The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1910-08-25

ki.a n'"Siicdns interested in
on us anu BOOKS, know a good deal
soout English birds as they appear in
looks. know the lark of shata
speare and Shelley and the Ettrick
onepherd; | know the nightingale Of
Mi''on ana Keats; | know Words.
worms cuckoo; | know mavis ard
MERLE singing in the merry green wood
Oh the old ballads know Jenny wran
anu COCK Robin Of the nursery hooks
therefore have always much desired
10 near the birds in real life; and the
opportunity offered last June. Az I
could snatch but few hours from a
very exacting round Of pleasures and
uu.ies' II was necessary for me to be
WIN some companion who could iden.
my both song and singer. In Sir
Eu"ard Grey, keen lover of outdoor
.'ie IN all Its phases, and a delight.
iul companion, who knows the sones
ana ways of English birds as very few
90 Know them. ! found the best nos.
sible guide.
we iett London on the morning of
June y, "a hours before | sailed from
southampton. Getting off the train at
easlngstoke. we drove to the pretty,
slhiiing valley Of the ltchen. Here
we tramped for three or four hours.
then again drove, this time to the edge
OF the New Forest, where we iirst
look tea at an inn, and then tramped
through the forest to an inn on its 9th.
er side, at Brockenhurst. At the con.
clusion Of our walk my companion
made list of the birds we had seen
putting an asterisk opposite those
which we had heard sing. There were
II OF the former and % of the latter
as follows:
Thrush. 'Blackbird, Lark. 'Yellow
Hammer, robin, 'Wren, sGolden
Crested Wren, 'Goldfnch, 'Greenfinch
Pied Wagtail, Sparrow, 'Dunnock
tHedge Accentor), Missel Thrush
Starring, Rock, Jackdaw, 'Black Cap
Garden Warbler, 'Willow Warbler
"Chiff Chaff, wood Warbler, .Tree
Creeper, 'Reed Bunting, 'Sedge War
bier, Coot, Water Hen, Little Grebe
(Dabchick), Tufted Duck, Wood Pi
geon, Stock Dove, turtle Dove, Pee
wit. Tit t?Coal TIT, Cuckoo, tNight
Jar, Swallow. Martin. Swift. Pheasant
Partridge.
The bird that most impressed me
on my walk was the blackbird hat
already heard nightingales in abun
dance near Lake Como, and had also
listened to larks. but had never heart
either the blackbird, the song thrush
or the black cap warbler; and while
knew all three were good singers
did not know what really beau
tiful singers they were. Blackbirds
were very abundant, and they played s
prominent part In the chorus which WI
heard throughout the day on ever.
hand, though perhaps loudest the fol
lowing morning at dawn In Its habits
and manners, the blackbird strikingl,
resembles our American robin and In
deed looks exactly like robin, witt
a yellow bill and coalblack plumage
1t hops everywhere over the lawns
just as our robin does, and 1t lives IL
nests in the gardens in the same fash
ion. Its song has a general resem
blance to that of our robin, but man.
of the notes are far more musical
| more like those of our wood thrush
indeed there were individuals amoni
those we heard certain OF whose note
| seemed to me almost to equal in poin
of melody the chimes of the WOO
thrush; and the highest possible prais
for any song bird is to liken its SON.
to that of the wood thrush or hermi
thrush. certainly do not think tina
the blackbird has received full justlc
in the books. ! knew that 1t was
singer. but really had no idea HOY
fine singer he was. | suppose one o
hi troubles has been his name, jus
as with our own cat bird. When n
appears In the ballads as the merle
bracketed with his cousin, the mavis
the song tnTusu, IL IN ia' o"S'Ni w
gnize him as the master singer tina
he is. II is a fine thing for Englan
to have such an asset OF the country
side. bird so common, SO much In ev
dence. so fearless, and such reaii
beautiful singer.
The most musical singer we hear
yas the black cap warbler. To m
nv ear its song seemed more musica
than that of the nightingale. 1t wa
astonishingly powerful for so small
bird; in volume and continuity 1t doe
not come up to the songs OF IN
tbrushes and of certain other piro'
but in quality, as an isolated Dill
melody, 1t can hardly be surpassed
Among the minor singers the rooi
was noticeable. We all know thl
pretty little bird from the DOORS an al,
was prepared to find him as irienal
and attractive as he proved to De- ou
| had not realized how well ne SAM