The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1910-09-29

Like most Americans interested In
birds and books. know a good deal
about English birds as they appear In
/ books. know the lark Of Shake
| speare and Shelley and the Ettrick
/ Shepherd. know the nightingale OF
/ Milton and Keats: know Words
worth's cuckoo: | know mavis and
/ MERLE singing in the merry green wood
I of the old ballads: know Jenny Wren
/ and Cock Robin OF the nursery books.
! Therefore have always much desired
to hear the birds In real life: and the
opportunity offered last June. AS
could snatch but few hours from
very exacting round OF pleasures and
duties. IL was necessary for me 10 be
with some companion who could iden-
tify both song and singer. In Sir
Edward Grey, a keen lover OF outdoor
life in all its phases. and delight
full companion. who knows the songs
aud ways OF English birds as very few
do know them. found the best pos
sible guide.
We left London on the morning Of
June Q, "a hours before | sailed from
Southampton. Getting of the train at
Basingstoke. We drove to the pretty.
smiling valley of the Itchen. Here
we tramped for three or four hours.
then again drove. this time to the edge
Of the New Forest. where we first
took 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 a list OF the birds we had seen,
putting an asterisk opposite those
which we had heard sing. There were
Al OF the former and % of the latter
as follows:
: Thrush, 'Biackbird. Lark. 'Yellow
Hammer. 'Robin. 'Wren. 'Goldeu
: Crested Wren. 'Goldfinch. 'Greenfinch
Pied Wagtail. Sparrow. 'Dunnoch
(Hedge Accentor). Missel Thrush
! Startling. Rock. Jackdaw, 'Blaek Cap
! Garden Warbler. 'Willow Warbler
. sChiff Chaff. 'Wood Warbler. 'Tre'
A Creeper, 'Reed Bunting. 'Sedge War
: bier. Coot, Water Hen. Little Greb'
(Dabchickl. Tufted Duck. Wood Pi
o geon, Stock Dove. 'Turtle Dove. Pee
o wit. Tit (?Coal Tit). 'Cuckoo. 'Nigh,
e jar. Swallow. Martin. Swift. Pheasant
Il Partridge
It The bird that most impressed m
d on my walk was the blackbird. | ha
already heard nightingales in, abuI
dance near Lake Como. and had ais
listened TO larks. but had never hear
either the blackbird. the song thrust
or the black cap warbler: and while
u knew all three were good singer,
3 did not know what really beat
tiful singers they were. Blackbird
"a We're very abundant. and they played
y prominent part In the chorus which W
heard throughout the day on ever
10 hand. though perhaps loudest the TO
IS lowing morning at dawn. In Its habit
ID and manners. the bhckbird strikingl
r. resembles our American robin, ard 4
ct deed looks exactly like a robin. wit
10 a yellow bill and coal-black plumag
II hops everywhere over the lawn
ry just as our robin does. and 1t lives
Id nests In the gardens in the same fas
ke lon. Its song has general reseI
IN blance TO that Of our robin. but mar
~ OF the notes are far more musici
~. more like those OF our wood thrus
at Indeed there were individuals amor
OF those We heard certain of whose not
In seemed to me almost to equal In poi
10. OF melody the chimes of the wo
en- thrush: and the highest possible prai
lat Tor any song bird Is TO nken It's so
- to that OF the wood thrush or hern
thrush. certainly do not think tn
the blackbird has received full jusu
In the books. knew that II was
singer. but / really had no idea h,
u fine a singer he was. | suppose one
- hi troubles has been his name, il
'er as with our own cat bird. When
'w appears In the ballads as the mer
OH bracketed with his cousin. the NAV
us' the song thrush. II is far easier to r
ier ignize him as the master singer Il
AK he is. II Is a fine thing for Engla
On TO have such an asset OF the count
side, bird so common. SO much In {
are dence, so fearless. and such a rea
OF beautiful singer.
OF The most musical singer we he,
to was the black cap warbler. To
one my ear It's song seemed more must
BOO than that OF the nightingale. II v
the astonishingly powerful for so small
ain. bird; In volume and continuity Il d
this not come up to the songs OF
nen thrushes and OF certain other biz
but In quality. as an isolated bit
melody. II can hardly be surpassed
Among the minor singers the 70
INNS was noticeable. We all know
pretty little bird from the books.
,e,.- | was prepared to find him as frien
the anu a'iaeu'e as ne proven W oe'
ys.- haa not reahIea no" wen ne Sd