School: Mághthobair (Mohober), Dúrlas Éile (roll number 7048)

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1. Bird-Lore (continued)

   

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   wings and faurn breast spotted with large fan shaped brown markings. The two Thrushes begin to build early in Spring and the nest is usually made in thick shruls or black thorn bushes. The outer covering is made of roots and moss and inside is worked of rotten wood and mud. The mother bird lays four beautiful blue eggs, marked with black sports. These spots are mostly at the larger end of the eggs.
   The Blackbird s very handsome being about the size of a Thrush. He has back feathers, a bright orange beak and yellow rims around his eyes. The Blackbird places its nest in a thick holly bush. Dried grass, roots and twigs outside, the inside lined with mud and a further lining of dried grass makes the nest. This bird lays four or five greenish blue eggs, spotted with red, brown or grey.
   There is an old legend about how Robin got his red red breast. It is said that when Our Saviour hung so sadly upon the Cross, a little bird, full of grief to see Our Lord hanging there, flew to the Cross and tried to peck the nails out of His hands. Then one drop of blood from the Saviour's hand full upon the brown breast of the little bird and stained it red; so since that time Robin has had a red breast. You may find the nest in the heart of a deep wood, in a holly bush, in a thick hedge, in a gorse bush, on a hill or in the ivy on the house. It is made of dried leaves, hair and moss and lined with wool and feathers. In it the mother bird lays four or five dull white eggs with red spots upon them. The young birds come out of the shells in about a fortnight.

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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

   Ena Fitzgerald

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Ballintaggart, Co. Tipperary

   Informant

   Mr M. Fitzgerald

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   64

   Address

   Ballintaggart, Co. Tipperary