Part 10

The nest, placed in the crevice of a wall, often on the under side of a bridge or between two boulders in the centre of the stream, is a large domed structure of moss and leaves, having an elliptical entrance low down on one side.

Four to six dull white eggs form the clutch, and two or three broods are reared in the season, the first eggs being laid early in March. Its song is begun in autumn and continues throughout the winter till well on in spring.

A strictly resident species, this bird may be found in its haunts at all times of the year and is exceedingly common in Scotland, where there are few burns that are not tenanted by two or three pairs. In hard frosty weather, however, when its natural home is frozen and food scarce, it wanders over the country and may at such times be found by tidal ditches on the sea-shore.

Its flight is rapid and direct, and when on the move it almost invariably follows the course of the stream.

The adult has the head and neck brownish, rest of the upper parts dark slate grey. Chin, throat and upper breast white, lower breast chestnut, passing into black on the flanks and belly. Bill blackish, legs brown. The young lack the chestnut on the lower parts. Length 7 in.; wing 3·6 in.

THE BEARDED REEDLING Panurus biarmicus (Linnæus)

Extremely scarce and local in our islands, being confined to not more than half-a-dozen localities, this charming little bird, more than any others perhaps of our rarer species, is worth a journey to see. Inhabiting large and extensive reed-beds, it used formerly to be abundant in the fens of Huntingdon, Cambridge, and other eastern counties, but with the reclaiming and draining of the land it has slowly died out, only holding its own in those few places where Nature still reigns supreme. Its exact systematic position is doubtful, as it shows no close affinity with any other known species; one point, however, is absolutely certain, namely that its popular name of "Tit" is quite a misnomer, as it has no connection in appearance or habits with those delightful birds. The naturalist, therefore, who goes to visit him at home must not search for him on trees or look for his nest in holes. As the boat glides quietly past some reed-bed his first acquaintance of this bird will be the clear and unmistakable "ping-ping," a note answered almost immediately by another close by. Soon, if he remains quiet, he will see a small light-brown bird with long tail rise from the reeds and, progressing with undulating flight, settle again a short distance on. Although very tame and unsuspicious, the Bearded Reedling is very hard to watch, owing to the thickness of the reeds in which he lives, but if we wait about patiently we can see a good deal of him as he searches the mud at the base of the reeds for minute molluscs, of which he is extremely fond. These he swallows whole, and having exhausted the treasures of one spot he will run up two reeds, resting one foot on each alternately, with surprising rapidity and then fly off with a merry "ping-ping" to renew his search in some other spot, and possibly, if the place be more open, we may see him scratch up the soft ooze with a peculiar backward motion of both feet and then eagerly scan the spot to see if his labours have met their reward. Early in April he pairs, and a nest of leaves and rushes, deeply cup-shaped and lined with the feathery tops of the reeds, is built. Materials are collected by both sexes, but especially by the cock, while the building itself is entirely carried on by the hen. A clutch of six eggs is laid; they are very round in shape and dead white, freckled with minute black markings. Two broods are reared in the season, the young being fed chiefly on insects. It is essentially a resident species and spends the whole year wandering over the reed-beds in family parties, feeding on insects, molluscs, or seeds, the party keeping together by a continual use of the call-note. At nightfall they all gather close together on some broken reed, where they sleep securely till dawn awakens them to another day of restless work and energy.

The general colour above is tawny orange, the secondaries are striped with rufous buff and black, the tail is long, wedge-shaped, and of the same colour as the back. Chin and throat whitish, becoming pinker on the breast and passing into tawny brown on the flanks; under-tail coverts black. The male has the crown of the head a delicate grey and a black moustache of elongated feathers running downwards from the lores and beneath the eye. In the females this moustache is wanting and the crown of the head is brown, but otherwise they resemble the male. The young differ from the female in having the crown and back striped with black. Length 6·75 in.; wing 2·25 in.

THE LONG-TAILED TIT Acredula caudata (Linnæus)

There must be few of us who have not noticed this charming little bird when we are walking in winter along a hedgerow. We are attracted by a high-pitched "zi-zit" as the bird darts from the hedge in front of us, and after a few yards of undulating flight settles again. It is not alone, for another and yet another Tit follows till the whole family party are busy at work hopping and creeping about the hedge. Shortly the whole proceeding takes place again, the family procession moving on to search for food in a new spot. All this goes on daily during the winter months; up one hedgerow, down another; now hopping up a tree, occasionally visiting a small wood, ever on the move, and ever restless, till the evening comes, when the little party gather to rest, sitting close to each other on some slender bough.

In April, however, this roving life ends. The cock bird seeks a mate and they proceed to make a summer home, sometimes in an open hedgerow, but more often in the hedge bordering a wood, or in some isolated bush in the wood itself. It would be difficult to imagine anything more beautiful than their nest, which is perhaps the most elaborate of any of our British Birds! It is a solid thick-walled elliptical mass of felted moss completely covered externally with lichens, which are largely interwoven by means of cobwebs. The entrance, for it is entirely covered in, is towards the upper end, and the interior is lined with horsehair and innumerable feathers, as many as seven hundred having been counted in a single nest.

The full complement of eggs is at least ten, and two broods are often reared in a season.

This species is entirely insectivorous and less destructive to the buds of fruit-trees than any other kind of Tit, so that no one can have any excuse for destroying this beautiful little bird that does so much to brighten our hedgerows during the dull months of winter.

The sexes are alike. The forehead and crown are white, bordered by a dark stripe, which runs from the bill over the eye to join the black of the nape and back. Wings dark brown; scapulars and rump pinkish; tail feathers black, the three outer pairs broadly tipped and margined with white. Under parts dull white and tinged with pink on the flanks and belly. The young are duller. Length 5·5 in.; wing 2·4 in.

Continental specimens are said to be distinguishable from our native birds.

It is common throughout our islands except in Scotland, where it is somewhat local.

THE GREAT TIT Parus major, Linnæus

On a bright morning in winter, when the leafless branches of the trees bear white traces of the night frost, whose tonic power is felt by man, as well as the lower orders of Nature, we shall not walk far before the rasping "che-chi, che-chi" of the little Saw-sharpener, as he is often called, breaks on our ears. We soon see him climbing about on the branches of some wayside tree; never still, now hanging head downwards as he inspects a bud, seeking for the insect it may contain, or plucking some berry he holds it between his feet, and with a few sharp hammerings of his powerful little beak breaks it open, swallows the seed, and then flits on to the next tree to resume his untiring search for food. Bright in colour, lively in habits and in song, he is such a cheery little fellow that we cannot help regretting the antagonism that is bound to exist between him and the gardener, as the latter watches his promising buds ripped off by this gay-plumaged marauder. True, he is seeking the insect contained in the bud, but in that search it is not to be denied that many an unaffected bud has to suffer. Woods and orchards are his chief haunts, but gardens are frequently visited, and if nest-boxes with small holes be hung up on the trees round the house he and his mate may often be induced to hatch and rear their family under our protection and observation. In spring his saw-sharpening note becomes elaborated into a merry little song, and he proceeds in company with his mate to choose a nesting-site--this is always in a hole in a wall or tree, or even in a letter-box; the cavity within may be fairly large, but the entrance thereto is often very small--ridiculously so for the size of the bird. The nest is a large accumulation of moss, the whole space being filled up level and a little cup-like hollow being sunk in part of it. About ten eggs, white with a few reddish-brown blotches, are laid. The hen bird sits very closely and vigorously pecks at any intruding hand. The period of incubation is very short, being only from ten to twelve days, and the young, which are fed almost exclusively on insects, leave their home in about a fortnight, and wander in small parties through the woods and lanes for the rest of the year.

The sexes are alike in plumage. The whole of the head, chin, throat, and a median line running down the breast are of a glossy blue black; cheeks white; mantle yellowish olive, prolonged forwards to end in a light spot on the nape; wing coverts and tail bluish grey, quills darker. Under parts greenish yellow. Length 5·75 in.; wing 2·85 in.

The young are somewhat paler, but otherwise resemble their parents.

A common resident throughout the whole country, except the extreme north.

THE COAL TIT Parus ater, Linnæus

The Coal Tit is often found as a near neighbour of the Blue Tit, but is never so abundant and familiar. It prefers clumps of trees bordering open commons and moors, but it may sometimes be seen on the outskirts of woods.

The nest is always placed near the ground, in either a hole of a post or tree, and not infrequently, when suitable holes are scarce, mouse-burrows in the ground itself are chosen. It is chiefly composed of moss and lined with hair and feathers, and the eggs, eight to ten in number, are white speckled with brown, much resembling those of other Tits.

The young are fed entirely on insects, and after leaving the nest wander about in family parties, gradually scattering over the country, but seldom becoming so familiar in the haunts of man and vicinity of towns as the Blue Tit.

The sexes are alike. The head, neck, and upper breast are a glossy blue black; the cheeks and a nuchal spot white; back grey, browner on the rump; wing coverts tipped with white to form two bars. Breast whitish, passing to pale brown on the flanks and belly. Length 4·25 in.; wing 2·4 in.

The young lack the gloss on the head, and the white cheeks and nape are tinged with yellow.

This species may readily be distinguished from the Marsh Tit by the white nuchal spot.