Part 3

This pert little bird is very dexterous in the art of nest-building, selecting for materials moss and dry grasses to form the outer structure, and feathers, hair, &c., for lining the interior. The position selected is generally on the ground, at the bottom of a furze-bush, though sometimes quite away from any bush. The eggs number five or six, and are of a pale blue-green, with minute reddish-brown spots, chiefly at the larger end.

THE WHEAT-EAR.

A sheltered and darkened situation is generally chosen by the Wheat-ear wherein to build her nest--chinks of stone walls, the ruins of cairns, in old rabbit-burrows, under stones on moors, mountain wilds, &c. The nest, not very artistic in construction, is composed of a variety of materials, such as bents, grass roots pulled up by the sheep when grazing, and dried in the sun, hair and wool gathered from brambles, corners of rocks, and walls against which the sheep have rubbed themselves. The eggs number five or six, and are of a pale greenish-blue colour unspotted.

THE LITTLE GREBE.

An immense mass of aquatic weeds floating on the surface of a quiet pond, and thoroughly saturated with water, forms the nest of this bird. She lays from five to six eggs, at first white, but gradually becoming dyed a dirty mud colour by the decaying weeds with which the parent bird covers them on leaving her nest to seek food, &c.

THE CAPERCAILZIE.

This bird's nest is situated on the ground, and is composed of a few sticks and ling stalks. The eggs number from six to twelve, and are of a pale reddish-yellow brown, spotted all over with two shades of darker orange-brown, somewhat like those of the Black Grouse.

THE MEADOW PIPIT.

The nest of this common little bird is built of bents, with an inner lining of grass and hairs. It is situated on the ground, and generally in such a position that protection from the rain, sheep's feet, &c., is afforded by a stout tuft of bents, a projecting piece of earth or stone. Its whereabouts is, however, generally betrayed by the parent bird's peculiar flight when disturbed, even in the earliest stages of incubation. In the course of a day's travel on the moors I have met with several nests, some of them remarkably close to each other. The eggs number from four to six; and in spite of the fact that some eminent authorities have said that they are of a reddish-brown, mottled over with darker brown, varying but little, I should describe them as varying from light to very dark dusky brown. I should conclude, from long observation, that more Cuckoos are bred and reared by this bird than all the other foster-parents put together; and it is remarkable what affection it shows for the adopted nursling. Not long ago I had the misfortune to shoot a young Cuckoo during the dusk of evening in mistake for a Hawk, and was struck with pity on seeing the poor Meadow Pipit light on the dead body of the unfortunate victim, and try to drag it away as I approached.

THE PIED FLY-CATCHER.

This bird seems to resort annually to the same locality, and use the same nest year after year, which is composed of moss, grass, bents, feathers, hair, &c., and is situated in holes in pollard-trees and walls. She lays four or five eggs, of a pale blue, which might not erroneously be described as greenish-blue, unspotted.

THE TREE PIPIT.

The Tree Pipit's nest is always on the ground, beneath the shelter of a tuft of grass or low bush, and is made of fibrous roots, moss, and wool, lined with fine grass and hair. The eggs number from four to six, and are so variable in colour that verbal description is almost baffled in attempting to convey an impression of what they are like. Some are purple-red, thickly sprinkled with spots of a deeper shade; others of a yellowish-white, spotted and sprinkled all over with greyish-brown, like a Sparrow's egg.

THE DUNLIN.

The nesting-place of the Dunlin is on the sea-beach, among the shingle, heather, or long grass at the mouth of rivers, on moors and fells in the North of England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, the Orkney Islands, and the Hebrides. The nest is composed of a meagre supply of bents and straws, and the eggs number four, elegantly shaped and beautifully coloured, though very variable in ground colour, sometimes of a bluish-white, blotched all over with umber-brown, whilst others are of a clear light green, richly spotted with light brown. The hen sits closely.

THE SKY-LARK.

This familiar songster's nest is placed on the ground, amongst corn or rough tufty grass, and its whereabouts is generally betrayed by the peculiar scudding flight of the hen when disturbed. The nest is built of bents and dry grass, those of the most slender texture being placed inside. The eggs number four or five (I have never found more), the colouring of which is subject to variation, and not of the easiest kind to convey in a written description. However, the following may be taken as representative:--A dirty white ground colour slightly tinged with green, spotted and mottled with umber-brown, generally more thickly towards the larger end.

THE GOLDEN PLOVER.

The favourite nesting-place of the Golden Plover is on the dreary mountain wilds of the North of England, Scotland, and Ireland. She selects a slight natural depression in the earth, and scrapes together bits of dead grass, rushes, and heather for a nest, in which four eggs are deposited, with the sharp points all meeting in the centre. The ground colour of the eggs is stone or cream, spotted and blotched with umber or blackish-brown, of various sizes and shapes.

THE LANDRAIL.

The position selected by the Landrail for her nest is on the ground, amongst grass, underwood, clover, or corn. It is loosely constructed of dry herbage. Her eggs vary greatly in number, from seven, eight, or nine to as many as fifteen, and are of a dingy white, suffused with a reddish tinge, freckled and spotted with red, brown, and purplish-grey.

THE WIGEON.

This bird has been known to breed in Scotland and Ireland, but its favourite places are Scandinavia, Finland, and Northern Russia. The nest is placed in a clump of rushes or a tuft of heather, its materials being reeds and decayed rushes, with a beautiful inner lining of down off the parent bird, which lays from seven to ten creamy-white eggs, of a very oval shape. Broods have been hatched at different times in the Zoological Gardens.

THE COMMON SKUA.

Nidification is carried on by the Skua in companies, in the Shetland Islands only. The nest is placed on the ground, and is made of dead ling, moss, and dry grass, in which are deposited two eggs only, of varying colour. Some are of a dark olive-brown, whilst others are of a greener tint, with black-brown spots, intermixed with small speckles of a whitish or rusty colour.

THE KITE.

This bird locates its nest in a strong fork of some tall tree, building it with sticks and whatever softer material she can come at without much trouble, such as wool, &c. The eggs number three, and are of a grey or dirty white, spotted and blotched with dull red or orange-brown, the spots predominating at the larger end.

THE RED-SHANK.

The nest of the Red-shank is situated amidst a tuft of grass, or in a small hole sheltered by the surrounding herbage, and is constructed of a few blades of fine dry grass lightly put together. She lays four eggs of a cream or straw colour, blotched and speckled with dark brown, the spots being very variable, but generally forming a belt or zone at the larger end.

THE SAND-MARTIN.

As denoted by the name, the nesting-place of the Sand-martin is at the extremity of a deep hole, which the bird excavates for herself in some sandbank, generally near a river. The nest is constructed of straw, hay, or dead rushes, whichever may be found in the locality where the bird is breeding, and lined with feathers. The eggs are from four to six in number, of an elongated shape, the extreme thinness of the shell giving them a pinky appearance, but when blown they are a beautiful white.

THE LITTLE STINT.

This bird does not breed in the British Isles, but in Northern Europe and Asia. The nest is situated on the ground, and is very similar in construction to that of most of the Sandpiper species, being a natural depression in the ground, with a lining of dead leaves, or other such material as may be procured within easy reach of the place chosen. The eggs are four in number, of varying ground colour, from pale brown to pale greenish-grey, spotted and blotched with rich brown, the spots generally confluent at the larger end; but the colour is probably subject to as many variations as the Dunlin's eggs, already described.

THE LONG-EARED OWL.

Like the Hawk tribe generally, this bird manifests an unmistakable dislike for maternal labour, as she contents herself with the old nest of a Crow, Magpie, or the abandoned home of a Squirrel. Some collectors give the number of eggs as from three to seven; but four or five is the general rule, and numbers above the last figure quoted the exception. The eggs are white, and almost as blunt at one end as the other.

THE SHIELDRAKE.

The labours of the Rabbit are utilised by the Shieldrake, and almost indispensable to her for incubation purposes, as she deposits dried flags, bents, reeds, and a liberal quantity of down, plucked from her own body, at the bottom of a deep burrow, after having enlarged and improved it to suit her purpose. She lays from eight even to twice that number of eggs, of a very smooth, roundish, oblong shape. They are cream colour, or nearly white in colour.

THE REDWING.

This bird very rarely builds in the British Isles, but abundantly in Norway, Sweden, and other high latitudes visited by it during the summer. Its nest is very similar to that of the ordinary Ring Ouzel or Blackbird, and is located in the middle of a dense bush. The eggs number from four to six, and are somewhat like those of the Fieldfare, only not so large. It would take a very clever connoisseur to pick out the egg of the Blackbird, Ring Ouzel, Fieldfare, and Redwing from some specimens without making a mistake, so much alike are they in colour, size, and shape.

THE SANDPIPER.

On the banks of a river, lake, or tarn, this familiar little bird locates its nest, generally choosing some natural depression, where it will be protected by a projecting grass tuft, though I have found its nest on the bare ground, and once on a tiny piece of grass amongst a lot of rocks. The nest is lined with dead rushes, leaves, and fine grass. The eggs number four, of a creamy yellow or stone colour, with light brown spots and blotches, as it were, in the shell, and dark brown on the surface.

THE LESSER WHITETHROAT.

The situation chosen by the Lesser Whitethroat for its nest is amongst brambles, low bushes, and nettles, building it of grass, bents, and an inner lining of horsehairs. The eggs number four or five, and are white, with a greenish tendency, spotted, chiefly at the larger end, with ash and light umber-brown.

THE RUFF.

This bird, like the Snipe and Red-shank, makes her nest in wet, swampy places, using only the coarse grass found on the spot. Like its congeners, it only lays four eggs, very similar in ground colour and marking to the two birds quoted above, varying from stone colour to olive-green, blotched and speckled with rich brown and liver-coloured spots.

THE WHITE-TAILED EAGLE.

The high, inaccessible cliffs of Scotland and Ireland are the places where this noble bird propagates its race. Sticks, heather, grass, and wool are the nesting materials used. The eggs are two in number, usually of an unspotted white as representative, but sometimes slightly marked with pale red--this, however, being the exception.

THE GREY PHALAROPE.

The breeding haunts of this bird seem to be as far north as it can possibly carry out incubation successfully; Greenland, Northern Siberia, and Melville Island being chosen. A natural depression in the peat earth serves as a nest, in which four eggs are usually laid, of a stony colour, tinged with olive-green, speckled and spotted (especially at the larger end) with dark brown.

THE SHOVELLER.

This duck breeds in Norfolk, the Fen districts, and Scotland, once numerously, but now more rarely. The nest is made in marshes as far removed from human intrusion as possible, and is constructed of sedges, reeds, &c.; and as the time of hatching approaches, the eggs are covered with down from the bird's own body. They number from eight to twelve, and are white, tinged with green.

THE GRASSHOPPER WARBLER.

The nest of this shy little summer visitor is usually well concealed near the ground, in the middle of a thick bush. It is constructed of strong dry grass and moss outside, with an inner lining of slender grass. The eggs number from four to seven, and are of a pale rosy-coloured white, with spots and speckles all over of a darker-shaded red.

THE GOLDEN EAGLE.

The mate of this king of birds builds her nest in the most desolate and unapproachable parts of Scotland and Ireland, where even the skillful and daring cragsman can with difficulty come. The eyrie is made of sticks, a supply being added each year until an enormous pile is collected, almost flat at the top. The eggs number from two to three, and are of a grey or dingy white colour, clouded and blotched nearly all over with rusty or reddish-brown spots.

THE EIDER DUCK.

This useful member of the Duck family breeds on the Scottish coast and at the Farne Islands, and on the shores of Norway and Sweden, in great numbers. The nest is made of dried grasses, weeds, &c.; and as the process of incubation advances, like the Shoveller, the mother lines the nest profusely with the beautiful down from its body. The eggs usually number five, and are of a light green colour, oblong in shape.

THE TAWNY OWL.

A hollow in a tree, or the deserted nest of a Crow, serves this nocturnal bird for a nest. The eggs are of an elliptical shape, numbering from three to five, and are quite white.

THE HERRING GULL.

Sea cliffs and rocky islands round the coasts of England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, are the nesting-places of this bird, the materials used being dried grass and ferns, loosely put together. The eggs are three in number, of a stone colour, sometimes light olive-brown--but this rarely--spotted with dark brown.

THE CARRION CROW.

This bold predatory bird is like the Raven, monogamous, and sticks to its mate for life. They use the same nest often year after year, driving their young forth as soon as they are capable of looking after themselves. On an average four or five eggs are laid, of a grey-green colour, blotched and spotted with a smoky brown. In some instances, like those of the Rook, they are found quite blue, minus spots. The nest is situated at the tops of trees in woods or plantations, and is composed of sticks like those of most birds, using the larger for the outside, the smaller for the inside, which is plastered with mud, clay, or cow-dung, lined with wool, horse and cow hair.

THE SWALLOW.

I have observed that the Swallow's favourite nesting-place is amongst the rafters of cow-barns, stables, and out-houses of a similar nature. Nests may be found even in old chimneys, but it is my opinion that they only locate themselves in such a smoky atmosphere when no better place is procurable; they have also been found amongst the brickwork of disused limekilns. The nest is composed of clay or mud mixed with straw, hay, and rushes, lined with soft light feathers, usually gathered whilst the bird is on the wing. When a boy, I have amused myself for hours flying feathers for the dexterous Swallows and Martins to carry off to their nests, and have always observed that if the Swallow let a feather fall from her nest whilst building it, and did not catch it before reaching the ground, she allowed it to remain there, often to betray the locality of her eggs. The Swallow does not exhibit the same amount of care over the formation of her nest as the Common Martin or Sand Martin, and leaves it open at the top. She lays four or five eggs, white, which are unlike those of the other species of the family, inasmuch as they are speckled with brown, which generally forms a belt round the larger end of the egg.

THE SPARROW-HAWK.

The Sparrow-Hawk lays from four to six eggs of a bluish-white, spotted more numerously at the larger end with red-brown blotches. It is said to often utilise the disused nest of the Magpie or Crow, but I am inclined to the opinion that this is not often the case, as the half-score or so of nests which have come under my personal observation have in every instance been built by the Sparrow-Hawk herself.

THE BLUE TIT.

Blue Tits lay from seven to nine eggs, of a white underground, spotted with red-brown all over, but more numerously at the larger end. Their nests are composed of moss, feathers, and hair, and will generally be found in holes in trees or walls.

THE BLACKCAP.

The Blackcap locates her nest amongst nettles and brambles, generally near the ground, but not resting upon it. It is a very slovenly bird, as far as the structure of its nest goes, which is composed of fibrous roots and the stems of cleavers. It lays four or five eggs of a whitish underground, blotched and spotted, with two shades of brown or pale delicate pink, with dark red spots and blotches.

THE PARTRIDGE.

From ten to twenty eggs are laid by the Partridge, of a pale yellow-brown, without any spots. There has been some diversity of opinion as to the time of hatching, some holding that the third week of June is the time, whilst others say the middle of the following month; but I think that the locality in which the bird is found has something to do with this difference of time. She does not make any nest worth speaking about, merely scratching and trampling the grass, weeds, &c., down. Her nest is situated on the ground in standing grass, cornfields, among brackens, weeds, &c., mostly in arable districts She sits very closely, indeed so closely that I have known her head cut clean off as she sat on her nest in a field of grass which was being mown.

THE WILD DUCK.

The nest of the Wild Duck is composed of grass, intermixed and lined with down, and is generally situated on the ground near the margin of rivers or lakes, to enable the mother to lead her progeny to the water immediately they are hatched. However, there are numerous exceptions to the usual site of her nest, as it is occasionally found occupying deserted Crows' nests, or built on pollard willows, and has even been found in such an exceptionally odd situation as a church tower, from whence she managed to convey her young in safety. These elevated nesting-places have given rise to much variance of opinion amongst naturalists as to how the parent bird carries her progeny to the water; some contending that she conveys them in her feet, others, in her beak, &c.

This habit of the bird, however, is quite familiar to the Laplanders, who prepare wooden cylinders, which they stop at each end, leaving a hole in the side, and elevate on poles, to entice the duck, which does not hesitate to avail itself of such convenient accommodation; thus the wily Laplander is enriched with a good store of eggs for breakfast. The Hawk-Owl often takes a fancy to the situation, and appropriates it for nidification purposes, paying dearly for his intrusion when the owner of the cylinder comes round to collect his dues.

The eggs of the Wild Duck number from eight to fifteen, of a greenish-white colour, smooth on the surface.

THE CUCKOO.

The Cuckoo seems to think he was born to do nothing else but tell and re-tell

"His name to all the hills;"

for he neither makes a nest nor troubles to rear his young, but leaves them to the tender mercies of unpaid nurses, being partial to the Wagtail, Hedge-sparrow, and Meadow Pipit, who are so affectionate that they have been known to follow and feed the young Cuckoo in a cage. Only one egg is found in a nest, which is of a reddish-grey, with a darker belt formed of numerous confluent spots at the thick end of the egg, but they are very variable.

THE PHEASANT.

Pheasants lay from eight to thirteen eggs of a pale olive-green or brown, without spots. Their nests are composed chiefly of the dried grass where it is situated, which is on the ground amongst weeds, coarse grass, or scrub, in the outskirts of woods. It has, however, been found occupying a Squirrel's drey in a Scotch fir, where she hatched her young, but did not rear them, as from some cause or other they died in the nest. This bird is polygamous.

THE PIED WAGTAIL.

The nest of this bird is situated in holes in stone walls, bridges, crevices of rocks, quarries, &c. I remember on one occasion finding one in the stump of a rotten tree which had broken off about eleven feet from the ground; they are also found in pollard willows. The nest is chiefly composed of moss, small fine grass, fibrous roots, wool, horse and cow-hair. The eggs number from four to six, and are of a grey colour, speckled with light umber-brown.

THE HERON.

The Heron lays four or five eggs of a pale blue, with a tinge of green. Her nest is composed of a very liberal collection of sticks, and is lined in the interior with wool, and occasionally rags. It is situated on the tops of high trees. Like the Rooks, Herons build in societies, which are called heronries.

THE WOODCOCK.

The Woodcock lays four eggs of a yellow-white colour, blotched with pale chestnut-brown. Her nest is generally found amongst the underwood at the foot of a tree, where she does not appear to try to avoid its being seen, but scratches a slight hollow, lining it with dead leaves and the withered fronds of the bracken. Although the great bulk of these birds are migrants, it is now proved beyond doubt that many are bred yearly in this country. Like the Partridge, Grouse, &c., the young leave the nest as soon as hatched, and are most carefully looked after by the parent bird.

THE SWIFT.

The Swift is the garret-lodger of nature, for she builds her nest in the very highest crevices and holes in steeples, towers, chimneys, rocks, and occasionally, like the Martin, under the eaves of inhabited houses. Her nest is composed of hay, straw, and feathers, in somewhat sparse quantities, which she appears to solder or cement to the stone and to each other with a glutinous substance elaborated by glands peculiar to certain birds of this genus. She lays two or three white unspotted eggs of a rather long oval shape.

THE BLACK-HEADED GULL.