THE REED WARBLER.cattailsThisspecies arrives upon our shores during the latter part of April, and leaves again for its winter quarters in Africa during September, although a specimen is said to have been shot in Ireland, where the bird does not breed, as late even as December.The Reed Warbler is about five and a half inches in length, is brown on its upper parts, tinged with chestnut, which becomes more pronounced on the rump and white on the under parts, tinged with reddish buff, especially on the breast and sides. Its legs and toes are slaty-brown.It breeds in reed and osier beds and other places where there is plenty of cover to suit its skulking habits, on thebanks of lakes, ponds, and sluggish streams, and is much commoner on the east and southern sides of England than the west and north. I have met with it commonly in certain parts of Gloucestershire, and it is said to be fairly numerous in Wales. It does not, however, breed in Scotland or Ireland.REED WARBLER’S NEST AND EGGS.REED WARBLER’S NEST AND EGGS.MALE AND FEMALE REED WARBLERSMALE AND FEMALE REED WARBLERS AT HOME.The nest is a very beautiful structure, formed of long blades of dead grass, seed, branches of reeds, and bits of wool lined inside with fine dead grass and hair. It is cleverly suspended between two, three, four, or even as many as five reedstems at varying heights above the water. I have, however, on several occasions seen it in willow and alder bushes at some distance from that element, and it has even been found in a lilac bush in such a very unlikely neighbourhood as Hampstead.YOUNG REED WARBLERYOUNG REED WARBLERThe structure is very deep for the size of the builder, but this peculiarity of its architecture serves a very useful purpose, for when the reeds to which it is attached are violently swayed to and fro by strong gusts of wind, it prevents the eggs from rolling out and away to certain destruction.The eggs, numbering from four to six, are of a dull greenish-white or greyish-greenground colour, spotted and blotched with darker greyish-green and light brown.The male helps the female not only in the work of feeding the chicks, but in brooding, and it is a very pretty sight to see them exchanging places on the nest.The song of this species somewhat resembles that of the Sedge Warbler in being full of chatter, but is not so loud or harsh, and is delivered, as a rule, whilst the singer is hiding amongst reeds. It imitates the note of the Starling, Wagtail, Swallow, and other birds, but is vastly inferior to the Marsh Warbler both as a musician and a mimic. I have heard it at its best during a calm summer evening on the Norfolk Broads, where it sings far into the night and early in the morning, excepting during windy weather, which seems to be greatly disliked by all feathered inhabitants of reed beds. The following extracts from one of my old diaries kept during a stay on Hickling Broad illustrate rather graphically the influence of wind upon the vocal activities of birds:May 27.—“Windy, dark night; not a bird of any kind to be heard.”May 28.—“Fine calm night. Reed, Sedge, and Grasshopper Warblers, Snipe, Water Rail, Coot, Moorhen, Peewit, and other birds all singing and calling until one o’clock in the morning.”The song of the Reed Warbler has been represented astiri, tier zach zerr, scherk heid tretby one authority, and astiri yach yerr sherk heid tretby another. Each note is repeated by the singer a number of times. Its call note is a harshturrorchoh, choh.marshlands
cattails
Thisspecies arrives upon our shores during the latter part of April, and leaves again for its winter quarters in Africa during September, although a specimen is said to have been shot in Ireland, where the bird does not breed, as late even as December.
The Reed Warbler is about five and a half inches in length, is brown on its upper parts, tinged with chestnut, which becomes more pronounced on the rump and white on the under parts, tinged with reddish buff, especially on the breast and sides. Its legs and toes are slaty-brown.
It breeds in reed and osier beds and other places where there is plenty of cover to suit its skulking habits, on thebanks of lakes, ponds, and sluggish streams, and is much commoner on the east and southern sides of England than the west and north. I have met with it commonly in certain parts of Gloucestershire, and it is said to be fairly numerous in Wales. It does not, however, breed in Scotland or Ireland.
REED WARBLER’S NEST AND EGGS.REED WARBLER’S NEST AND EGGS.
REED WARBLER’S NEST AND EGGS.
MALE AND FEMALE REED WARBLERSMALE AND FEMALE REED WARBLERS AT HOME.
MALE AND FEMALE REED WARBLERS AT HOME.
The nest is a very beautiful structure, formed of long blades of dead grass, seed, branches of reeds, and bits of wool lined inside with fine dead grass and hair. It is cleverly suspended between two, three, four, or even as many as five reedstems at varying heights above the water. I have, however, on several occasions seen it in willow and alder bushes at some distance from that element, and it has even been found in a lilac bush in such a very unlikely neighbourhood as Hampstead.
YOUNG REED WARBLERYOUNG REED WARBLER
YOUNG REED WARBLER
The structure is very deep for the size of the builder, but this peculiarity of its architecture serves a very useful purpose, for when the reeds to which it is attached are violently swayed to and fro by strong gusts of wind, it prevents the eggs from rolling out and away to certain destruction.
The eggs, numbering from four to six, are of a dull greenish-white or greyish-greenground colour, spotted and blotched with darker greyish-green and light brown.
The male helps the female not only in the work of feeding the chicks, but in brooding, and it is a very pretty sight to see them exchanging places on the nest.
The song of this species somewhat resembles that of the Sedge Warbler in being full of chatter, but is not so loud or harsh, and is delivered, as a rule, whilst the singer is hiding amongst reeds. It imitates the note of the Starling, Wagtail, Swallow, and other birds, but is vastly inferior to the Marsh Warbler both as a musician and a mimic. I have heard it at its best during a calm summer evening on the Norfolk Broads, where it sings far into the night and early in the morning, excepting during windy weather, which seems to be greatly disliked by all feathered inhabitants of reed beds. The following extracts from one of my old diaries kept during a stay on Hickling Broad illustrate rather graphically the influence of wind upon the vocal activities of birds:
May 27.—“Windy, dark night; not a bird of any kind to be heard.”
May 28.—“Fine calm night. Reed, Sedge, and Grasshopper Warblers, Snipe, Water Rail, Coot, Moorhen, Peewit, and other birds all singing and calling until one o’clock in the morning.”
The song of the Reed Warbler has been represented astiri, tier zach zerr, scherk heid tretby one authority, and astiri yach yerr sherk heid tretby another. Each note is repeated by the singer a number of times. Its call note is a harshturrorchoh, choh.
marshlands