Our winter months provide little taicher beyond the spar~ 'a few tts and redstart, But by the end of February. this year a thrush was in evidence; like most of hig kind he made a hurried exit fore he could be identified, and this he did each time for some days after fvaids, Late in April we had better fortune with some of his relatives.
walk to the Bluif, that great penin-ula to the north of us, yielded plenty for material. Thrushes were abundant Jon the outskirts of the ancient village of Dzewu (of which "Chefoo" is said _be a corruption).
"Either these birds derived confidence from numbers, or the locality /was perched on a newly planted tree Jand he had no objection to being approached quietly, even with a But. these observations must not ead readers to suppose that a bicycle a desirable item of equipment for bird-watching: it takes "one further Jout into the country than one may Ihave time for on foot and these nates will show how reasonable many birds are if they are approached with sensible quietness and consideration, First Spring Swallows The first swallows again pul yppearanee on the day of the school inletie sports, April. 15. A month fay minivels were seen che morning, and. that reminded "me took out for the shrikes. Last sear J commended their punctuality, this year they scorn to have missed their connection somewhere on he way, for they were some days ate Possibly they may have entertained Jeuspieions of the abnormally mild inter and were determined not Take any risks of coming up with any premature warmth at perhaps taking ould of the weather decided to have 2 relapse. One can hardly fal notice their arrival. One morning the noisy. vocigeration of a Jchrike made itself neard in the Stille ness, (For in Chefoo it is only the streets and beaches which make the Sunday markedly. Continental, Of course the shrike met with an Jexelted chorus from the sparrows, ubiquitous creatures and nol given ymiveh silence, 1 observed last year ret they seem to show little fear of the shrikes, and I see that when a huke occupies a top branch of a tree there are' very often sparrows who come and keep him company by settling only a foot or two away.
They may be anxious to understudy a creature who excels them in chat tering, oF they may actually like his company. and admire his" plumage. was unusually favourable, for it was G, possibly again they really possible to watch some at very him ge an enemy and app lose quarters, and to recognize the 2 deputation to keep him mest approachable ones as the spotted "marked" and see that due thrush or dusky eusol, During our given of any signs of depredation Jelimb of the peak, well over 900 rect Favourite Perch Wwe frequently tushed thrushes which dashed off in great haste, but during 'The shrike seems to like perching the Inst third or so of the climb we fon telephone wires or the' tops of found none.
Rast o the topmost branches of tees, Now and' then we heard the call The calalpa isa good one, but usual ly "they favour those common. trees at a partridge and the clamour of Which are usually called acacia but fe rows but did not sec any. At the {op we found, as seems common on which a friend tells he suspects of Shentung hilltops in April, large the name of Robinia, Tam no botany numbers of ladybirds. But ho birds ist and in this respect at east I shalt 6 with the common herd and Jappeared there to dispute possession hall not be - misunderstood—aeaeks with them: surely ladybirds are not of it be. T doubt if the shrikes make among. those insects which' protect any question about it, themselves by having an evil taste.
Alter that frst clamour there have On. our return to the low level we came upon a small flock of sta een plenty of chances to see them; four or five red-tailed shrikes were Jings; there was no mistake about be seen that same afternoon and them. Congregating in low trees or now a pair are on the ground. gaping open-mouthed and nitering unluneful noises of dis large oak tree which hitherto hi proval, they can only have been the ways been the exclusive property: gray slatling (Spodiopsar cineraceu Hornets, wasps and beetles. from" the in the winter T had seen any number teng: horned beetle down to the eickof their relatives, the common my-"There at any rate I shall not molest Dut so far I had not met these them nor intrude upon their privacy true starlings in China.
Jas T did the other morning when a On the way back along the s% Pair of them so far forgot themselves spit we had a distant view of a fi fas to have a very intimate téteni-tate grey "heron which we had seen at Touch closer quarters in the morning.
Lofore my very eyes, upon the ver rest of the row of Robinia (I meat JOn a few occasions 1 found it inter= raeia) trees In the next-door garden, esting to sce how close various kinds for shore birds allowed themselves. to As I came out 1 heard the noisy Of a shrike, who promptly flow be approached without any attempt at Jeonceaiment. The small kind, Kentish eeross to this particular tree where he was almost Immediately Joined by plover and their sort, seem to have Tittle objection to an approach within another, his would-be mate, - With true chivalry he allowed her to take quite a few yards, even with a sun, the higher perch, but came close and Unafrald of Bieyetes Jnot much below her. He then en~ One morning 1 experimented with rely forgot that the tree they had Japproach by cycle on the wide Sond Jselceted was one of the most backstretches, Dismounting at about 180 ward in respect of foliage and that yards to use my glass T continued his wooing was. being conducted en-approach them, walking with the tirely unscreened from the gaze of cycle. At 7% yards T found that the jarly whom it might not concern. Fool-common whimbrel began to get restish saint Tess, but a flock of some two dozen The twistings of the neck, the allowed me to come within $0 yards, gyrations of the bill, the wrigales of with a cycle, before they ow. light, the gentle poking forth The plover family are much tess the face in the faintest suggestion of shy. A' number of tong-billed ring embrace, checked now and. then plover were feeding or meditating at by a mild peck on the side of the the water's edge, 20 of them, with throat from tht female by way of four large grey plover among' then.
Femonstrance, (Thirty. yards was about their limit, At last it seemed to dawn upon and. if ihe whimbrel had not of them that their proceedings were a a few minutes before, they mig tule too public have allowed an even closed apron saw that Twas watching:
'The ordinary. small mig: hin' that. they did and ha they. Jpresent early in April. have not forgive me, for ever since Jof March T saw three pied:|1 have found that they move oft hur= sledly whenever I appear. Te may be entirely white-faced, but with that they. bl ie for the cut not very distinct black streak through down of two ancient and long-docs the eye. By the middle of April dent catalpa trees which they have there were quantities of them, ether the common "yellow Seagtalls (yrayheaded or blue-head). hay tle corrective' atte used for some years ax perches, Per
being uble to approach [They settle on the fat fully. Or it maybe past a few sentries ave noticed me too often take notice of them and disapprove of intruding into their private af-'One fine morning T eyeied out east fairs. "In any ease they mow have it wards along the Weihaiwei bus road, Jail their own way, forthe folluge and was greeted by the Joyous song ssu thick that they have all the of the meadow buntings. One of them cover they want.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.