The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1910-08-26

EHlAoTs NvpgNikhA WV bD INV NNN'N
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 Ettrlck
shepherd. ! know the nightingale Of
Milton and Keats. know Words
worth's cuckoo I know mayis and
MERLE singing In the merry green wood
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 eHacting round Of pleasures and
duties, II was necessary for me to be
with some companion who could iden.
ufy both song and singer In Sir
Edward Grey. a keen lover Of outdoor
life In all It's phases. and a delight.
ful companion. who knows the songs
and ways OF English birds as very few
do know them. | found the best pos
slble guide.
We left London on the morning Of
June Q. "a hours before sailed from
Southampton. Getting on the train at
Baslngstoke. we drove to the pretty
smiling 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 nrst
took tea at an inn. and then tramped
through the forest to an inn on It's 9th
er side. az Broekenhurst 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
u Of the former and % OF the latter.
as follows:
Thrush. 'B,aekbird. Lark. 'Yellow
Hammer. 'Robin. 'Wren. 'Golden
Crested Wren. 'Goldnnch. 'Greenhnch.
Pied wagtail. Sparrow. 'Dunnoek
Hedge Accentor). MISSED Thrush.
Startling. Rock. Jnckdaw. 'Black Cap.
'Garden Warbler, 'Willow Warbler.
'Chln char. 'wood Warbler. Stree
Creepcr, 'Reed Bunting. 'sedge War.
bier, Coot. Water Hen. Little Grebc
(DabchicD, Tufted Duck. Wood III.
goon, Stock Dove. turtle Dove. Pee.
Wit, Tit t?Coal Tito. 'Cuckoo. 'Night
Jar. Swallow. Martin. Swift. Pheasant.
Partridge.
The bird that most impressed me
on my walk was the blackblrd. | had
already heard nightingales in abun.
dance near Lake Como. and had also
listened to larks. but had never heard
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.
uful singers they were. Blackbirds
were very abundant. and they played a
prominent part In the chorus which we
heard throughout the day on every
hand. though perhaps loudest the fol.
lowing morning at dawn. In It's habits
and manners. the blackblrd striklngly
resembles our American robin. and In.
deed looks exactly like robin. with
a yellow bill and coal.black plumngc
II hops everywhere over the lawns,
Just as our robin does. and II lives In
nests In the gardens In the same fash.
Ion. Its song has general rcsem.
hlance TO that OF our robin. but many
OF the notes are far more musical,
more like those OF our wood thrush
Indeed there were individuals among
those We heard certain OF whose notes
seemed to me almost TO equal In point
OF melody the chimes Of tho wood
thrush; and the highest possible praise
for any song bird Is to liken its song
TO that OF the wood thrush or hermit
thrush. certainly do not think that
the blackbird has received full Justice
In the books. knew that It was a
singer, but really had no idea how
fine singer he was, suppose one OF
hi troubles has been his name, lust
as with our own cat bird. When he
appears In the ballads as the merle,
bracketed with his cousin. the mayls,
the song thrush. II II far easier to rec.
lgnize him as the master singer that
he Ia. II Is a fine thing for England
to have such an asset OF the country,
side. a bird so common. so much In eyi,
dence. so fearless, and such really
beautiful singer
The most musical singer we heard
was tho black cap warbler. To my
my ear It's song seemed more musical
than that OF the nightingale Il was
Rstonishingly powerful for so small a
bird In volume and continuity II does
not como up TO the songs Of the
thrushes and of certain other birds
but in quality, as an Isolated bit oil
melody. II can hardly be surpassed.
Among the minor singers the robin
/. was noticeable, We all know thl,
pretty little bird from the books. ant
! was prepared to find him as friendly
and attractive az he proved to be. bu
. ] had not realized how well he sang