File:Birds of Britain (1907) (14568964367).jpg

Identifier: birdsofbritain00bonh (find matches)
Title: Birds of Britain
Year: 1907 (1900s)
Authors: Bonhote, J. Lewis (John Lewis), 1875-1922 Dresser, Henry Eeles, 1838-1915
Subjects: Birds -- Great Britain
Publisher: London, A. and C. Black
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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vere the winter or how hot thesummer, he is always with us, a constant visitor to ourwardens, and when.we go into the woods and fields we shallstill find him equally at home. Early in February he beginshis song, which consists merely of a short run down thescale ending up in the syllables de-wi. Pairing takes placeearly in the season, but some weeks elapse before he thinksof nesting, well knowing that the insects so necessary for hisyoung are not yet born. At the end of April his mate willbegin to build the nest, while her lord and master sitsquietly by, encouraging her with his song but not deigningto soil his beak or feet with honest toil. The site chosen isvery variable; the fork of some giant tree or against thetrunk of a hedgerow elm supported by a lateral shoot are theplaces most frequently used, but it is often situated in a hedge,and sometimes in the ivy against a wall. The nest itselfis a beautiful mass of moss, grass, and wool carefully felted 126 CHAFFINCH Frin^illa ccelebs
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The Chaffinch together with cobwebs and thickly lined with hair, lichensbeing often added on the outside to make it assimilate betterwith the surroundings. The eggs, generally four in number,are greenish blue, spotted and clouded with deep reddishbrown, but occasionally the markings are entirely absent. During incubation the male waits on his hen with greatcare, bringing her all the titbits and delicacies in the wayof insects which he can find, and both sexes are assiduous intheir attentions to their young. After the duties of housekeeping are over, the rest of theyear is spent in the woods, hedgerows, and gardens, feedingpromiscuously on insects, seeds, and berries. Towards themiddle of October large flocks, in which sometimes one sexlargely predominates, reach our shores from more northerlybreeding haunts; most of these, moving southwards, feedlargely on beech-mast in company with Bramblings and thenpass on, but many remain to keep us company during thewinter, till early in spring t

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