School: An Clochar, Cúil Mhaoile

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1. Bird-Lore

   

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   Bird-Lore

   The birds most commonly seen in my district, are the Blackbird, Thursh, Robin, Sparrow, Skylark, Rook, Snipe, Wren, cuckoos, Corncrake, Swan, Yellow-hammer, Owl and the Hawk. The cuckoo, Corncrake and swallow migrate. On the 23rd June Bonefire Night the Cuckoo migrates, and the Corncrake in July and the Swallow in October.

   The swallow [birds] builds her nest on beams in outoffices. The Blackbird and Thrush builds in Blackthorn bushes. The Robin builds in holes in walls and fences. The Sparrow builds its nest in thatch of houses. The Skylark builds her nest in the rushes in the bottoms. The Rook builds its nest in high trees in woods. The Snipe builds her nest in marshy places and the Swan makes her nest at the edge of rivers. The Wren builds her nest in ivy and thatched houses. The cuckoo lays her eggs in other birds nest and the Corncrake in the meadow.

   The Blackbird makes a very hard nest and the eggs are blue. The Thrush makes a nest of hay and the eggs are spectled. The Skylark makes a nest of dry grass and the eggs are dark brown. The Wren makes a nest of moss with a small hole at the side. The eggs are very small and she lays ten or twelve.
   Most of the birds sit a fortnight on the eggs.

   If the Swallow flys low it is a sign of rain and when the Curlew cry it is a sign of rain. When the Rooks screech and fly high it is a sign of storm.

   The Robin is said to have gone to pull the thorns off our Lord's head, and it was at the

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. agents (~1)
      1. animal-lore (~1,185)
         1. bird-lore (~2,478)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Mary Conboy

   Gender

   Female

   Informant

   Mrs Conboy

   Relation

   Parent

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Tully Beg, Co. Sligo