School: Rathwire (B.) (roll number 8415)

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   “Nearly every kind of wild bird is to be found in the district.”

   

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   the hollow of a tree.

   The birds that come to our district in summer are the swallow, swift, cuckoo. The swallow and swift build their nests of mud in barns and cowhouses or under the roofs of dwellinghouses. The cuckoo lays her egg in another birds nest.

   The corncrake is heard in the meadows in summer. She makes her nest in the grass and lays seven or eight spotted eggs. The young ones are black in colour. Some people say that the corncrake becomes a waterrail when autumn comes others say she goes into a hole in a ditch and sleeps the whole winter and spring.

   The waterhen or moorhen, teal, widgeon, and wild duck build their nests along the banks of a river or pool. The plover builds its nest in a marsh, The carrion crow or scawlcrow is bigger than the ordinary crow and has grey feathers on the top of its head. Farmers do not like the carrioncrow because if follows young lambs and picks out their eyes.

   There are many partridges and pheasants in this district also. They build their nests in rush bottoms or in furze, Woodcocks are to be found in the woods in the late autumn.

   Old people say that if swallows build under the eaves of a house they bring luck to that house and if they build in a cowshed there will be luck with the cattle during the year.

   Some people say if the starling builds its nest

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

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