and beak, brown ;eyes, hazel brown. Length, 5\ inches. The song of any bird is one of the most certainmethods, when really known, of identification. Inthe case of Warblers and other small birds that flitabout rapidly, and always half-sheltered by vegeta-tion, it is often exceedingly difficult to get a nearand clear view, and very hard to know exactly towhat species it belongs. This is particularly thecase with the Reed and the Sedge Warblers ;
. Egyptian birds for the most part seen in the Nile Valley . ading into buH on the flanks and under tailcoverts ; a faint light stripe above eye ; legs and beak, brown ;eyes, hazel brown. Length, 5\ inches. The song of any bird is one of the most certainmethods, when really known, of identification. Inthe case of Warblers and other small birds that flitabout rapidly, and always half-sheltered by vegeta-tion, it is often exceedingly difficult to get a nearand clear view, and very hard to know exactly towhat species it belongs. This is particularly thecase with the Reed and the Sedge Warblers ; theystick so close to their beloved shelter that yourarely get a complete view of them, but if youwill wait quietly and patiently you are sure tohear them burst out into a shorter or longer song—then is your chance—and if you have the veryslightest sense of music, you will catch the notespeculiar to that bird and that bird alone. TheReed Warblers song is very peculiar ; it is a runningtrill of notes given out exceedingly quickly, and in 78 REED WARBLER. THE REED WARBLER 79 an exceedingly loud, noisy, boisterous voice, as ifthe bird were in the highest possible spirits. Veryunlike that of many of the singers ; the Nightingale,for instance, to every one sounds sad, plaintive,beautiful, but distinctly not cheerful. I have heardthe Reed Warbler very often at many points onthe Nile where there were no reed beds, but onlystunted tamarisk or other shrubs, but in the greatreed beds on and outside Lake Menzaleh I haveboth seen and heard it in great numbers, and thequite extraordinary penetrating noise that a numbermake when together is most remarkable. It is amost charming active little bird, a perfect acrobat,and it sings as blithely upside down as it doesright side up. But the most attractive thing aboutits life-history is its nest; this it builds in thevery heart of some thick clump of reeds. Theaccompanying picture shows how when the windblows the cradle does rock ; but it matte
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookpubli, booksubjectbirdsegypt
