. Birds and their nests and eggs : found in and near great towns . out from the trunk,situated like the willow wrens before de-scribed. We counted five eggs of a creamy-white colour, with specks and large blotchesof a faded blood-red. It was about the samesize as the chaffinchs, and consisted of mossand lichen, with a lining of feathers. Watch-ing for the builder, we saw it was a spottedflycatcher. As we had seen a pair of thebirds a few hours before, we were delighted tofind a nest of theirs. Dear little trustingbirds are these ! They are fond of gardensand the vicinity of houses, and Hke to
. Birds and their nests and eggs : found in and near great towns . out from the trunk,situated like the willow wrens before de-scribed. We counted five eggs of a creamy-white colour, with specks and large blotchesof a faded blood-red. It was about the samesize as the chaffinchs, and consisted of mossand lichen, with a lining of feathers. Watch-ing for the builder, we saw it was a spottedflycatcher. As we had seen a pair of thebirds a few hours before, we were delighted tofind a nest of theirs. Dear little trustingbirds are these ! They are fond of gardensand the vicinity of houses, and Hke to buildin trellis-work or a nook in an outhouse ora stack of wood. They will return to thesame spot year after year, but rear only onebrood each season. A pair built in the porchof a house of a friend of mine for severalseasons, not heeding the many passers in andout. If there be a high post anywhere ora dead twig standing out from a bush ortree, this is a point of vantage that they likefrom which to catch insects in the manner EARLY JUNE—OUR LAST EXCURSION 175. Plate LV : If there be a high post—this is a point ofvantage that they hke. Spotted flycatcher, male (J size). we had witnessed in the earher part of theday. Look as you will, these insects are 176 AMONGST THE WOODLAND BIRDS— often invisible, but the sharp-eyed Httle birddetects them easily and takes them with anaudible snap of the beak. This habit hasgiven the spotted flycatcher the name of Post, Rafter, and Beam Bird, Bee Catcher,and the like. It is only during nesting timethat a pair are seen together, as we had seenthem in the morning. Some have calledthe bird mopy, and he gives one thisidea, as he sits alone with his head ratherdown on the shoulders and his legs bent, butthe idea is dispelled when his activity isnoticed. He is late in making his appearanceon our shores, arriving in May, and leaving inSeptember or October. Sober tints charac-terize the plumage ; the upper parts are brown,the head streaked longit
Size: 1341px × 1864px
Photo credit: © Reading Room 2020 / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookpublishern, booksubjectbirds
